The world’s most iconic world music festival, WOMAD NZ, unveils 18 exciting additions to its 2024 New Zealand event, guaranteeing a round-the-world musical journey like no other. For three days in March, the award-winning Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Ngāmotu/ New Plymouth, will be home to this incredible melting pot of artists.
WOMAD NZ is thrilled to welcome Senegalese icon Baaba Maal and his rich blend of traditional West African rhythms along with the revival of the 1970s Zamrock genre for a new generation with Zambia’s WITCH.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Dubioza Kolektiv’s explosive, genre-blurring experience of high-energy ska, reggae, punk, and hip-hop are set to wow audiences.
Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil’s captivating bossa nova and tropicalia, the groundbreaking fusion of Mexican folk traditions and modern innovation from Son Rompe Pera, and the electrifying Angolan-Portuguese sensation Pongo are poised to bring their exhilarating and diverse musical flavours to the 2024 festival’s program.
The UK’s Ibibio Sound Machine promise to turn the festival into a dancefloor with its fusion of Afrobeat, electronic dance, and post-punk. The British musical institution Morcheeba will cast a dreamy trip-hop spell over attendees and, British-Indian composer Nitin Sawhney’s mesmerising fusion of electronic, jazz, and classical will leave an indelible mark.
The melodic fusion of India’s Tejendra Majumdar & Ambi Subramaniam and South Korean sensation Leenalchi are set to create an unforgettable musical journey.
Festival attendees are encouraged to experience the unique Mongolian/Australian fusion of Equus, indulge in the award-winning UK folk duo Good Habits, and savour the soulful tunes of Vanuatuan singer-songwriter Tio.
Aotearoa/New Zealand will proudly showcase the diverse and captivating sounds from our corner of the globe with these incredible local acts: Taite Music Prize winner Anthonie Tonnon, the velvety soulful Bailey Wiley, high-octane DJ skills of Lady Shaka and the diverse performances of Te Kaahu’s magical waiata.
These newly announced artists join a stellar line-up that includes the neo-Sufi, classical minimalism, jazz, and electronic brilliance of Arooj Aftab, the innovative “ethno-chaos” sounds of DakhaBrakha, Moonlight Benjamin’s mesmerising fusion of rock and Haitian voodoo rhythms, Rei’s genre-blending hip-hop and R&B, nineties cool electro-pop vibes of Strawpeople and socially conscious reggae world music sensation, Ziggy Marley.
With more musical artists and the highly anticipated World of Worlds and OMV Steam line-ups to come in November.
Offering something for everyone, WOMAD NZ vows to be an unforgettable event and undeniably the must-attend festival of the season.
Tickets on sale now from www.womad.co.n
Anthonie Tonnon (Aotearoa/NZ) * Baaba Maal (Senegal) * Bailey Wiley (Aotearoa/NZ) * Dubioza Kolektiv (Bosnia & Herzegovina) * Equus (Mongolia/Australia) * Gilberto Gil (Brazil) * Good Habits (UK) * Ibibio Sound Machine (UK) * Lady Shaka (UK/Aotearoa/NZ) * Leenalchi (South Korea) * Morcheeba (UK) * Nitin Sawhney (UK) * Pongo (Angola – Portugal) * Son Rompe Pera (Mexico) * Te Kaahu (Aotearoa/NZ) * Tejendra Majumdar & Ambi Subramaniam (India) * Tio (Vanuatu) * WITCH (Zambia)
5-17 March, 2024
Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Ngāmotu (New Plymouth)
Few forge the kind of paths that Anthonie Tonnon has. While experiments with synthesizers and samplers may have changed his sonic palette, a constant is his lyrics – which find character-driven stories in existential subjects. Winning the Taite Music Prize for his album, Leave Love Out Of This, Tonnon has returned to a full band – creating a hybrid human-electronic form that combines the control and connection of technology with the physicality of a live rhythm section.
Arooj Aftab (Pakistan/USA)
Winner of the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance, Brooklyn-based musician Arooj Aftab draws on a deep well of musical influences, transcending boundaries from jazz to minimalism to Urdu poetry. Her spellbinding performance style has earned her a place on the New York Times best concerts list, and appearances at Coachella, Primavera Sound and Glastonbury.
Baaba Maal (Senegal)
From a family of griots – travelling poets, musicians and storytellers from West Africa – Baaba Maal’s distinctive sound ingeniously fuses traditional African instruments and rhythms with a dramatically modern electronic approach. After more than four decades of recording, performing and refining his continually evolving hybrid of tradition and innovation, Senegalese superstar Maal mixes themes both local and universal to produce a unique form of deep, immersive soul music.
