10 October 2013 - 0 Comments

In 2003 Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth opened its gates to the international music festival experience of WOMAD. Since then over 150’000  WOMAD enthusiasts have passed through those gates, coming from as close as five minutes walk in the city centre to the far flung corners of the world.
 
WOMAD are planning a festival year that will not only be more magnificent and more enrapturing than ever before but also a celebration of the festival, the artists and the audience. To all those that have been before and all those that have been meaning to come – 2014 is most definitely the year to get to WOMAD.
 
As if you needed proof, WOMAD have confirmed three diverse artists as a taste of things to come, with the full line-up to be announced on October 30th.
 
WOMAD is thrilled to have secured the inimitable Kimbra for WOMAD 2014. Named Entertainer of the Year by the New Zealand Herald, Kimbra’s performance at WOMAD 2014 will be her first NZ performance in over a year.
 
Kimbra has made an indelible mark on the local and global music scene. Her debut album Vows entered the Billboard Album Chart at #14 and went platinum in both New Zealand and Australia. Kimbra scooped five New Zealand Music Awards last year including Best Album and was voted Best Female Artist for the second year in a row at the ARIA Awards in Australia.
 
2013 got off to a flying start with Kimbra winning the Record Of The Year Grammy Award for her contribution to the Gotye global smash Somebody That I Used To Know and a second Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
 
Kimbra has carved out a magnificent reputation as a live performer and has relentlessly toured the globe for the last 2 years, thrilling audiences with over 140 shows in 2012, including 3 tours of the US.
 
Currently recording her next album in Los Angeles, Kimbra has openly talked about her fascination with world music – in particular qawwali singing, a Pakistani style made known in western circles by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. With these new influences taking hold in this great talent, audiences are in for a genre-defying Kimbra performance that combined with the setting of Womad will be unmissable.
 
Latin Grammy winner Buika, a new face to WOMAD NZ, is marked by the highly regarded National Public Radio in the U.S. as among the 50 best vocalists of all time. Hailing from the Balearic Islands in Spain and combining her native culture along with that of her Guinean parents, Buika breaks down walls that surround flamenco, the root source of everything she does. The New York Times has described her voice as “something like Nina Simone’s but more flexible and virtuosic”.
 
Rounding out the first flags of the WOMAD 2014 line up is 30 year old Pokey LaFarge. An Americana artist that has won the hearts of music lovers across the globe with his creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing. Now signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records, Pokey was honoured with a second consecutive Best Americana Album win at the Independent Music Awards. Pokey LaFarge is on a mission, encouraging audiences worldwide to think differently about what it means to celebrate musical traditions. Simply put, Pokey explains, “It’s not retro music. It’s American music that never died.”
 
WOMAD Artistic Director Drew James is excited about the momentous occasion the ten year celebration will bring and how the talent this year will more than match that.
 
“WOMAD has always been known for its diversity but I do feel for this 10^th WOMAD festival in Taranaki, we are about to deliver a variety that is going to take our Womad fans to new heights of discovery.
 
“With the three huge talents we are able to announce today and with the remaining acts soon to be revealed there is the core of celebrating traditions whilst reflecting the melting pot of global world influences through cross-cultural collaboration and exploration of contemporary musical styles.
 
“Music is such a powerful force around the globe and we at WOMAD are so proud to be able to deliver this breadth of artistic talent for New Zealanders to enjoy in their own backyard. We invite you to join us for this wonderful 10^th anniversary in Taranaki’s WOMAD journey.”
 
The World’s Festival of WOMAD brings the music, the culture, the food and the stories of countries spanning the planet. Let yourself be transported to another place, walk through the gates of WOMAD for a weekend and let us show you the world.
 
The full line up for WOMAD 2014 will be announced on the evening of Wednesday 30^th October.
 
Limited amounts of Earlybird discounted tickets go on sale from Monday 14^th October via the WOMAD website WOMAD TICKETS
http://www.taft.co.nz/womad/tickets-2014.html
3 day pass – Youth (13-17yrs) – EARLYBIRD $159 (Full price $205)
3 day pass – Adult - EARLYBIRD $205 (Full price $249)
Camping, Ezicamp and Glamping options available.
1 day tickets are also available.
 
On site accommodation is available with more Glamping Tents this year; Pre-erected Hubs available for hire or bring your own tent or motorhome and choose between the dedicated family camping area or the general camping area. 
 
For  those that prefer  their home away from home - jump on isite Taranaki or Book-A-Bach and gather some buddies to hire a house or your choice of boutique or chain hotels, motels, apartments, backpackers, bed and breakfasts or holiday parks…
 
New Plymouth accommodation does sell out for WOMAD so book now to secure your bed in the place like no other, Taranaki.
 
Transport options include plane – Air New Zealand fly in and out of New Plymouth daily, Bus – Naked Bus will be offering special deals for Womad ticket holders and of course private car or motorhome.
 
All of these connections and ticketing can be sourced via the WOMAD website
 
http://www.womad.co.nz/
http://www.facebook.com/womadnz
http://www.twitter.com/womadnz
#womadnz

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