"Both acts deliver music that celebrates what is so great about this festival - the diversity on offer that knows no age or boundaries. It is the enduring nature of the musical line-up WOMAD continually delivers that ensures this festival goes from strength-to-strength every year".
Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African a cappella group formed in the 1960s by Joseph Shabalala, who now have more than 50 recordings, 15 Grammy Award nominations, and four Grammy Award wins under their belt.
For many Kiwis, the group came to their notice when they were featured in Paul Simon's iconic GRACELAND album in 1986, a union which saw the group launched to global superstar status. Since then, they have recorded with a large number of high-profile acts, including Dolly Parton, Josh Groban, Stevie Wonder, Sarah McLachlan and Melissa Etheridge.
They have recorded sound tracks for a number of films, including he Lion King Part II and Invictus, as well appearing on Broadway.
Emotive American singer/songwriter John Grant (who is now based in Iceland) embraces both sumptuous tempered ballads and taut, fizzing electronic pop songs. Equally at home with symphony orchestras or synthesisers, Grant takes grand melodies to a lofty plateau.
The former The Czars frontman's first two solo albums, 2010's QUEEN OF DENMARK and 2012's PALE GREEN GHOSTS achieved worldwide acclaim.
After escaping a life of substance abuse, Grant has taken an extraordinary journey - including collaborating with Sinéad O'Connor, Rumer and Hercules & Love Affair. In 2014 he was nominated in the Best International Male Solo Artist category at the BRITS alongside Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Drake.
Another measure of achievement, and the journey, is Sinéad O'Connor covering the title track of Grant's 'Queen Of Denmark' on her 2012 album HOW ABOUT I BE ME (AND YOU BE YOU)?. She also supplied goose-bumping backing vocals on PALE GREEN GHOSTS. This a far cry from Grant - two decades (and a lifetime) earlier discovering O'Connor's 'Mandinka' for the first time in new wave clubs.
And now they share a WOMAD connection - O'Connor was a headline act at WOMAD NZ 2015 and Grant is a headline act for 2016.
A limited amount of early bird discount tickets go on sale from 9am Saturday October 10 via the
WOMAD website