This colourful band of performers from the Thar Desert had been due to play last year but were caught up in the nightmare red tape of visas.

And though they finally made it this year for a series of performances including on the BBC Radio 3 stage, the ensemble admitted they had wondered whether the process – which involved giving up their passports for two months – would be worth it.

I hope they thought it was. Saturday was vintage Womad in bright sunswhine – weather which finally enticed me from post-swine flu recovery in London – even if yesterday required the kind of wet weather planning only years of festival-going can prepare you for.

(I have perfected a particularly unsexy combination of long raincoat mac topped by stout walkers’ raincoat last presented for public view at Ray Davies’ particularly soggy but rather brilliant performance at Kenwood House earlier this summer.)

You would have thought that the seal of approval of Womad, and confirmed by the broadcasters Radio 3, would be enough to secure visas for its performers.

The festival was founded by Peter Gabriel 27 years ago and has a very long track record of helping make world music stars of the likes of Youssou N’Dour. Radio 3, which has broadcast live from the event for several years, is also a more than credible referee.

Yet organisers admit that it as tough as ever to get many of the performers in. The process has been toughened up in the last couple of years and the fees increased. Embassies seem particularly suspicious of applications from trouble spots, which may explain – but in no way excuses – why it was so hard for the exuberant and athletic Zambezi Express troupe from Zimbabwe. Hot out of a township, they utterly deserve a wider audience.

Perhaps Womad should invite the mandarins from the Home Office’s immigration department to take a look next year. At the risk of ruining the festival for everyone else.