WOMADelaide 2012: Full Lineup Announced

Since its establishment in 1992 WOMADelaidehas become one of Australias leading festivals, bringing a host of the world's best musicians, dancers and DJs to Adelaide's beautiful Botanic Park. To celebrate it's twentieth year, WOMADelaide 2012 (9-12 March) has pulled in a fantastic line up, the full glory of which was recently announced. Below are a few of our favourites, but you can check out the entire line up here.

Last year's festival attracted 81,500 attendances over four days, if you'd like to join the ranks this year then grab your ticket now!

Baaba Maal

Since the eighties, Baaba Maal has been an icon of African music. His distinctive voice, exhilarating live shows and willingness to experiment with different sounds, while always retaining the beauty of the Senegalese traditions he grew up with, have seen him headline events from the BBC Proms to Damon Albarn’s 'Africa Express'.

Cambodian Space Project

Conjuring psychedelic Khmer-rock from the jungles of Cambodia, The Cambodian Space Project is built around the unique voice of Srey Chanthy. Encouraged by expat Australian music producer Julien Poulson, she fronts a cross-cultural Phnom Penh band faithful to the spirit of 1960s and 1970s Cambodian pop music that fuses traditional Khmer songs with rock’n’roll.

Staff Benda Bilili

Despite being handicapped by polio and living rough on the streets of Kinshasa, Staff Benda Bilili’s singers, guitarists and percussionists have become a global sensation. The pulse of their Congolese rumba echoes the sounds of Havana, Kingston and Harlem, and their energetic live performances are nothing short of joyous and inspirational.

Gurrumul

His soaring, pure voice is the most distinctive and important in Australian music today. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingucaptivated the world with his debut, Gurrumul, an album of immense poise and beauty. Sung in his native Yolngu tongue atop sparse acoustic accompaniment, his mesmerising sound is captured afresh on his multi award-winning 2011 album, Rrakala.

Anda Union

Anda Union is a stunning ten-piece ensemble that unearths bygone music from across the ancient Mongolian tribes. Digging deep into Mongol traditions, this acoustic group combines the morin huur, or horse head fiddle, with a range of traditional instruments and the majesty of throat singing.

Tinariwen

From out of the Western Sahara, Tinariwenstrike up a stunning and rebellious new strain of ‘desert blues’. Ripe with electric guitars and rhythms inspired by the loping gait of the camel, Tinariwen’s songs echo with nostalgia for their ancient Touareg nomadic lifestyle and rage against the indifference to their plight.

Tinariwen | Tenere Taqhim Tossam from Tap Scène Nationale de Poitiers on Vimeo.

Bonobo

Hailed as a pioneer, Simon Green has taken trip-hop to the masses. An accomplished musician, producer and DJ, he explores diverse sounds in the recording studio as Bonobo, sourcing a wide variety of samples built around complex bass lines - then brings them to life on stage with a lush live band.