2018's annual Womad event in New Plymouth was already shaping up as perhaps the best programme yet seen at the Bowl of Brooklands in March.
With the addition of four more acts announced this week Womad is close to irresistible for music fans. The sound of now in the world of Jazz, saxophonist supremo Kamasi Washington has huge appeal, while sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar is a major achievement for Womad's programmers. Add in Kiwi classic band Dragon, metal guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and UK dub meister Adrian Sherwood, and you get some sense of the breadth of talent coming together in Taranaki.
Now you can add in Blick Bassy whose background is in Cameroon/France, and whose music blends blues, Bossa Nova, folk, and the sounds of New Orleans.
Maori acoustic soul singer Maisey Rika will take you on a journey involving classical styles, Black Quartet bring together a heady mix of genres, and rounding out the four new announcements is The Curious Game, a site installation with massive visual appeal for all ages.
As a festival that moves across artistic touch stones Womad also delivers The World of Words, with storytellers, poets, inspirational speakers and photographers to add to a spectacular weekend in New Plymouth.
