Womad NZ: Taranaki rangatahi will get chance to learn from artist ahead of festival

Chart-topping bilingual artist Rei will be sharing his love of music with some very lucky high school students ahead of Womad this year.

Budding musicians and dancers from around Taranaki are set to learn from some of the coolest artists in Aotearoa as a part of this year’s Womad festival.

Ahead of his performance at the award-winning event, chart-topping bilingual artist Rei, the Auckland rapper, producer and singer/songwriter, will be sharing his beats, bops and bangers with students from high schools throughout Taranaki.

Up to 50 students will take part in this year’s Toi Foundation Community Programme and will spend a day creating music, writing lyrics and mastering some new dance moves with Rei, his dance crew and fellow Aotearoa artist Huia.

Womad’s associate programming director Josie Hunter-Annand says every year the Toi Foundation Community Programme offers youngsters a free taste of the festival and connects them with world-class artists.

“We invited 12 high schools to take part and there’s already a lot of excitement brewing. The students, Rei, Huia and the dancers Jesse and Lana are pumped. It’s going to be an amazing day of learning, connection and inspiration.

“The workshops are a lot of fun, and a really rewarding experience for the artists, the students and their teachers. Initiatives like this are vital, as they make the arts more accessible for our youth and create an unforgettable collaboration between artists and students. It brings our community together, creates lifelong memories and inspires Taranaki rangatahi from around the maunga.”

As a part of the community programme the students and their teachers are given access to the festival so they can soak up the magic of Womad and be a part of the three-day celebration.

Josie says extending the festival into Taranaki communities is made possible by the support of Toi Foundation. Toi Foundation has partnered with Womad NZ for more than 20 years and its chief executive Maria Ramsay says the workshops amplify the positive impact of the festival and ensure it reaches diverse parts of the local community.

“We want the community to have opportunities they may not get to experience normally.

“Through the community programme, the vibrancy and impact of Womad extends well beyond the stage, and into wider Taranaki in a really meaningful, inclusive and enriching way.”

Over the years the foundation has received touching feedback about the programme and the impact it has had, she says.

“It offers empowering and valuable learning opportunities and also ensures diverse communities can come together to celebrate music, art and cultural exchange. We love seeing, hearing and experiencing the impact it has.”

Following on from the workshop on Thursday, March 14, Rei will perform at Womad and entertain thousands of festival-goers with his catchy blend of hip hop, pop and te reo Māori.

With a mix of joyful party songs, call-to-action anthems and introspective insights, his chart-topping hits have clocked up more than nine million Spotify streams and cemented him as a musician with the power to share Aotearoa with the world.

Rei is joined in the Womad NZ lineup by more than 30 artists from across the globe, including Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, the chart-topping Morcheeba and the explosive Dubioza Kolektiv.

The details:

What: Womad NZ 2024

When: Friday, March 15, to Sunday, March 17

Where: Brooklands Park and the Bowl of Brooklands in Ngāmotu / New Plymouth

Tickets: www.womad.co.nz