Liz Phair heads final WOMADelaide 2019 lineup release

Currently celebrating the 25^th anniversary of her breakthrough album Exile In Guyville, Phair’s WOMADelaide appearance comes in the middle of a string of already-announced Australian dates including Golden Plains festival in Meredith.

Fans of innovative flamenco ensemble The Gypsy Kings will be treated to a performance by four of the group’s founding members when they perform as The Original Gypsies of Camargue. The French legal system may be presently untangling the matter of who is the official inheritor of the famous 1980s group’s name, but the reunited quartet of Patchaï Reyes, Canut Reyes, Paul Reyes and Chico Bouchikhi, plus a large ensemble, are unlikley to leave any doubt as to their musical bona fides.

Singer, songwriter and actress Fatoumata Diawara will mark her return to Australia to perform songs from her new album Fenfo. With 20 years of film work behind her alongside a musical career that has taken her around the world, Diawara’s appearance looks sure to be a joyful highlight of the weekend.

Having only just visited Adelaide in the past week in support of her bold new album, regular Adelaide Cabaret Festival favourite Mojo Juju will return once again in March. Current face of Telstra Thelma Plum has also joined the lineup, having recently aired the first taste of her long-awaited debut album in July with Clumsy Love, a chipper ode to romantic misadventure. Soul-funk revivalists The Bamboos are also on board for 2019, along with Prince-inspired Melbourne guitar hero Harts.

The festival’s DJ lineup has expanded to include Britain’s Leftfield and DJ Harvey, Danny Krivit from the States and Palestinian electronic producer DJ SAMA. WOMADelaide is of course never just about the music, and with new production Le Dernier Appel (The Last Cry) prominent Indigenous dance company Marrugeku will return to the festival to explore post-colonial themes set to music by Ngaiire.

The South Australian component of the program has also been bolstered by the inclusion of innovative strings ensemble Zephyr Quartet and two of Adelaide’s preeminent crooner-guitarists in Timberwolf and Ollie English.

They’ll join a lineup that already includes the legendary Angelique Kidjo, John Butler Trio, Christine and the Queens and Tkay Maidza.

Full WOMADelaide 2019 lineup

5AngryMen -“The Bells”
Adrian Eagle
Alina Bzhezhinska Quartet
Amaru Tribe
Amjad Ali Khan with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Angelique Kidjo
Arrived
Baloji
BCUC
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino
Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir
Christine and The Queens
Compagnie BiLBoBaSSo Amor
Cool Out Sun
Dangerous Song & Bukhu
Danny Krivit
Digital Afrika
DJ Harvey
DJ SAMA
Dona
DuOud
Ephemeral City
Fatoumata Diawara
Gwenno
Harts
Jamie Smith’s MABON
Janis Claxton Dance POP-UP DUETS (fragments of love)
Jason Heerah & Otentik Groove
John Butler Trio
Julia Jacklin
Kaiit
Khruangbin
La Dame Blanche
LaBrassBanda
Las Cafeteras
Le Phun – The Leafies
Leftfield
Liz Phair
Lord Echo
Maalem Hamid El Kasri
Maarja Nuut & Ruum
Mambali
Marrugeku – Le Dernier Appel (The Last Cry)
Mojo Juju
My Baby
Ollie English
Punctum’s Public Cooling House
Rebetien
Shantel & Bucovina Club Orkestar
Sharon Shannon Band
Silkroad Ensemble
Sona Jobarteh
Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe
Tara Tiba
TEEKS
Thando
The Bamboos
The Colour of Time
The Correspondents
The Maes
The Original Gypsies
The Seven Ups
Thelma Plum
Timberwolf
Tkay Maidza
Ukulele Death Squad
Yo, Carmen by María Pagés Compañía
Yohai Cohen Quintet
Zephyr Quartet