WOMADelaide Finalise 2014 Line Up

The final round of acts to be locked in for an appearance at the mammoth WOMADelaide festival in 2014 have been confirmed this morning with a huge announcement of acts from all around the world added to the bill for the iconic world music event.

The final announcement looks like this:

Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, Washington, Fat Freddy's Drop, Hanggai, Hiatus Kaiyote, Jeff Lang, Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Mehr Ensemble, Mikhael Paskalev, DJ Muro, Neko Case, Pokey LaFarge, Quantic, Saskwatch, Ade Suharto & Peni Candra Rini "Ontosoroh", Airileke, Ane Brun, Antonio Serrano, Asif Ali Khan, Awesome Tapes from Africa, Azadoota, Baby et Lulu, The Baker Suite, Balanescu Quartet, The Brown Hornet, Carminho, Coloured Stone, DJ Yoda, Dub Inc, The Electrolounge (No Birds, Question Question, Menagerie, Oddessa ‐ with Young Black Youth) La Chiva Gantiva, Les Gitans Blanc, Loren Kate, Los Coronas, Makana, Roberto Fonseca, Sitara, Thelma Plum, Tinpan Orange

They join a line-up that already includes the likes of Billy Bragg, Arrested Development, Emel Mathlouthi and Sam Lee & Friends.

Here are a few thoughts on a couple of the bill's newest big names.

Femi Kuti & the Positive Force

He will always be his father's son; such is the immense influence the great Fela Kuti had on the world of modern music and, most obviously, the Afrobeat genre. Nigeria's Femi Kuti & The Positive Force carry on the legacy of incredible live performances and lively jazz infused Afrobeat tunes brilliantly and is unmissable for anyone who likes to dance.

Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

New Orleans piano doesn't come any better than when it's being played by the brilliant Jon Cleary. A man who has dedicated much of his adult life to being a strong part of the most vibrant music scene on the planet, Cleary plays New Orleans music like few can. His band are some of the best musicians from the city he calls home and between their thick grooves and faultless musicality, this is one act that will blow you away.

Mikhael Paskalev

Part-Norwegian, part-Bulgarian singing sensation Mikhael Paskalev is bringing his unique indie stylings down under for the very first time next year. The charismatic musician is already a big name in Scandinavia but has made his mark internationally since his hit I Spy was released. The video has already garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube and Vimeo, plus plenty of Aussies responded well to it after it was added to triple j's rotation. No doubt he'll win plenty of new fans

Neko Case

A longtime favourite of Australian audiences, the wonderful Neko Case makes her return to our shores next year on the back of the brilliant new LP The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. She adds WOMADelaide to the already packed schedule she has set up for herself early next year.

Pokey LaFarge

A brilliant exponent of old time jazz, ragtime, blues and swing music, this 30-year-old has made a damn good fist out of playing a supremely accurate brand of the kinda music his grandparents would have been listening to. Very exciting to have this American artist and his five-piece backing band in the country for the first time.

Quantic

Quantic is the performing name of Will Holland, a musician and DJ who was born and bred in the UK but now makes all of his music from his base in Bogota. Heavily influenced by funk, soul, Latin and Caribbean styles, Quantic has been acclaimed for his diverse output for years now and he'll no doubt open you up to some alluring and exciting new sounds when he drops by WOMADelaide.

DJ Muro

Japanese hip hop DJ Muro has been performing since the mid-1980s when DJ Krush, Microphone Pager, TWIGY and Muro formed the Krush Posse. This led to an eventual solo career for Muro who dropped his first single in the early '90s and has been featured on all manner of recordings since. He takes influence from all manner of world music styles and will give a whole new perspective of the hip hop genre to those who have the pleasure of checking him out.

Hanggai

This Chinese group are very unique in that they blend traditional Mongolian folk styles with more modern influences like punk and indie rock. The throat singing style their songs are performed in is incredible and the arrangements of their songs are luscious and beautiful.

The festival happens from Friday 7 March through to Monday 10.