Bailey Wiley (Aotearoa/NZ)
From her sexy slow jams to her empowering odes to wāhine, the music of Bailey Wiley grooves with soulful RnB and velvet rich vocals. In a musical journey from small town Hāwera to the electrifying nightlife of Berlin, this songstress has woven neo soul beats and silky melodies into her firecracker creations. Capturing the realities of love, musing on motherhood, and redefining retro rhythms, this RnB sensation is as fresh as she is funky.
DakhaBrakha (Ukraine)
Formed in Kyiv in 2004, Ukrainian ‘ethno chaos’ quartet DakhaBrakha creates unexpected new sounds that are contemporary, cosmopolitan and intimate, with the soul and vocal power of Ukrainian folk. With a strong visual and theatrical element to their shows, DakhaBrakha experiments with the instruments and rhythms of other cultures through the lens of Ukrainian tradition
Dubioza Kolektiv
(Bosnia & Herzegovina)
The biggest band in the Balkans, DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV is an anarchic, must-see live act. A high-energy mix of influences, their music is based in Balkan traditions with injections of ska, punk, reggae, electronica and hip-hop. Although deeply serious and political in their lyrics, their songs are also loaded with black humour and irresistibly danceable rhythms that keep audiences on their feet.
Equus (Mongolia/Australia)
Delightfully quirky and brimming with folky goodness, Good Habits weave a scrapbook of poetic life lessons into the vibrant power of cellos and accordions. These charming nomadic storytellers playfully wrap audiences in a warm hug as they meld alluring vocal harmonies and intricate musicianship into an action-packed adventure of musical magic. Hailing from the UK, but forged under lockdown in Aotearoa, the duo are fresh from an energetic and euphoric performance at Glastonbury.
Gilberto Gil (Brazil)
A pioneer of the Tropicália movement, singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil has had a career spanning six decades and enjoyed hits in each one. Known for his musical innovation and political activism, the multi-talented 81-year-old’s Aquele Abraço farewell tour will showcase his extensive repertoire of folk, samba, bossa nova, reggae, disco and funk with his family band.
Good Habits (UK)
Delightfully quirky and brimming with folky goodness, Good Habits weave a scrapbook of poetic life lessons into the vibrant power of cellos and accordions. These charming nomadic storytellers playfully wrap audiences in a warm hug as they meld alluring vocal harmonies and intricate musicianship into an action-packed adventure of musical magic. Hailing from the UK, but forged under lockdown in Aotearoa, the duo are fresh from an energetic and euphoric performance at Glastonbury.
Ibibio Sound Machine (UK)
Fronted by Nigerian singer Eno Williams, this eight-piece ensemble is a clash of African and electronic elements inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West-African funk, disco, modern post-punk and electro. Formed in London in 2013, they took club culture by storm, and have released four albums including the highly acclaimed Electricity (2022).
Lady Shaka (UK/Aotearoa/NZ)
Her hip shaking and speaker-quaking beats have catapulted Lady Shaka to the top of the international club scene. With sets that are an unadulterated party, the vibing DJ has amassed a cult following who rave about her high-octane shows. Celebrating her queer identity and taking inspiration from the music of her Afro Pasifika and Māori ancestry, she personifies what contemporary electronic music can be when the source is indigenous.
Leenalchi (South Korea)
Alternative pop band Leenalchi plays a genre-defying style of music that feels familiar, unfamiliar and wildly danceable all at once. The group sings verses from a traditional Korean tale, Sugungga, while the background beats and bass draw inspiration from ‘80s new wave, and the performers break and re-arrange traditional elements.
Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti-France)
Nicknamed the ‘Caribbean Patti Smith’ by The Guardian, voodoo queen priestess MoonlightBenjamin plays raw, heavy blues rock inspired by Caribbean melodies and artists Dr John, Alabama Shakes and Oumou Sangaré. Moonlight’s deep and expansive vocals in Creole, backed by raging electric guitars and thunderous drumming, turns voodoo trance into a new and explosive style.
Morcheeba (UK)
Formed in England in the mid 1990s, Morcheeba’s atmospheric ‘trip-hop’ and the soulful vocals of SKYE quickly made them a household name. Ten albums and 10 million sales later, with big tracks such as ‘Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day’ and ‘The Sea’ under their belt, they still exude an effortless cool.
