A collective grin of delight and anticipation sweeps like wildfire through an exotically decorated marquee as several thousand people gather in a Wiltshire field on a warm, almost balmy Sunday evening.

It is nearly half-a-century old but everyone there appears to know and love Green Onions, one of several timeless soul instrumentals performed, on the final day of this year’s WOMAD, by the man who wrote them.

Behind his Hammond B3 organ Booker T Jones majestically recreates the halcyon days of Stax soul which has become such an integral part of America’s musical landscape.

Around an hour later, as the final strains of another classic Booker T groove, Time Is Tight, fade into the night, eyes and ears suddenly turn from the Siam Tent to the main stage where a disorderly spot of gypsy punk has broken out.

Almost polar opposites of Booker T’s hip-hugging Memphis stew, New York’s Gogol Bordello are running riot as they jettison through an intense, feisty set which merges Romany culture with The Clash… all at breathless, breakneck speed. Now in its fifth year at the Earl of Suffolk’s spacious back yard at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, the four-day World Of Music And Dance got off to a dub-heavy start with the Easy Star All-Stars’ sing-a-long-a-reggae versions of the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Radiohead (sorry, Radio-dread!).

Bellowhead’s horn-driven English folk-on-steroids provided a rowdy Thursday night finale while the following day saw AfroCubism create an exquisite blend of traditional and modern music from Mali and Cuba.

“My Engleesh isn’t very good,” apologised Aurelio from the Charlie Gillett Stage, so named after the DJ who did so much to showcase global sounds.

It didn’t matter a jot. The Honduran fashioned his first guitar from a tin can and discarded fishing rod and now sings and plays like a world star in the making.

Alabama 3 lit the fuse at the Siam Tent on Friday night and we all clapped, shouted and stomped as it disappeared – under the potent force of their techno gospel cowboy rap – into the ether.

The spirit of Hank, Johnny and Elvis delivered rapturously into the 21st Century. A festival highlight: no question.

With his white suit, bow-tie, Brycreem-slicked hair and Southern-style drawl, the dapper, banjo-picking CW Stoneking sounded as though he was raised in the heart of Huck Finn country.

He’s actually an Aussie who nevertheless took us on a paddle-steam ride down the Mississippi, circa-1920s, with a singular brand of sepia tinted ragtime blues. Senegal’s Baaba Maal more than lived up to his reputation as a true giant of world music with a cornerstone set which was both hypnotic and rousing.

The best moments at WOMAD are often the ones you don’t expect.

From the Reunion Islands near Madagascar, Nathalie Natiembe, with a heady mix of Creole, jazz and soul, was a veritable ball of fire.

“Ya’ll come on over to see us in Louisiana” laughed Ann Savoy (pronounced ‘savoir’) as The Savoy Family Cajun Band rounded off a swinging, accordion led set direct from the bayou.

Later on they could be found cookin’ up some spicy Cajun gumbo at the Taste The World pavilion.

Ha ha. Only at WOMAD!

BARRY LEIGHTON