Another 25 Acts Announced For WOMADelaide

The WOMADelaide bill started off quite nicely a couple of weeks ago, with the announcement of the first four acts who would be playing the iconic world music event next March. That has now be boosted considerably with the announcement of the next 25 acts who they will share the bill with and, yet again, it's a musically and ethnically diverse list of acts.

Antibalas, The Tallest Man on Earth, Seth Lakeman, Abigail Washburn, Psarantonis, The Correspondents, The Soweto Gospel Choir, Mari Boine,  Dhafer Youssef, Zoe Keating, Ayarkhaan, Moriarty, Manjiri Kelkar, Sudha Ragunathan, Jordi Savall, LAU, Kai Welch, Christine Salem, Amparo Sanchez, Nidi d'Arac, Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono, Mara! & Martenitsa Choir, Savoy Family Cajun Band, Swamp Thing, Tuba Skinny, Hugo Mendez

They join the already announced:

Jimmy Cliff, Hugh Masekela, The Cat Empire, The Herd

Listen to the music of WOMADelaide right here:

Here are a few of our highlights of the bill:

ANTIBALAS:

Afrobeat has been an important part of the western contemporary music lexicon ever since Fela Kuti blew everyone away with the mix of traditional West African musical styles and upbeat funk and jazz. Brooklyn's Antibalas are widely considered to be one of the best bands in the genre currently doing the rounds and their five records – three on Daptone and two on Ninja Tune – are some of the finest recorded example of the style we've heard in years. The 12-piece band are said to be scintillating in the live arena and we can't wait to see it for ourselves.

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH:

A definite favourite of many Australians, this Swedish artist loves Bob Dylan, traveling, open guitar tunings and his wife Amanda Bergman – all of which play a significant part in the music which The Tallest Man On Earth produces. His third album There's No Leaving Now was released a couple of months ago and he was always going to come over here to support its release; it just so happens he'll be doing it at WOMADelaide next March.

PSARANTONIS:

Greek composer/performer Antonis Xylouris has been releasing music under the name Psarantonis since the mid-'60s – lots of music. The Cretan lyra player is renowned for the way in which he plays the old instrument, but he is also well skilled on a number of other traditional stringed instruments. His last shows in Australia as a part of the All Tomorrow's Parties event were very memorable and when he plays WOMADelaide it's going to blow minds.

SETH LAKEMAN:

After his debut Aussie tour last year, there have been plenty of people eagerly awaiting the return of British folk musician Seth Lakeman. The past decade has seen this artist release no fewer than six full length albums and it's no surprise that he has won over plenty of Australian fans, his style of heartfelt music is the kind of stuff we just can't get enough of. If you loved the virtuosic fiddler when he was here last year then we're pleased you get another chance to see him play when WOMADelaide 2013 rolls around.

SAVOY FAMILY CAJUN BAND:

From Southeast Louisiana come the honed down, hard-core Cajun music of the Savoy Family Cajun Band, a group with an acoustic approach to the footstomping music of their home state. It is our belief that we don't get to see nearly enough Cajun music in our country, so their appearance on our shores is particularly welcome.

ZOE KEATING:

The use of loop pedals in music is something that we're seeing more and more of in just about every style these days, but Zoe Keating's use of them in brand of her modern classical music is truly stunning. She is probably best known in contemporary music circles these days for her work with Amanda Palmer, but on her own she is a true talent that will blow your mind.

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR:

This group will be familiar to many Australian audiences, but no matter how many times these South African vocalists and musicians make their way to our country, you still can't help but get chills from their incomparable vocal arrangements and voices in general. The Soweto Gospel Choir have a couple of Grammys and have performed with everyone from Bono to John Legend and will be a massive attraction for WOMADelaide revellers in 2013.

AYARKHAAN:

We're not really sure how to describe Ayarkhaan accurately. They're a rather new vocal trio hailing from the Sakha (or Yakutia) Republic who look to preserve the endangered sounds of their traditional music. It's close to extinction mainly due to the low population and the influence of other cultures, but these three women are keeping it burning. You'll have to listen and watch for yourself.

MORIARTY:

This part-French, part-American, part-Swiss group have been playing together in one way or another for the best part of a decade-and-a-half now, but it's only in the past couple of years, since the release of their Gee Whiz But This Is A Lonesome Town LP, that they've really shot to stardom. Moriarty play one of the more traditionally western contemporary musical styles of all bands on the bill, but they are a truly multicultural act.

AMPARO SÁNCHEZ:

For many years she has been anout the front of the band Amparanoia but in 2010 Amparo Sánchez released her first solo album Tucson-Habana, an album whose title speaks volumes of what is contained within. It's hard to pin down the style but a blend of Cuban and Americana musical styles is essentially what is on offer. She'll be a surprise favourite for many at WOMADelaide 2013.

The festival happens at Adelaide's Botanic Park from Friday 8 March through to Monday 11. Grab your ticket through the festival's website.