Nitin Sawhney (UK)
British musician, producer and composer Nitin Sawhney is a formidable talent across many genres, from his own brand of British electronic and fusion music to composing for orchestras and artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting and dancer Akram Khan. He has recorded more than 20 solo albums, composed more than 70 film and TV scores, and is a passionate cultural/political commentator.
Pongo (Angola – Portugal)
Heralded as the new diva of Kuduro, a dance music genre that emerged from the civil unrest in Angola in the ’80s, singer-dancer Pongo is breaking down musical barriers. Connecting Kuduro to Afrobeat, funk to dancehall, she aims to make music that feels intimate but also shares a universal message, inviting listeners to escape any feelings of sadness and despair.
Rei (Aotearoa/NZ)
Oozing good vibes and belting out bilingual bangers, Rei embodies a new generation of globally aware artists. His exuberant live shows blend hip hop, pop and te reo Māori, while amping up the atmosphere with kapa haka-inspired modern dance. Clocking up more than nine million Spotify Streams, this charismatic musician has become an empowering force for showcasing the unique culture of Aotearoa.
Son Rompe Pera (Mexico)
Born and raised deep in the outskirts of Mexico City, the Gama brothers are keeping alive the rich legacy of marimba music by taking it from the garage/punk world of urban misfits into the 21st Century, via punk, rockabilly and ska. Son Rompe Pera’s authenticity shines through in energetic live shows that are a joyful, sweaty mess of dancing fans.
Strawpeople (Aotearoa/NZ)
As masters of musical alchemy, Strawpeople are electro-pop royalty and the epitome of nineties cool in Aotearoa. Their trailblazing creations exude atmospheric charm, soaring with entrancing vocals and pulsating with a sonic palette of electronic beats. With iconic hits such as Sweet Disorder and Taller than God, this award-winning powerhouse has carved out a legacy of unforgettable innovation.
Te Kaahu (Aotearoa/NZ)
Echoed by ancestral sounds and wrapped in angelic vocals, TE KAAHU is a stirring homage to the beauty of Māori songwriting. Exploring cultural identity and weaving in messages of hope and peace, these dreamy waiata are the latest visionary work from critically acclaimed artist from Em-Haley Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Dedicated to her late tūpuna wāhine and influenced by the songs they used to dance to, cry to, and love, these te reo Māori tunes truly are a taonga.
Tejendra Narayan Majumdar &
Ambi Subramaniam (India)
A spellbinding jugalbandi performance in the Indian classical tradition, featuring one of the most celebrated sarod players of our time, Tejendra Majumdar, and Ambi Subramaniam, the “new king of Indian violin” (Times of India). Majumdar’s brilliance as a classical artist is legendary, and Subramaniam has been enthralling audiences since an early age. They will be accompanied by revered percussionists Tanmoy Bose and V V Ramana Murthy
Tio (Vanuatu)
Birthing his music from a bamboo hut nestled among the roots of a sprawling forest, Tio is Vanuatu’s treehouse troubadour. With a breathtaking blend of violin, skin drum and hypnotic vocals this thoughtful artist reaches into your soul, invoking the fragile beauty of the environment. Reminding people to live and work more truthfully, his songs ask audiences to rethink their relationship with nature, creating a passionate and moving revelation in both music and wisdom. Tio released his debut album Sorousian in 2020 when the world locked down which received a 5-star review in Songlines Magazine UK as well as international acclaim and radio play.
WITCH (Zambia)
Dubbed ‘the Beatles of Zambia’ because of their popularity, WITCH’s brilliant garage, blues and psych-rock was at the centre of the explosive music scene in Zambia in the mid-’70s. Now, with a new lineup that is international and inter-generational, they are reviving and re-invigorating ‘Zamrock’, a riotous rock’n’roll sound infused with heavy African percussion.
Ziggy Marley (Jamaica)
Ziggy Marley is an eight-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer, activist and humanitarian who has cultivated a legendary career for nearly 40 years. The eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy has hewed his own path as a musical pioneer, infusing the reggae genre with funk, blues rock and other elements through mindful songcraft. Equal parts master storyteller and motivational guide, he deftly explores issues from environmental awareness to self-empowerment, social injustice to political inequity while returning again and again to the transformative power of love. And over the past 15 years with his own companies, Tuff Gong Worldwide and Ishti Music, Marley has complete control of his masters and publishing, alongside his charity URGE – benefiting the well-being of children in Jamaica, Africa and North America.
WATCH: WOMAD New Zealand 2023 Highlights
