Newcastle, UK - With the ceremonial granting of the WOMEX Award 2005 to Zanzibar's legendary Bi Kidude, the world's biggest expo for World Music and global sounds came to an end at The Sage Gateshead in Newcastle (UK) on Sunday, October 30. The singer, well in her nineties yet still sporting a bonecrushing handshake, received the honors in recognition of her more than 80 years of singing and serving as a cultural mediator and advisor of the younger generations, including on matters of sex and marriage, which make her a proper symbol of World Music's liberating and strengthening powers in general.

This year's edition of the leading international networking trade show of global music at the Norman Foster designed music center The Sage Gateshead in Newcastle Gateshead featured more than 2100 international professionals 500 musicians and a sold out Showcase festival for regional music lovers and delegates alike. The air of excitement sparked by the Festive Opening featuring legendary singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame continued with singers Natacha Atlas, Mariem Hassan and many more.

During daytime, the WOMEX professionals among them more than 400 journalists met with exhibitors on more than
Trade Fair stands (booths). The decision makers of labels, concert promoters, agents, cultural institutions, the media
nd other sectors gathered from countries to spread the sound tracks of antiglobalization. Showcased during the five days of the fair were 55 concerts presenting artists from 36 countries on 4 stages 35 speakers in 27 Conference sessions and 12 films in the fourth WOMEX Film Market/IMZ Film Screenings.

WOMEX's media partner Mondomix put together WOMEX TV and provided for the first time instant coverage of many things happening during WOMEX on the plasma screens in The Sage Gateshead. The Mondomix day-by-day webcast of what was going on during the edition 2005 the virtual Concerthall is available at
http://www.womex.com/virtualwomex/sites/specials/concerthall.

This year's official WOMEX photographer, Koh Okabe (Tokyo, Japan), has a digital exhibition available at his own homepage http://www.koh-okabe.jp/womex.htm.

The next WOMEX, in 2006, will be held in Seville (Sevilla in Spanish), Spain. For more information about the world music scene in Seville, click here.

More WOMEX stories published at World Music Central:

Robert Plant and Nuru Kane Closing WOMEX Conference

Marcelo D2 at Womex 2005

Showcase of Les Boukakes at WOMEX 2005

Guitar Master Debashish Bhattacharya’s Will Showcase at WOMEX

New World Music Digital Downloading Site to Be Presented at WOMEX

WOMEX Award for Bi Kidude

WOMEX Will Be Held in Sevilla, Spain, 2006 and 2007

More WOMEX Showcases Announced

WOMEX 2005 Announces Final List of Showcases

WOMEX 2005 Announces Additional Showcases

Film Screenings at WOMEX 2005

First WOMEX 2005 Showcases Confirmed

The Film Market's new feature at WOMEX 2005: Pitching Session

WOMEX 2005 Conferences Announced

Robert Plant Will Headline the WOMEX 2005 Inauguration

The WOMEX deadline for all Showcase, Conference, Award and Film Market Proposals is Friday, May 27

WOMEX 2005 Jury Announced