The Budos Band, José González, Nitin Sawhney, Yussef Dayes and Ziggy Marley highlight the first round of artists who are headed to WOMADelaide in 2024.
A veritable United Nations of countries will be represented when WOMADelaide returns to its spiritual home at Adelaide's Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla 8-11 March.Some of the artist nationalities (representing 25 countries) include Senegal, Ukraine, Bosnia & Herzegovina, South Korea, Brazil, Chile, Lebanon, Haiti, Angola, and Jamaica.
More than a decade since he last toured Australia, Ziggy Marley returns with the reggae singer-songwriter, author, and humanitarian to grace the WOMADelaide stage for the very first time.
Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter José González returns to Australia as part of his Veneer 20th anniversary tour, while British jazz wunderkind Yussef Dayes (who recently released his debut solo album 'Black Classical Music') is a performer that must be witnessed live. "Blessed to be coming back to Australia March 2024," enthuses Yussef.
A pioneer of the Tropicália movement of the 1960s, who has recorded more than 60 albums and won 9 Grammys, Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil returns to the festival for the first time in 20 years.
British musician, producer and composer Nitin Sawhney, whose award-winning electronica embraces Asian influences, trip-hop and jazz, will arrive with his newest album 'Identity': "The greatest achievement of our lives is to discover who we are meant to be and to live that fearlessly."
Both New York City Afrobeat-soul seven-piece act The Budos Band ('TI.B.W.F.', 'Up From The South') and Grammy Award-winning vocalist Arooj Aftab ('Love In Exile', 'Vulture Prince') will make their live debuts at WOMADelaide.
"It's been nearly a decade since our last trip down under," shares The Budos Band, "so we are PSYCHED to be playing WOMADelaide festival in Australia March 2024. Who is gonna be there?"
Ukrainian 'ethno chaos' quartet DakhaBrakha perform folk music through a lens of Ukrainian tradition to create unexpected new sounds that are contemporary, cosmopolitan and intimate.
Senegalese superstar Baaba Maal returns with his distinctive fusion of traditional and contemporary West African sounds, as does Ibibio Sound Machine, led by Nigerian singer Eno Williams and formed in London in 2013, who present an astonishing clash of African and electronic elements inspired by the golden era of West-African funk, disco and modern post-punk.
The 'Caribbean Patti Smith', voodoo queen priestess Moonlight Benjamin, makes her debut with raw, heavy blues-rock inspired by Caribbean melodies and artists Dr John, Alabama Shakes and Oumou Sangaré.
"Thank you so much WOMADelaide. Can't wait for March and can't wait to be part of it, beside Ziggy Marley, Pongo and Arooj Aftab," shares Moonlight Benjamin.
Emerging Melbourne act Folk Bitch Trio will also make their WOMADelaide debut, who are "humbled to be playing on this iconic line-up".
"With WOMADelaide entering its fourth decade," says WOMADelaide Director Ian Scobie, "we are thrilled and honoured to have the festival stages graced by luminaries such as Ziggy Marley, Gilberto Gil, Baaba Maal and Elizabeth Streb, who share the qualities throughout their extraordinary careers of breaking boundaries and creating work which celebrates the creativity, excellence and inclusiveness central to the arts."
Tickets are on sale.
WOMADelaide takes place at Adelaide's Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla 8-11 March, 2024.
WOMADelaide 2024 Line-up
Arooj AftabBaaba Maal
Braxe + Falcon
The Budos Band
DakhaBrakha
DJ Koco
DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV
Elephants Laugh - Muljil
Folk Bitch Trio
Gilberto Gil
Handspring Puppet Company
Ibibio Sound Machine
Illapu
José González
Leenalchi
Maqamat - Beytna (Home)
Moonlight Benjamin
Nitin Sawhney
Pongo
Sharon Shannon Big Band
Son Rompe Pera
STREB EXTREME ACTION
Tejendra Majumdar & Ambi Subramaniam
Tio
Wantok Sing Sing feat. TELEK
WITCH
Yussef Dayes
Ziggy Marley
With more artists to be announced
