The World of WOMAD Returns to Singapore for Its Ninth Year

Singapore – The music of the world in the garden city at the crossroads of the world, WOMAD (World of Music, Arts & Dance), one of the world’s premier music festivals, returns to Singapore from 25 to 27 August 2006 for the ninth consecutive year. The three-day event will present a fantastic line-up of artists from thirteen countries around the world, bringing a captivating experience for fans of real music — from wherever in the world it
may come.

Festival Locations

WOMAD is a crucial Singapore experience and part of its magic is in the setting, Singapore’s historical hilltop garden, Fort Canning Park.

Fort Canning is Singapore’s best outdoor location for music and it has been WOMAD, in part, that has helped to put it on the map for music lovers. The park’s lush flora and tropical fauna create an ideal backdrop for the WOMAD spirit – a celebration of the world’s diversity through music, art and dance.

WOMAD Singapore Grows

WOMAD Singapore 2006 features two large outdoor stages and three smaller, more intimate spaces for performances and workshops. The Subaru Groove Tunnel at Fort Gate provides an atmospheric club setting which will be rocking till the early hours!

Once again, the site will feature a Global Village of some 30 traders selling a diverse range of unique local and international crafts and foods.

And fresh for this year, a number of artists appearing at WOMAD Singapore will be dipping into their recipe books and cooking up their favorite dishes from South Africa and China in our Taste the World festival kitchen.

“Tantalising tastes and succulent samples will be on offer at WOMAD’s new fifth stage. It gives the chance to hear how these artists connect music and food,” says Ms Sarah Martin, Festival Director, WOMAD Singapore 2006.

Throughout the weekend, in familiar WOMAD style, there will be many opportunities for festival-goers to meet the artists in a series of workshops for children and adults. On stage the Festival will be presenting sounds from Peru to Korea, from Australia to Nigeria — and all points between.

This year’s WOMAD Singapore line-up is as follows:

Bukky Leo & Black Egypt (Nigeria); Chico César (Brazil); Risenga Makondo (South Africa); Dulsori (Republic of Korea); Guo Yue (People’s Republic of China); Jimmy Cliff (Jamaica); Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan (India); Radio Mundial (Puerto Rico); Association of Capoeira Argola de Ouro (S) (Singapore); Sam Tshabalala (South Africa); Soul Jazz Soundsystem (UK); Stevie Goldsmith (Australia); Movida DJs Marvin Kam & Adrian Wee (Singapore); Susana Baca (Peru); T-Bone (Thailand); Kng Mian Tze & Dahlia Osman (Singapore)

The WOMAD organization, based in United Kingdom, presents festivals worldwide in an array of beautiful venues – from verdant parks in Australia and New Zealand, beaches in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, the historical backdrop of Sicily and Madrid, to the banks of the River Thames at Reading, UK. The location of WOMAD Singapore – a garden in the heart of the city of the world’s most famous Garden State – provides yet another stunning location in which to present the WOMAD philosophy.

The Partners Who Make It Happen

WOMAD Singapore has new festival partners onboard including Chivas, Keppel Off-Shore & Marine Limited, and Asia’s largest online and mobile music company, Soundbuzz, who will be WOMAD Singapore’s official online music store.

All of the artists will be flown on the official airline, Singapore Airlines, and all of the international visitors will stay at the Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore. The word of WOMAD will be spread through the official media partners, Frequent Traveller, MTV Asia, Yahoo! Singapore and I–S Magazine.

This year’s WOMADness 2006 Compilation CD will be sold through its supporter, Gramophone.

At home base in Singapore, WOMAD extends itself beyond the festival gates to reach a wider community with WOMAD in the Heartlands. This element of WOMAD Singapore is aided by its partnership with the North East Community Development Council.

Subaru and the Lee Foundation are back for the second year.

WOMAD Singapore returns to its home at Fort Canning Park with the aid of the National Parks Board.

The festival also continues to be supported by its longtime partners and friends; Singapore Tourism Board, the National Arts Council, and the Australian High Commission. WOMAD’s success is also shared by Heineken who will once again act as its official beer sponsor. Says Oliver Chong, Director, Cluster Development (Events & Entertainment),  at the Singapore Tourism Board, “As a partner and friend of WOMAD since its inception in Singapore, we are happy once again to welcome audiences, as well as some of the best performers from all over the world, to WOMAD Singapore. We hope they will have an exhilarating time at the festival and find time to experience the host of exciting entertainment options our city offers, including its pulsating nightlife, dusk-till-dawn parties and vibrant arts scene.”

“Apart from adding to Singapore’s annual calendar of signature events, WOMAD Singapore continues to profile the city as the Entertainment Capital of Asia, an exciting lifestyle destination brimming with quality leisure options,” Chong adds.

WOMAD Singapore 2006 Details

Dates: Friday 25 to Sunday 27 August 2006
Venue: Fort Canning Park
Time: Gates Open at 6pm on Friday and 5.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
“Live” performances on Friday begin at 7.30pm, 7.00pm on Saturday and 6.30pm on Sunday.

Ticket Prices
ADVANCE (on or before 11pm, THURSDAY 24 AUGUST)
Adult 1 Day $35
Adult 2 Day $57
Adult 3 Day $84
Students / Senior Citizens $26
Family Pass $82
Kids Under 7 FREE
Groups 10% off purchase of min 10 Adult single day tickets
10% off purchase of concession tickets per groups of 5 (for NUS students only)

Sales at the Gates (25 – 27 AUGUST)
Adult 1 Day $40
Students / Senior Citizens $26

Above ticket prices inclusive of $2 handling & administrative charges. Please note that only Adult 1 Day and Concession tickets will be on sale at the gates.

Tickets available from
SISTIC www.sistic.com.sg; Hotline (65) 6348 5555
Gramophone record stores located at Paragon, Centrepoint, Parkway Parade, Capitol Centre, OUB Centre, Scotts Shopping Centre, International Plaza and Ngee Ann City.

WOMAD Essentials Package is available only on the WOMAD Shop www.womadshop.com. It comprises of a 3-Day Adult Pass, a festival t-shirt, the WOMADness 2006 Compilation CD, a souvenir program, a choice of 1 beer or soft drink, collected in a limited edition WOMAD cloth bag! All this for only 130 SGD or 41.77 GBP (based on exchange rate 1 SGD = 0.321 GBP).

More information at www.womadsingapore.com.