Story: WOMADelaide 2016 Preview

WOMADelaide 2016 Preview The World’s Festival. Botanic Park. 11 to 14 March 2016.

As sure as the sun rises every morning, March hails the arrival of the festival season in Adelaide. For lovers of world music Botanic Park is the only place to be and WOMADelaide, The World’s Festival, the party to be at!

Botanic Park will once again be transformed with over 60 performers, guest speakers, workshops, street acts, cultural food vendors and vibrant dance, as well as nearly 100,000 world music lovers from all over Australia and beyond.

Instore for 2016 is first timer to WOMADelaide, Angélique Kidjo, who will be accompanied by a 60 strong Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for a premiere performance of her unique orchestral repertoire. Including the amazing Ifé, a three part orchestral collaboration between Kidjo and Phillip Glass, the one off performance will be an absolute highlight on the festival’s opening night and not to be missed!

Also taking to the stage on opening night are the famed Cat Empire. As WOMAD stalwarts, with three WOMADelaide appearances already under their belt as well as performances in the UK and New Zealand festivals, their presence will definitely be something special.

Guest speaker and globally renown environment scientist, David Suzuki, will be in attendance to give an eco-talk on Saturday, followed by a panel discussion entitled What’s Love Got To Do With It?, with Sir Tim Smit, Indira Naidoo, Amelia Telford and Suzuki examining if winning the battle for our hearts is more important than economics, politics and carbon numbers.

Also appearing for the first time at WOMADelaide is revered South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who give stirring a cappella performances singing traditional Isicathamiya songs.

There will be a one off Adelaide show by cult heroes the Violent Femmes after a 15 year hiatus; Australian debut performances by Palestinian hip hop act 47SOUL with their "electro-mijwez, shamstep, choubi" sound that synthesises Palestinian debka music with electronic pulse; Sumtuous tempered ballads and fizzing electronic pop songs from American singer-songwriter John Grant who will plumb dark, penetrating spaces with his self-effacing lyrics; and a major site installation in the form of Sacrilege, an interactive, life-sized inflatable replica of Stone Henge measuring 34 metres long and 5 metres high!

The UK’s Mercury Prize nominated and politically charged electronic act Asian Dub Foundation will make their WOMADelaide debut on closing night in a sound sphere where raga meets sitar, dub meets bhangra, and punk rock meets hip-hop. Also the eight-piece New York ensemble Hazmat Modine will transform 1920s American music into 21st century verve like a cocktail of Tom Waits and gypsy-flavoured tinpan alley blues.

All the usual festival delights will be there including Taste The World, the Global Village, Womade, and the Healing Village. Acrojou will roll their elaborate circular house around the park unfurling a curios narrative tale which blends acrobatics and their amazing hand built structure, while Fair Play Comedy will delight festival crowds with their walkabout show featuring dancing prawns, animated octopuses and a worrying seafood smoothie!

There is set to be some fervent debate in the Planet Talks with discussions about off-the-grid innovation and activism in Off The Grid Game Changers; the future of clean and green economic development in a climate constrained world in A Green Growth Economy; and a discussion about science, communication, misinformation and debunking science skeptics with Dr Karl, Naomi Oreskes and Professor Tanya Monro in Should We Trust Scientists?.

WOMADelaide and independent Adelaide-based label Pilot Records are teaming up to bring more fresh electronic sounds to Speakers Corner to chill out or fire up before the DJ sets. Performers include Datãkae, Mortisville vs The Chief, Problems, and Zeequil.

The KidZone will also feature plenty of interactive events for the little ones including cool activities, immersive theatre, science discoveries, storytelling, dress ups, face painting, bouncy things and much more. There will be multiple opportunities to see amazing performances over the 4 day festival, with a timetable of events available online at womadelaide.com.au.

The Barefoot Review has been at WOMADelaide for many years, capturing the highlights, celebrating the performances, interviewing the artists and previewing the festival! In 2015 we had the great pleasure of capturing a day of the event on film, so be sure to check out our WOMADelaide experience and don’t miss the festival, this March, under the Morton Bay Figs at Botanic Park!

Paul Rodda

When: 11 to 14 Mar
Where: Botanic Park, Adelaide
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au

WOMADelaide experience