Salmonella Dub will be performing at Womad NZ 2022. Photo / supplied
Salmonella Dub will be performing at Womad NZ 2022. Photo / supplied
It's back - the Womad NZ 2022 lineup has been announced and it's as diverse as ever.
While Covid-19 has meant organisers have had to look closer to home than usual for next year's festival, festivalgoers will still be treated to all the flavours and sounds of the globe, Womad event director and NZ programme manager Emere Wano told those attending the Womad 2022 programme launch at the TSB Showplace in New Plymouth on Wednesday night.
"We ask you to get behind it and support our great New Zealand artists, not all of whom are New Zealanders but they are all based here. There's still the eight stages, still the STEAM Lab, still all the food."
Speaking at the launch via video from his home in the UK, Chris Smith, Womad UK director, said he was feeling "homesick" for Aotearoa New Zealand currently, after normally being in the country for both the programme launch and the festival itself.
The Topp Twins will feature inWomad's 2022 lineup. Photo / supplied
Womad 2021 was cancelled due to Covid-19, but is back on track for 2022 after New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) secured a five-year host city partnership and committed to a $1.9 million underwrite in case the pandemic caused the event to be cancelled, a decision NPDC mayor Neil Holdom referenced in his speech at the launch.
"I'm not a person who gambles at all, but we [NPDC] put a $1.9 million bet on this, because we believe in TAFT [Taranaki Arts Festival Trust]."
He quoted his grandfather, who often told him "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy".
Everyone in the room, said Neil, enjoys some form of leisure activity.
"Surfing, cycling, partying. Just being in a room full of people, it's about that. The money is an investment in our community being able to get together... We [NPDC] do the enabling, TAFT do the magic."
The musical lineup for Womad 2022 features music for everyone, said Wano, who said she hoped the lineup included "someone you like, someone you love, and someone you've never heard of". The lineup includes Kiwi artists as well as people from overseas who have "made their home here".
"People have come from other parts of the world and brought their beautiful taonga with them."
The artist lineup includes the ever popular Topp Twins, who are celebrating 40 years in the industry.
"That's a true testament to their grit and determination."
Other artists announced include Salmonella Dub, Hollie Smith, Ria Hall and Fly My Pretties joining the already announced Fat Freddy's Drop, Avantdale Bowling Club, Shades of Shakti, and Deva Mahal.
As well as the musical lineup, comedian Tom Sainsbury, known for his impression of former deputy leader of the National Party Paula Bennett, was announced as one of the artists booked for the World of Words stage.
Musical Artists appearing at WOMAD 2022 in alphabetical order:
Acapollinations, Avantdale Bowling Club, Bobby Brazuka, Carnivorous Plant Society, Deva Mahal, Fat Freddy's Drop, Fly My Pretties, Hollie Smith, IPU Kodama Japanese Drum Team, Latin Aotearoa, Lord Echo, Mudra Dance, Niko Ne Zna, Ria Hall, Salmonella Dub, Shades of Shakti, SWÂMP THÏNG, Topp Twins, Weird Together, Yaw Asumadu & Ozi Ozaa.
The full line-up announcement for World Of Words is coming on October 31, and the final OMV STEAM Lab programme is being announced on December 3. Taste The World, Kidzone, and Te Pae Pae will also return with programming to be announced at a later date as well.
Comedian Tom Sainsbury will feature at Womad NZ 2022. Photo / supplied
