Graham Reid | | 1 min read
Tipiti (by Dona Onete)
Those lucky enough to be going to Taranaki Womad this coming weekend (details below) will doubtless be lining up at the merchandise tent to buy albums by many of the artists whose CDs and vinyl wouldn't otherwise appear in stores.
And to get them autographed.
There are some exceptional artists on the bill – we have profiled/interviewed a few in the following links – but this fast-forward compilation picks out a number of key players, among them Angelique Kidjo (with her Afro-take on Talking Heads' Once in a Lifetime), the Taiwu children's troupe, the wonderful singer/kora player Sona Jobarteh from Gambia, My Baby, the pan-Celtic sound of Jamie Smith's Mabon, Las Cafeteras out of East LA, Baloji, septuagenerian Dona Onete from Brazil and others.
So here are 13 pieces which spin you around the globe from West Africa through the Middle East and across Europe with sudden turns towards Taiwan and LA. And more.
Family matters prevent me from attending this year but here are my tips if you are lucky enough to be going. In no particular order: Sona Jobarteh, the legendary sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan (not on this compilation), Angelique Kidjo, Dona Onete, Maalem Hamid El Karsi, Maarja Nuut, My Baby, the Silk Road Ensemble, that lovely Taiwu children's troupe . . .
And of course as many locals as you can fit in.
Elsewhere previewed all the internationals and most of the locals here with video clips.
Have a great weekend . . . and if those people selling mussel fritters are there again, get in the queue.
Sublime!
WOMAD New Zealand 2019 will see the festival celebrate its 15th anniversary in the stunning 55-acre Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth, 15-17 March 2019.
For further information and ticketing see the official Womad site here.
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