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International music festival WOMAD is to become a regular fixture in New Zealand. The festival has previously been biennial but co-founder and international artistic director Thomas Brooman says that, from this year, it will be hosted annually in Taranaki.
The three-day World of Music, Arts and Dance festival - at New Plymouth's Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl from March 16 to 18 - was created by Peter Gabriel and Brooman 24 years ago and has since been hosted in 21 countries.
Brooman said all three-day tickets to the event had sold out, although were some tickets left for the last night. "WOMAD has found a true New Zealand home in New Plymouth - the artists love coming here and this is one of the most beautiful festival sites anywhere in the world."
Elaine Gill, of the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust board, said the event had a significant economic impact for Taranaki - in 2005 it generated $4.5 million for the region.
This year's lineup features more than 400 performers from 21 countries, including tango music ensemble Gotan Project, Mexican singer Lila Downs, Israel's Yasmin Levy and Chinese bamboo flute virtuoso Guo Yue.
New Zealand performers include Don McGlashan with his new band the Seven Sisters, Porirua Maori electronic group Wai, roots ensemble dDub, electro/dub/jazz act the Mamaku Project and a musical project being developed by Wellington musician Jonathan Crayford and featuring Grammy nominees Jay Rodriguez and Chris Theberge.
- NZPA
