WOMAD UK 2009 World Music Festival Adds Orishas, Eliades Ochoa and Schlomo to Line-up

WOMAD UK 2009 has announced additional names that have been added to the spectacular annual world music festival that will be held this summer in Charlton Park in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, from 24 to 26 July 2009. The names added to the line-up keep coming: Barcelona-based Latin American punksters, Che Sudaka; Israel’s dance-floor fusionists, The Apples; British singer-songwriter (and former Peter Gabriel support act), Charlie Winston. From the east comes China’s new grassland musician, Mamer, who has a new recording titled Eagle; and from the west comes Chicago’s jazz and hip hop septet, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
 
 Additional artist include: Neneh Cherry features in the line-up of Swedish electro-pop collective cirKus. Then there’s London-based Balkan/Gypsy firebrands Los Desterrados, cult Berlin folk-rockers 17 Hippies and two of Australia’s most acclaimed Indigenous singer-songwriters – Shellie Morris and Archie Roach. Archie will also be joined onstage by special guest Ruby Hunter. And from Argentina, comes the exotic and cool tangos of Melingo.

Hip-swiveling Cuban rap pioneers Orishas will show why they’re considered a national treasure in Latin America and have become a phenomenon everywhere else. Fronted by three buffed, boyband-parodying rappers/singers – crooner Roldan Rivera and compadres Ruzzo and Yotuel – Orishas fuse hip-hop beats with Afro-Cuban rhythms to scorching, innovative effect. Expect hits such as 537 C.U.B.A, Qué pasa and Naci Orishas.

‘Everybody loves the sunshine’, runs Roy Ayers’ famous laid-back hit. Now in his fourth decade in the music business, the Godfather of Neo-soul (and the second most sampled musician in hip-hop after James Brown) continues to bridge the gap between generations of music lovers.

Eliades Ochoa started playing guitar when he was six years old in Cuba. Since then he has become one of the most important Cuban soneros of all time, known to the wider world largely for his involvement with the Buena Vista Social Club. Eliades will be reminding Charlton Park this summer why Cuban traditional music is one of the best sounds on earth.

One of the world’s leading beatboxers, Shlomo pushes the boundaries of beatboxing as an art form. Having collaborated with the likes of the Mighty Boosh and Björk, enjoyed a stint as Artist in Residence at London’s South Bank Centre and stunned last year’s WOMAD Charlton Park as the guest of Martha Wainwright, Shlomo returns with his jawdropping Vocal Orchestra – the world’s only human beatbox choir.

Others artists confirmed include: A Filletta (Corsica), Acetre (Spain), Andy White (Northern Ireland), Ba Cissoko (Guinea/Conakry), Besh o droM (Hungary), Black Arm Band (Australia), Caravan Palace (France), Darbar Morchang Party (India), Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan (India), Dub Colossus (UK/Ethiopia); Enkh Jargal (Mongolia), Ethiopiques (Ethiopia), Etran Finatawa (Niger, Western Africa), Fat Freddy’s Drop (New Zealand), Hindi Zahra (France), Mad Professor Dub Show (UK), Mariem Hassan (Western Sahara), Nneka (Germany/Nigeria), Oumou Sangare (Mali), Portico Quartet (UK), Rokia Traoré (Mali), RSD featuring Joe Peng (UK), Solomon Burke (USA), Spiro (UK), Victor Démé (Burkina Faso) and Wang Li (China). More acts will be announced in the coming months.

Returning this year to WOMAD UK will be the popular ‘Taste the World’ tent where artists show off their cooking prowess and, more often than not, turns into a impromptu gig. The Drum and Dance Tent makes a welcome return: think everything from early-bird yoga sessions and salsa lessons to night owl happenings. And for those who fancy a luxurious moment to themselves the WOMAD spa – complete with cocktail bar – is the place to go.

The World of Kids will have the usual comprehensive program of workshops, entertainment and activities; the magnificent Children’s Parade is always a festival highlight. WOMAD continues its well-established place as the best festival for the whole family: all children aged 13 and under get in for free.

Adult Weekend Ticket: £122
Teenager (14-17 Year Olds) Weekend Ticket: £59
Disabled Weekend Ticket: £122
All Children (13 and under): FREE
Booking line (ticket sales): 0845 146 1735
Online: www.womadshop.com