The Cinematic Orchestra, Soul II Soul, Emicida, 47Soul, Jungle Brothers, Ana Tijoux, Tank & The Bangas, ENNY & more join the WOMAD 2023 line-up.
The WOMAD Festival 2023 is set to deliver an unforgettable musical experience with a diverse line-up of captivating acts from around the world, and they have just announced even more artists to join the mix.
Among the highlights is The Cinematic Orchestra (UK), whose unique fusion of nu-jazz, downtempo, and film music has earned them a multitude of admirers. Praised by The Observer as “heartbreakingly brilliant” and by The Guardian for their “impeccably tasteful electronica”, their mood-enhancing compositions are sure to strike a chord with the WOMAD audience.
Also returning to Charlton Park is the Grammy Award-winning Soul II Soul (UK), whose blend of soul, R’n’B, and hip-hop has been embedded into the cultural fabric of the country. Their forward-facing group continues to innovate with their still-phenomenal debut album Club Classics Vol. One, proving that they are not just a heritage act.
In keeping with WOMAD’s tradition of intersecting joyous musical celebration with challenging political expression, the festival will feature Brazilian rapper, MC, and singer Emicida. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Emicida’s mission to recover Brazil’s black history is reflected in his intuitive and improvised rhymes, earning him numerous accolades and collaborations with renowned artists such as Gilberto Gil. This year marks his debut at WOMAD UK.
Also returning to WOMAD UK renowned band and voice on social issues 47Soul (Palestine/Jordan) will showcase their unique blend of electronica, hip-hop, and traditional dabke music and rapper Ana Tijoux (Chile/France) a strong voice against injustice, will bring her thrilling delivery and passionate lyrics to the stage. London rapper ENNY (UK) will share her insightful perspective on being a Black woman in Britain and Liraz (Israel), who makes politically defiant music with musicians from Tehran, will perform tracks from her latest album ‘Roya‘.
The Global Party will really get started when the celebrated New York City hip-hop pioneers the Jungle Brothers (USA) take to the stage on Thursday night with their magical fusion of House and Old Skool Hip Hop. Also appearing WOMAD 2023 from the United States, acclaimed New Orleans-based R&B group Tank & The Bangas (USA), led by front-woman Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball, they will bring their sunshine soul, jazz, and funk grooves from their Grammy-nominated album to spread positivity throughout the festival.
There are plenty more strong, talented female voices at this year’s festival; multi-instrumentalist Mari Kalkun’s (Estonia) clear voice will echo the beauty of her homeland across the site presenting her new album Stories of Stonia, her first since signing to Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records while classically trained singer Marina Satti (Greece) will present her pop songs with strong influences of her homeland. Singer-songwriter Carmen Consoli (Italy) will effortlessly switch gears between gentle pop and rough-edged angst.
Keeping with women performers also on the line-up; singing cellist sensation Ana Carla Maza (Cuba) will showcase her rare talent with bossa nova and samba sounds while one of the top world reggae voices Queen Omega & The Royal Souls (Trinidad and Tobago) will get this global party started. Incredible rapper MC Yallah Debmaster
(Uganda/Kenya/France/Germany) will deliver rapid-fire rap with a message of anger and inspiration. A group of all-female teenagers; Star Feminine Band (Benin) will bring a glorious global-pop fusion of voodoo rhythms, Congolese rumba with trace elements of psychedelia and garage rock while 6 Music presenter and DJ Jamz Supernova (UK), will present her top picks of the latest and greatest in electronica, jazz, and R’n’B.
There will be folk traditions from the queen of off-kilter freak-folk, Alicia Edelweiss (Austria/UK), who will bring her accordion, piano, ukulele, cello, and violin to delight audiences and Kayhan Kalhor (Iran) & Erdal Erzincan (Turkey) will offer a visionary collaboration of Persian and Turkish traditions. Faith i Branko (UK/Serbia) will bring their full-throttle Gypsy jazz while the inspired due Justin Adams (UK) & Mauro Durante’s (Italy) will present their thrilling collaboration ‘Still Moving’ and Amjad Ali Khan, (India), arguably the foremost master of the sarod the Hindustani stringed instrument, and living legend Malkit Singh (India), the undisputed king of bhangra. The electric duo and You Tube sensations Orchestral Qawwali Project ft Rushil Ranjan and Abi Sampa (UK) who take the Sufi devotional singing tradition known as qawwali into a new realm with additional orchestral strings.
One of the delights of a WOMAD gathering is being able to wander around the site to discover and uncover some new musical heroes such as the multifaceted artist Nakhane (South Africa) will present their latest album Bastard Jargon, a disco, pop, and funk mix of hedonistic sounds that has earned praise from Elton John and Madonna, or the prolific producer Raz (UK) & master musician Afla (Ghana) will deliver futuristic Afro-house, or open-eared production duo Montparnasse Musique (South Africa/France) will bring their respective South African and Moroccan roots to bear through dancefloor creations or the brother duo The Saramaccan Sound (Suriname) who have never played outside their own country and will be brought to WOMAD by prolific field recording and Grammy Award winning producer Ian Brennan.
And there is more The Olllam (Northern Ireland/USA) will be a treat for fans of post-rock and Irish traditional music, offering a unique sound that sits somewhere between Radiohead and Planxty while long-travelling troubadour Rory McLeod (UK) will entertain with his songs, stories, and instruments aplenty. For fans of all things Japanese, Ajate (Japan) brings a high-spirited fusion of traditional ohayashi with West African Afro-funk, and KUUNATIC (Japan) delivers a mesmerizing blend of psychedelia, prog with distinctly Japanese elements.
Lastly, the festival’s traditional curtain-raiser, the Malmesbury Schools Project with Jamo Jamo Arts (UK/Mali/Senegal/Burkina Faso/Gambia) will showcase the collaboration of local schoolchildren with singers, musicians, and dancers from West Africa.
WOMAD is a feast of culture and apart from experiencing a such dynamic and diverse line of musicians and inspiring new talent from around the world there is always much more to discover throughout the festival.
There is the popular Taste the World stage where some of the artists will show off their cooking prowess. The All Singing All Dancing Tent with firm favourites like the early-bird yoga sessions, and samba dance lessons. In World Rhythms drum with the best drummers from around the world and listen to the musician’s very own inspirational stories. The World of Wellbeing, located in Charlton Park’s lush arboretum, offers an oasis of treatments, therapies, discussions, workshops and spaces to simply get away from the bustle of the main arena. And for those who fancy a luxurious moment to themselves, the WOMAD Spa, complete with treatments, spa pools, sauna, boundless showers and a cocktail bar, is the place to go.
WOMAD’s World of Art will again this year showcase the Museum of the Moon by Luke Jerram in the Secret Forest, with special soundscape by Jason Singh the World of Words will celebrate all things spoken while the Physics Pavillion will challenge the mind with all manner of demonstrations, talks and discussions. Festivalgoers can experience the sights, smells and tastes of the festival’s diverse food traders, shop ’til they drop in at the Global Market.
The dedicated kids zone World of Children is packed with creativity from morning to early evening with a wide-ranging programme of workshops, entertainment and activities around the theme Wonders of The World. On Sunday afternoon the much-loved Children’s Parade, one of the festival highlights, will wind its way through the festival site. WOMAD continues its well-established place as the best festival for the whole family, by allowing all children 13 years and under, in for free.
WOMAD Festival 2023 promises to be an extraordinary celebration of global music and culture. Don’t miss it.
WOMAD FESTIVAL UK 2023
Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK, SN16 9DG
27-30 JULY 2023
ONLINE: www.womad.co.uk
