Counting down to Womad

The annual WOMAD festival is here again with a wide varied line up, and one of the most pleasing to date.

UTR favs An Emerald City, Beirut and SJD will be there along with a whole host of internationals.

WOMAD New Zealand 2008 March 14 – 16 Taranaki Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl, New Plymouth

WOMAD 2008 ARTIST LINE-UP Age Pryor and The Suspicions • An Emerald City • Beirut • Black Grace • Cesária Évora • Clube do Balanco • David D'Or • Farafina • Green Fire Islands • Gyuto Monks • Jess Chambers & The Firefly Orchestra • Joji Hirota Trio • Master Kong Nay & Ouch Savy • Kora • Manjiri Kelkar • Mavis Staples • Midge Marsden • Dr Natesan Ramani • Nickodemus • Pedson Kasume • Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings • SJD • Susana Baca • Taraf de Haidouks • Terem Quartet • The Phoenix Foundation • Tim Guy • Titi Robin Quintet • Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra • Village of the Idiots • Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra • Whangara Mai Tawhiti •

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Grammy-award winning performers, the world’s hottest funk music ensemble and virtuoso musicians are among the stellar line-up of artists heading to New Zealand for WOMAD New Zealand 2008.

Suzanne Porter, TAFT Chief Executive says: “We are thrilled to be able to bring WOMAD to New Zealand on an annual basis from 2008 and the caliber of international and New Zealand artists coming in March next year means we definitely expect another sell out event”.

WOMAD New Zealand 2008 takes place at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl from 14-16 March. Tickets are on sale now and festival-goers should not delay in purchasing their tickets to avoid the disappointment that many experienced when WOMAD 2007 sold out.

One of soul and gospels most recognised and cherished voices, Mavis Staples, has been confirmed for the three-day festival and joins a stunning line-up of international performers including the Grammy-award winning "barefoot diva" Cesária Évora, from Cape Verde Peru’s Susana Baca, incredible Israeli composer David D’Or, New Zealand’s own premier dance company Black Grace, world-renowned Indian flute virtuoso Dr Natesan Ramani and the Gyuto Monks from Tibet and Australia.

From the USA comes Santa Fe’s prodigious Balkan/Folk act Beirut and all the way from Georgia - birthplace of the Godfather of Soul James Brown, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who capture the essence and energy of funk as it was in its heyday. Also included in the line-up is Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra from Mali, named for their ongoing balancing act between old and new, and from the ballrooms of Brazil comes Samba-rock sensations Clube do Balanço.

Other international acts include classical singer Manjiri Kelkar hailing from India, the colourful and mischievous Romanian Gypsy band Taraf de Haidouks, West African ballet dance troupe Yelemba D’abidjan from the Ivory Coast, Russia’s Terem Quartet and France’s extraordinary string virtuoso Thierry “Titi” Robin. A solid line-up of New Zealand performers also features electronic indie rockers SJD, the ever popular live Roots Rock Reggae act Kora, Whangara Mai Tawhiti kapa haka group from Gisborne and the Psychedelic-rock of An Emerald City. Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) Artistic Director Roger King says WOMAD is a true celebration of world music, arts and dance and an opportunity to really recognise the diversity of performance art in the world.

"We are hugely excited at this first release of artists for WOMAD 08. Achieving a line up with breadth and depth can be quite a challenge, so it's good to know that we have not only realised that goal but have been able to build a programme of great quality as well....... and one we trust will appeal to music lovers of every persuasion." Roger King, Programme Director WOMAD 2008.

WOMAD is an international festival created by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Brooman 24 years ago. Since then 21 countries have hosted the festival and entertained millions of festival goers.

WOMAD full price three day passes are now available from Ticketek - www.ticketek.co.nz.

A three day pass is $190, a three day pass & camping is $235 and a three day pass & Marae-style accommodation is $250. One day tickets are also available. The full line-up and detailed information is available on the WOMAD website www.womad.co.nz ENDS

WOMAD New Zealand 2008 March 14 – 16 Taranaki Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl, New Plymouth

www.womad.co.nz