World-music legends complete Woman line-up
And still they come. Not content with announcing possibly their strongest-ever line-up, Womad organisers have squeezed two more world music big-hitters onto the bill for their festival at Charlton Park in Wiltshire in late July.
Anyone who saw the pre-tournament World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert will have caught the performance, among those of Alicia Keys, Shakira and Black Eyed Peas, of Angelique Kidjo. With her striking shaven-headed look and equally striking vocal gymnastics, the singer, from Benin in West Africa, has become something of a pan-African icon for both her musical contributions and her humanitarian work.
Indeed, many regard her as the successor to the late Miriam Makeba as the new Mama Africa. She’s also a woman who thrives on fresh musical challenges and includes Youssou N’Dour, Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana and Amadou & Mariam among collaborators both past and present. A truly 21st-century soul woman.
Since well before the salad days of the Buena Vista Social Club, Sierra Maestra have been tireless champions of that glorious Cuban music called son. Faithfully acoustic but brimming with passion and energy, the band is an irresistible force, one ready to lift the crowd and take them on wings of song to a pre-revolution Cuba where the streets of Havana and Santiago swayed to this irresistible soundtrack.
Angelique Kidjo and Sierra Maestra join a stellar cast appearing at Womad 2010, a line-up that once again confirms Womad’s reputation as one of the most far-reaching festivals around. Boasting artists from Japan to Jamaica, Ireland to Iran, this annual gathering scours the four corners of the globe for new musical experiences to bring to the grounds of a stately home in deepest Wiltshire. A musical tour of the world in a single weekend.
Angelique Kidjo and Sierra Maestra complete a formidable 2010 line-up headed by the likes of rap pioneer Gil Scott Heron (USA), the golden-voiced Salif Keita (Mali), Latin hip-hop/funk force Ozomatli (USA), the humbling Staff Benda Bilili (Democratic Republic of Congo), Welsh songstress Cerys Matthews (UK), sweet-voiced reggae legend Horace Andy (Jamaica), West African troubadour Cheikh Lo (Senegal), throughly modern singer-songwriter Imogen Heap (UK), Gallic lounge lizards Nouvelle Vague (France) and many, many more.
Not that Womad is all about the headline acts. Not a bit of it. There are uncut jewels lower down the bill – gems like the Toubab All Stars from Paris (imagine a French-language Specials) or crazy Japanese jazzers Soil & ‘Pimp’ Sessions. The stars of tomorrow are here today. Tell them we sent you…
Australian artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu has sadly been forced to cancel his European tour, which included an appearance at Womad due to illness. The platinum selling and award-winning singer/songwriter will remain at home in North East Arnhem Land under his doctor’s supervision and a full recovery is expected.
The now-complete line-up for Womad Charlton Park 2010 can be found at: womad.org. The festival takes place near Malmesbury in Wiltshire on the weekend of 23-25 July.