Sounds from Spain.

The first full day of WOMEX--and two evenings of showcases--has already vanished in the blink of an eye...and as always there's more music than time. Some highlights:

-Miguel Poveda was just on fire. I haven't heard him since the Qawwali/Flamenco project, and I find him a far more interesting artist when he's out there on his own. (Though he has for sure picked up a fair number of qawwali-esque hand gestures...)

-I loved Speed Caravan: any group that can go seamlessly from Udi Hrant to The Chemical Brothers with an electric oud as frontman is OK by me.

Mondomix has a nice little slideshow up of the first night's goings-on.