Celebrating thirty years of presenting world music, WOMADelaide has weathered COVID restrictions to put on a massive show for 2022. As international travel uncertainties played out, the focus this year has been on highlighting Indigenous and Pacific Island acts. After the traditional Kuarna Welcome to Country, Cairo-born oud virtuoso, Joseph Tawadros played with the Adelaide…
Acclaimed Indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks burst on to the Australian scene with their album Dawn in 2015, announcing a new voice in Australian soul music. Emma’s songwriting is optimistic, impassioned, and bruisingly honest, The Putbacks’ music is fluid, live and raw, and the collaboration has won friends and admirers…
Long celebrated as one of Adelaide’s leading festivals, WOMADelaide have released the first thirty names for the 30th event in 2022. Heading the line up is veteran performer Paul Kelly, who not only played at the inaugural event, but played on the one-off WOMAD Indian-Pacific train trip from Perth to Pimba in 1996, and at…
Day four of the WOMADelaide festival opened with Adelaide duo, Siberian Tiger. Their soulful and heartfelt tunes were a beautiful accompaniment to a sunny afternoon. The Teskey Brothers hit the stage next. The brothers have built quite a following from their festival appearances over the years and were a popular addition to the lineup. There…
Tash Sultana finished off day three of WOMADelaide in typical brash style. Sultana has a certain way of cajoling, enticing and threatening sounds from their plethora of instruments. They are surrounded by these instruments but is in no way confined by them. As they soar and float around the stage, they set each one off…
By the second day of Womadelaide, a certain peace and harmony had developed in the crowd. COVID precautions were understood and the mad rush to see everything had changed into a more relaxed atmosphere. Not that this stopped newcomer indigenous rappers MRLN x RKM whipping up some energy onstage. Marlon Motlop (AKA MRLN) was born…
The scaled-down COVID-safe Womadelaide still had plenty of the charm and community that we expect from this annual world music festival. Jamie Goldsmith presented a welcome to country and explained the meanings of the traditional greetings and names. King Rodney Park was named after a Kuarna elder. Womad opened with seasoned performer Archie Roach, who…
Every year, Adelaide is home to WOMADelaide, one of the world’s most eclectic, unique and diverse cultural festivals that combines music, dance, cooking demonstrations, workshops, talks and much more. The massive four-day event meanders throughout the trees and clearings of Adelaide’s beautiful Botanic Park, with seven stages and over sixty-five acts from across the globe. Proceedings kicked off with a…
It was another glorious World of Music and Dance in Adelaide at the 2020 WOMADelaide festival. In spite of everything that is going on in this crazy world at the moment, people from every corner of the globe came together to celebrate our differences. But, also the many things that we all have in common….
Good news for WOMADelaide lovers this morning, as the South Australian Government was able to reveal that they’ve locked down the immensely popular festival through until 2024. An exclusive arrangement with WOMAD Ltd, as well as a five year license extension has guaranteed the future of the world music and arts festival in its home…
WOMADelaide has come out the gate swinging with their first line up for 2018, bringing out big guns Anoushka Shankar and Kamasi Washington alongside the likes of Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Avalanches and Dan Sultan for what’s looking to be another stellar year out in Adelaide’s Botanic Park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0K9niyHgsI 18 artists have been announced to perform over the long weekend…
Oh, WOMAD. The World of Music and Dance is a hefty title to attribute to a festival but over the last 25 years, the institution has enjoyed huge amounts of acclaim and conjured many timeless memories. Festival goers make the trip every year to indulge in music discovery, learn more about different cultures and to feel a…
The fast spinning wheel that has been Adelaide’s festival season is starting to slow, following the massive weekend that saw WOMADelaide collide with the Fringe and the Adelaide Festival for another year. Still, the Botanic Park remained a haven of dance, culture, art and music for thousands over the long weekend – a little home away…
Ever wanted to spend the night at the zoo? Well, the Adelaide Zoo is opening its gates for 10 lucky couples next month to have the ultimate camping experience as part of this year’s WOMADelaide festival, taking place at Adelaide’s Botanic Park from March 10th – 13th. ‘WOMAD Wild Nights at The Zoo’ is definitely one of the…
The 25th anniversary of WOMADelaide just got that little more epic, with the announcement of A.B. ORIGINAL being added to the 2017 bill this week. Fresh off the back of a successful Laneway Festival tour, Briggs and Trials (along with a super special guest roster of artists) will be appearing in Adelaide’s Botanic Park next month for a spitfire set…
The final festival announcement for WOMADelaide 2017 has been revealed today, with a whole slew of international and local talent now confirmed to appear in Adelaide’s Botanic Park from March 10th – 13th. Joining the already announced line up – which has included 30/70, Electric Fields, D.D Dumbo and L-Fresh The Lion – are the likes of Montaigne, Toni Childs, Caiti Baker, Kiasmos…
Rufus Wainwright, Berlin’s Schaubühne Theater, and the premiere of RED, starring Cate Blanchett head up the bill for artistic directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy‘s debut festival. Over thirty arts events will take place over the 17 day period, running from March 3rd until March 19th. The lineup includes 16 Australian premieres, 17 Adelaide exclusives,…
The physical and emotional hits kept coming for the last two days of WOMADelaide 2016. The heat would not relent, and while watching Quarter Street send the crowd into a salsa frenzy on Monday, sweat accrued in places that it is not natural for sweat to accrue. Thankfully, the crowd didn’t mind. In fact, they…
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better (or hotter), WOMADeladie 2016 served up a mind-bending day 4 lineup on Monday. At 2pm, with sun blazing and people sweating from places that can’t be mentioned in this publication, Quarter Street took to Stage 2 to Latinise proceedings. Heat, humidity and more salsa dancing than…
There’s no denying the fact that Sarah Blasko can sing. It’s not like we needed any proof. But under extremely challenging conditions on Sunday at WOMADelaide, she proved it anyway. Keyboards were melting, sweat was pouring and still Sarah delivered a vocally dominant performance that put the crowd in a trance. Earlier in the day…
To nab some of Jock Zonfrillo‘s time now moreover any other time of the year is an opportunity not to be taken for granted. Not only has his always popular Adelaide CBD establishment Street ADL been catering to the masses in town for the Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival of the Arts (not to mention their pop up food…
One of the best festivals on the Australian calendar is undoubtedly WOMADelaide and today, the crew behind the annual world music and dance celebration have revealed another bunch of diverse and stellar artists joining the bill in 2016! The music line up already featured the likes of Ibeyi, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Violent Femmes, but…
Tonight, the South Australian music industry was celebrated with the 2015 South Australian Music Awards, held at the Mercury Cinemas. Tkay Maidza and Timberwolf were the big winners, along with other Australian artists and industry figures hailing from the City of Churches. Rapper Tkay Maidza was given Best Female Artist, along with Best Release for her Switch Tape EP. Best…
