New Artists Announced for WOMAD New Zealand 2007

New Zealand – Eleven new artists have joined the line-up of performers for WOMAD New Zealand 2007 hailing from the United States, the Russian Republic, Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and three new acts from New Zealand.

WOMAD New Zealand 2007 takes place at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl from 16-18 March and features more than 400 performers from 21 countries.

The newly announced artists include world class drummer Bill Cobham from the United States, British DJ and acid jazz musician Mr Scruff, world famous throat singers from Tuva Huun-Huur-Tu, Ensemble Shanbehzadeh from Iran, ethereal performance artists Quidams from France, traditional Kanak dance group WETR from the Lifou Islands near New Caledonia, and tango dance experts Fabio Robles and Ana Andre from Australia.New homegrown acts include festival favorite dub/reggae band dDub, electro/dub/jazz act The Mamaku Project, a musical project being developed by Wellington-based musician Jonathan Crayford and featuring Grammy nominees Jay Rodriguez and Chris Theberge from New York’s Groove Collective, and the premiere of Capital E Productions’ musical theatre Spinning Mountain.

These artists join an outstanding line-up of performers from around the globe delivering musical styles from tango to afrobeat, Mexican ranchera to Portuguese fado, roots to electronica and everything in between.

Organizers confirm that WOMAD New Zealand 2007 is close to selling out with little more than 1000 three-day tickets left for the event “and there will not be additional tickets put on sale,” says Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) Chief Executive Suzanne Porter.

“We have a limit of 12,400 three day tickets and once they are sold, that’s it for three day passes.”

Ms Porter says that this year the festival site has been expanded and already ticket sales have surpassed the total number of tickets sold for the 2005 event.

She expects the final 1027 three day tickets will be snapped up very quickly, but adds there are a limited number of single day tickets available, however tickets for Saturday 17 March have already sold out. Tickets are available for Friday 16 March evening, Sunday 18 March day and evening and Sunday 18 March evening.

The full program for WOMAD New Zealand 2007 will be finalized in coming weeks, however TAFT artistic director Roger King says that headline acts Gotan Project and Femi Kuti and The Positive Force will perform on Friday night only so, if you’re traveling to New Plymouth from outside Taranaki, plan to leave early. Gates will open at 4.30pm and the first act performs at 6pm.

WOMAD New Zealand 2007 follows the sold out 2005 event, attended by more than 30,000 people across the three days.

And as well as music, dance and performance, WOMAD also features artist workshops, a global food village, Kidzone and the option to camp at the adjacent racecourse or stay marae-style in the TSB Stadium.

Two new features can be found at WOMAD New Zealand 2007: Taste The World – an opportunity to sample dishes from around the world cooked on site by WOMAD artists; and Artists in Conversation – live well-known New Zealand music journalists interview WOMAD artists live.

Tickets for WOMAD New Zealand 2007 are available through Ticketek for $165. Tickets for Friday night (from 6pm) are $60, Sunday day and night tickets are $75 and Sunday night (from 6pm) tickets are $50. Children under 12 are free. The full line-up and program for WOMAD New Zealand 2007 will be posted on the WOMAD website as soon as it is confirmed. Visit www.womad.co.nz for more information.