Charlton Park’s edition of WOMAD festival has announced its first artists for 2014.
Included in the line up is one of the UK’s greatest soul singers Alice Russell and the man with one of the most distinctive and versatile voices of today, Nitin Sawhney with the live incarnation of his latest album ONEZERO.
WOMAD – the World of Music and Dance – is a festival which brings together artists from all across the world, creating a festival full of individuality from a range of genres and origins. One of the many artists travelling the seas are WOMAD favourites, Fat Freddy’s Drop who will be bringing their heady concoction of dub, soul and a drop of techno all the way from New Zealand.
The next addition is Balkan rock star Goran Bregovic and his 18-piece Wedding & Funeral Orchestra.
Bringing an truly unique offering of traditional African music is Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba. Bassekou is one of the most innovative and exciting Malian musicians and the world’s most celebrated player of the ngoni – the ancient harp lute of West Africa. Another special performance is lined up from the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke.
A welcome return is being made this year from Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi and his band The Black Spirits.
Another familiar face due back this year is Norwegian singer Mari Boine playing her unique combination of folk, rock and jazz to bring us ‘joik’, the traditional music of her homeland.
The five-strong super group The Gloaming are also Wiltshire bound this July. The festival will also see some new transnational collaborations from the likes of Roberto Fonseca and Fatoumata Diawara and an attractive teaming of two impeccable guitarists, Dom Flemons and Martin Simpson.
WOMAD’s dedication to supporting artists from world-over doesn’t stop at the world-famous artists but also devotes time to the discovery and growth of those starting out. This year includes the likes of Kobo Town, Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat, Anna Cinzia Villani & Macuran Orchestra, Ibibio Sound Machine, Magic Drum Orchestra, Nuru Kane, The Good Ones and Salim-Sulaiman with Karsh.
Many more artists are yet to be revealed for this year’s festival which will take place in Charlton Park across the 24-27 July. Weekend tickets are currently available for £160pp; to ensure yourself a weekend of Ethiopian jazz, British soul, Kiwi dub and Balkans brass click here.
