WOMEX 2011: First showcase acts revealed

The world music exposition project WOMEX has announced the first acts confirmed for their 2011 Showcase Festival programme, which will be hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark, from October 26 to October 30.

The 2011 jury of seven have whittled the 750 showcase submissions down to just three dozen chosen acts. The jury’s task this year was ‘more challenging than ever before and countless hours were spent discussing hundreds of high quality proposals,’ it is said on the WOMEX website.

Keep an eye out for the next sets of acts to be revealed in the coming weeks, but here is the first taster:

Antti Paalanen (Finland)
www.anttipaalanen.com

Bombino (Niger)
www.bombinoafrica.com

Celso Piña (Mexico)
www.derapageprod.fr/en/Celso-Pina

Duquende (Spain)
www.tallerdemusics.com/en/duquende

Ibrahim Maalouf (Lebanon/France)
www.ibrahimmaalouf.com/

Jelena Jakubovitch (Russia/Sweden)
www.jelenaj.com

JuJu (Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara) (UK/Gambia)
www.realworldrecords.com/artists/juju

Máirtín O'Connor Band (Ireland)
www.mairtinoconnorband.com

Mansum Ibrahimov Ensemble Garabagh (Azerbaijan)
www.mansumibrahimov.com

Matuto (USA/Brazil)
www.matutomusic.com

Özlem Taner (Turkey)
www.ozlemtaner.com