By David Russell
One of the things about WOMADelaide that makes it so appealing to audiences is that it is a journey of discovery, exposing people to musicians they have never heard before. Still, no one likes to find out at work on Tuesday that they missed the best performance of the year because they were busy getting a falafel.
To avoid that happening to any of our Inside South Australia readers we caught up with WOMADelaide director Ian Scobie to find out his top seven must-sees for the 2016 festival.
1. Angelique Kidjo & the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
For 25 years Angelique has been at the forefront of bringing the music of Africa to western audiences and she remains one of the world’s most engaging and adventurous singer-songwriters. The repertoire for her recent orchestral collaborations includes the three-movement Ifé, written for her by Philip Glass, as well as Gershwin’s Summertime and several original pieces written by Angélique and Jean Hebrail. Hearing Angelique with the full force of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will be a very special opening for the festival.
2. 47 Soul
47 Soul from Palestine is the new wave of Arabic street music, celebrating modern Middle Eastern dance with a sound coined as “electro-mijwez, shamstep, choubi”. It synthesises beloved Palestinian debka street music with the electronic pulse of modern underground sounds. Their tripped-out English and Arabic verses from four singers celebrate a call for freedom of movement, on dance floors and across borders.
3. John Grant
John Grant has the most effortlessly rich baritone, and his lyrics are couched in typically ironic, heartbreaking, lush melody. He embraces both sumptuous tempered ballads and taut, fizzing electronic pop songs and he has a rare talent for self-effacing lyrics that plumb dark, penetrating spaces.
4. Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle is arguably the world’s most recorded singer, featuring on more than 12,000 tracks, having provided anthems for Bollywood films since the late 1940s. Equally comfortable singing traditional ghazals, bhajans and Indian pop songs, Asha is renowned for her extraordinary vocal range – and her passion to perform. Asha is the genuine article – an artist of legendary status and someone not to be missed.
Orange Blossom is the most richly textured musical world where East meets West, sure to be a ‘WOMADelaide discovery’ for our audiences in the ‘wow – did you hear that?’ category. Marrying suspense-heavy electronica with Arabic rhythms, Orange Blossom has daringly straddled exotic musical crossroads since 1993. The quartet – from France, Africa, Mexico and Egypt – draws deeply from different cultures, meshing violin, African drum patterns and Oriental Arabesques in a seamless weave, where East and West fraternise with ease.
6. Ibeyi
Ibeyi is the most arresting combination of Cuban rhythms with a powerful hypnotic simplicity – simply beautiful voices.
Naomi and Lisa‐Kainde Diaz are twins who grew up in Paris, but their musical influences came from their Cuban father, Anga Diaz (ex Buena Vista Social Club). The late percussionist was passionate about Yoruba culture – Cuba’s link to West Africa – and his daughters sing in English and Yoruba throughout their hypnotic, minimalist songs.
7. Sacrilege
Sacrilege is an inflatable life-sized replica of Stonehenge where everyone can come to bounce. This irreverent makeover of the timeless monument springs from the imagination of Turner prize-winning UK conceptual artist Jeremy Deller. A cheeky, family friendly collision of history and art, Sacrilege is a chance for aspiring Druids of all ages to play with the past (just be sure to take your shoes off).