Savina Yannatou: Greek avant garde artist

Chavan, from Mexico and Nicaragua, kicked off the festivities in the huge Siam Tent, decorated with luminous hanging spirals.

Dressed in black sombreros and suits for their guitar, violin and brass Mariachi music, they gave the audience exactly what they wanted, taking requests for standards like La Cucaracha and Guantanamera.

Eighteen years after their first Womad, Britain's 23 Skidoo were back with their loud and lively mix of dance, rap and dub and more laid-back guitar chords.

One of the great things about this global village, which sets up on the banks of the Thames, 70 km west of London, each July, is the extra-festival activities, including workshops by the performers and sideshows.

Children have their own tent and workshops and the number of Womad babes present highlights the family atmosphere.

With hundreds of flags flying in the wind, recycling bins and marquees with names like the Village Stage, Womad is not afraid to show its colours.

Fruit, one of a large crop of Australian performers this year, had the audience on their feet with their catchy rock songs with a twist in the tail.

Jimmy Little: "The Aboriginal Elvis"

And over on the main outdoor stage their compatriot Jimmy Little certainly deserved the title the Aboriginal Elvis with his voice and songs.

By juggling schedules and nipping between stages you can do a musical tour of the world.

It was possible to take in Congolese guitarist Papa Noel doing an acoustic duet with Cuba's Adan Pedroso, or check out the gypsy rhythms of Vera Bila from Bohemia.

Britain's Eliza Carthy and band had them Riverdancing on the grass with their violins and folk fusion.

Maceo Parker, from the USA, once James Brown's sax machine, was switching between being soulful and as cool as the night air and funky and as hot as the midday sun.

And all that was just on the first day. With acts like Youssou N'Dour, Suzanne Vega and Rolf Harris to come the forecast is looking good for the weekend.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.