Womad NZ 2024: Good Habits, Lady Shaka, Leenalchi and more join artist lineup

South Korean pansori pop band are featured in the 2024 Womad NZ lineup.

Music from all corners of the globe will be represented at Womad NZ 2024, with the latest artist announcement adding a further 18 musical acts to the lineup.

Joining the previously announced Ziggy Marley, and following on from another artist announcement naming Arooj Aftab, DakhaBrakha, Lankum, Moonlight Benjamin, Rei and Strawpeople, this week’s announcement includes artists representing a wide range of musical genres.

The lineup includes Senegalese artist Baaba Maal, whose music features on the Black Hawk Down movie soundtrack as well as the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2. His blend of traditional West African rhythms is produced by acoustic guitar and a range of percussive instruments.

K-Pop band Leenalchi are likely to attract a large crowd when they take to the Womad NZ stage next March. Since they launched in 2019, they have attracted a large following of international fans, especially after their single Let’s Live for Today played on the television show Pachinko.

The Womad NZ lineup also features what is perhaps the most popular Zambian band of the 70s - WITCH. Their musical style, Zamrock, is a blend of traditional African music with types of rock, blues and funk, influenced by bands such as Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones. Zamrock is currently enjoying a revival with a new generation of Zambian, and internaitonal, music fans.

Zambian band WITCH are flying in to NZ for Womad 2024.

Dubioza kolektiv will be representing Bosnia & Herzegovina on the Womad NZ stage, with their genre-blurring, high energy ska, reggae, punk and hip-hop blend. Well known for their socially and politically conscious songwriting, featuring lyrics in multiple languages, the group have collaborated with English dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah on a previous album.

Another artist known for his political activism as much as his musical innovation is Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician Gilberto Gil. He served as Brazil’s minister of culture for five years earlier this century, some 30 years after returning to the country after having been exiled for his political views. Musically he mixes things up combining an eclectic range of genres, from rock to reggae, samba to African music.

Brazilian msician and politician Gilberto Gil is one of 18 artists announced this month as joining the Womad NZ 2024 lineup.

English electronic band Morcheeba will be bringing their greatest hits to the Womad NZ stage, and with nearly three decades in the music business, the band have plenty of hits to bring. Since they launched in 1995 they have become world famous for their mix of trip-hop, alternative rock, R&B, and downtempo.

Angolan-Portuguese singer and songwriter Pongo, who in 2020 won the Music Moves Europe Talent Award, will be bringing her infamous high energy to the Womad stage. Pongo is known for her karate style high kicks as well as her sequinned costumes and personal take on the music style of kuduro, combining techno beats and rap with frenetic African rhythms.

Pongo will bring her eye-catching costumes and impressive karate style kicks to the Womad NZ stage next year.

Also named in the latest artist announcement are Mexican fusion band Son Rompe Pera, English electronic afro-funk band Ibibio Sound Machine, British Indian composer Nitin Sawhney, sarod player Tejendra Majumdar and “king of Indian Violin” Ambi Subramaniam, Mongolian/ Australian group Equus, UK folk duo Good Habits and Vanuatuan singer-songwriter Tio.

Aotearoa New Zealand is well represented in the lineup, with Taite Music Prize winner Anthonie Tonnon, R&B / Soul singer, Hāwera raised Bailey Wiley, Em-Haley Walker as her recording alter ego Te Kaahu, and DJ Lady Shaka.

Womad NZ, held in Taranaki’s Brooklands Park, will take place between March 15 to 17 2024.