Sombre tone as Womad NZ 2020 launched
The launch of the 2020 Womad NZ music and arts festival took a sombre tone as guests looked back on this year’s event, which started on the same day as the Christchurch terror attack.
Speakers recalled the shootings, in which 51 people died, and Labour Minister Andrew Little’s powerful speech to thousands of people in the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in the wake of that ‘‘dreadful day’’.
‘‘None of us will forget that speech, nor will we forget that day,’’ New Plymouth National MP Jonathan Young told about 100 guests at the launch event, held at Wellington’s Beehive last night.
Womad, which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, is in its 16th year in Taranaki and will take place on March 13-15, 2020. Grammy Award-winning reggae musician Ziggy Marley is among the artists coming to New Plymouth. Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, is one of 20 musicians from around the globe set to perform.
Andrew Little also spoke to the launch event, stepping in for Associate Minister for arts, culture and heritage Carmel Sepuloni.
He did the same at Womad for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after the shootings.
Most speakers mentioned Little’s speech, and how powerful it had been.
New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom said he had to ‘‘tautoko’’ (support) what had already been said about this year.
Holdom said this year’s Womad really showed the ‘‘Taranaki spirit of dealing with this act of hate’’.
‘‘I was really proud of us as a region,’’ he said.
At the launch Emere Wano, Womad event director and NZ programme manager, said the
2020 festival will feature close to
100 hours of music, dance and voices across eight stages.
Ziggy Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning musician and reggae icon who sings, writes and produces music while being an author, humanitarian and visionary.
The 20 artists named last night will join the recently announced duo of Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita, and gospel musicians Blind Boys of Alabama.
However, Wano said there were at least another five artists to still be announced.
Womad’s current line up is: Albi & The Wolves (NZ), Blind Boys of Alabama (USA), Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita (Wales/ Senegal), Destyn Maloya
(Re´ union), Ezra Collective (UK), Hiatus Kaiyote (Australia), Hot Potato Band (Australia), Kim So Ra (South Korea), King Ayisoba (Ghana), L.A.B. (NZ), Liniker e os Caramelows (Brazil), L Subramaniam (India), Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), Minyo Crusaders (Japan), Muthoni Drummer Queen (Kenya/ France), Orquesta Akoka´ n (Cuba), Reb Fountain (Aotearoa/ NZ), RURA (Scotland), Salif Keita (Mali), Soaked Oats (NZ), Trio Da Kali (Mali) and Tuuletar (Finland).