WOMAD NZ Preview

What would be your ideal day? Learning to cook Sudani Voodoo Chicken in an interactive workshop? Lying on the grass watching a famous comedy duo? Perhaps it would be an evening of world class Irish folk music… or swaying to the beats of one of the world’s leading world-music DJ’s? No? OK, so you’re after something a little heavier… something like former Salmonella Dub star Tiki Taane leading the Dub Soliders.

If none of those sound good… well surely you like lying on green grass listening to native birdsong and soaking up sun!

You can do all of these and more in a single day at WOMAD Taranaki… AND IT RUNS FOR 3 DAYS!

A world music experience, a day of contemporary local live music, a chance to watch authentic international food being cooked and then eat some… it’s all there at the tip of your fingers. Add it to camping in the shadow of the majestic volcano, Mt Taranaki and spending the long days bathed in Autumn sunshine and you have one of the very finest festivals in Australasia.

The best thing of all about any WOMAD… you go to see a few stars that you already know and you come away with a bunch of CD’s from artists you’d never heard of. Check out the line-up below and really, tell me you’re not champing at the bit!

Seriously, if you’re in New Zealand it’s worth the trip to Taranaki.  If you’re reading this in Oz… book some of your leave or quit your job, it’ll be the best holiday you’ve ever had!

For more information, visit http://womad.co.nz/womad_index.html

The Lineup in Brief:
Taste the World Stage - a 3 day live food channel where the artists cook their regional cuisine
17 Hippies (Germany) – Euro folk punk fusion
 Afro Celt Sound System (Africa/UK) – Undefinablely fantastic, the world’s premier inter-continental dance group. They will be one of THE highlights of the festival!
Amadou & Mariam (Mali) – Blind afro-blues duo
Bob Brozman (USA)– One of the WORLD’s BEST guitarists
Calypso Rose (Trinidad and Tobago)– 5 time winner of the ‘Calypso Queen’ title at the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
Carolina Moon (Aotearoa/NZ) – A world journey of music
Compagnie Ekart (France) – FRENCH GIANT ROBOT PUPPETS!!!
Creole Choir of Cuba (Cuba) – spectacular creole vocal harmonies
Don Letts (UK) – DJ, Film-maker, Charismatic front-man… a legend of the 70’s & 80’s reggae music scene.
Dva (Australia) – Contemporary Macedonian/South Indian Folk Music
Faiz Ali Faiz (Pakistan) – Heir to the qawwali (Islamic prayer music) throne of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Hanggai (China) – One of China’s core punk rockers returns to his Mongolian folk roots… Mongolian folk-punk!!
Horace Andy and Dub Asante  (Jamaica/UK) – One of the pioneers of ragamuffin and dancehall
Juan De Marcos Afro Cuban All-Stars (Cuba) – Think Buena Vista Social Club, with extra brass!
Lawrence Arabia (Aotearoa/NZ) –  One of Aotearoa’s rising stars of indie/pop/new folk
Luka Bloom (Ireland) – One of the world’s foremost Irish troubadours
Maisey Rika (Aotearoa/NZ) – A soulful Maori/folk fusion with soulful vocals reminiscent of Tracey Chapman
Mana Maoli (Hawaii) – An Hawaiian supergroup combining contemporary and traditional island music
 Nga Tae (Aotearoa/NZ) – A fusion of traditional Maori instruments and vocals with contemporary electronica
Nitin Sawhney (UK) – He has composed scores for Cirque du Soleil, the national ballet of China, films, video games and produced 8 solo albums… probably best known to most of us for his hit, ‘Sunset’.
Paddy Free (Aotearoa/NZ) – Pacific-influenced electronica
Rajendra Prasanna (India) – Leading Indian traditional flautist
Rango (Egypt/Sudan) – ancient Sudanese music with its origins in slavery and hardship
Rhombus with Michel Tuffery (Aotearoa/NZ) – up-beat sould/funk/dub fusion with visual narrative
Sidestepper (Colombia/UK) – take a pinch of drum and bass and add a teaspoon of Colombian flare and electronic and you have Sidestepper.
Sola Rosa (Aotearoa/NZ) – tasty local fusion of jazz, lounge, dub and hip-hop
Tanya Tagaq (Canada) – Inuit throat-singing brought set in a 21st century backdrop.
The Barons of Tang (Australia) – WOW! Tango, Rockabilly, Metal and Gypsy in one place... ever heard of Gypsy death-core before? WOW!
The Cat Empire (Australia) – Do I really need to introduce them?… gypsy rhythms, hip-hop, funk… chaos in general.
The Patea Maori Club (Aotearoa/NZ) – Everyone wants to know if they will play ‘Poi E’. I sure hope they do! You Aussies who haven’t heard it, youtube it… you’ve never hear a more infectious traditional-contemporary fusion!
Tiki Taane and the Dub Soldiers with Te Pou O Mangataawhiri (Aotearoa/NZ) – Tiki Taane was instrumental in the rise of the Kiwi powerhouse Salmonella Dub. Now he brings his own brand of power to the stage, ranging from acoustic pop to electro-haka.
Topp Twins Summer Hoedown (Aotearoa/NZ) – New Zealand’s funniest sisters take to the stage again.
Tray So (Cambodia) – Specially formed for WOMAD 2011, Tray So are on a mission to showcase traditional Cambodian music.
Trinity Roots (Aotearoa/NZ) – You can’t get bigger news in New Zealand’s music scene than the reformation of the iconic Trinity Roots. Warren Maxwell (Fat Freddy’s Drop, Little Bushman) returns to WOMAD NZ to stun the crowds yet again.
Whitireia Performing Arts (Aotearoa/NZ) – a stage spectacular that fuses Maori haka with the musical traditions of Samoa and the Cook Islands.
Will Crummer & the Rarotongans (Aotearoa/NZ/Rarotonga) – A New Zealand and Pacific treasure, fusing 50’s and 60’s pop with Rarotongan traditional styles.