WOMAD 2025: What We Are Looking Forward To
Next month Taranaki’s three day extravaganza WOMAD Aotearoa (World Of Music And Dance) will once again transcend geographical and musical boundaries with a lineup that brings together artists from as far away as Scotland, Brazil, Palestine, Cuba and Niger.
As part of a global festival family that has seen over three hundred festivals worldwide, with over ten thousand artists performing across six continents to an audience of millions over the past four decades. The original WOMAD UK has just celebrated 40 years, WOMADelaide has celebrated 30 years, and this year WOMAD Aotearoa celebrate will see in its 22nd iteration at the Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Park, New Plymouth.
Whilst WOMAD is indeed an international showcase there’s a fair shake of Kiwi artists performing this year as well. Many local artists such as Kita, Kahu/Thea, Hollie Smith, Lord Echo, Avantdale Bowling Club, and Marlon Williams have found new audiences at WOMAD, demanding outside their usual age and genre-based fanbases. That’s what makes WOMAD such an exciting event. You never know what you are gonna get!
Tim Gruar and his daughter, Emily, plan to attend this year’s event. Here’s their take on the artists from Aotearoa they are most looking forward to seeing.
Tim’s Favourites
The Beths
Top of my list has to be The Beths (vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes, guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair, and drummer Tristan Deck), who are beloved by all. Their recent single Watching The Credits even featured Barack Obama’s ‘23 summer playlist.
Going strong since 2014, The Beths had insurmountable 2024, snapping up Te Tino Pukaemi o te Tau | Album of the Year and Te Tino Kāhui Manu Taki o te Tau | Best Group at the Aotearoa Music Awards, jumping on to the uber-star-stacked Coachella line up, touring the US with Alvvays, and Princess Chelsea and her Dream Warriors and a late year tour of Aotearoa, to name only a few highlights.
Their latest albums Expert in A Dying Field (2022) and Jump Rope Gazers (2020) are still on high rotation on my turntable, and for good reason. Their unique down to earth Kiwi-tinged indie-pop is both melodic and thought provoking.
Finn Andrews (The Veils) at WOMAD 2019 – Photo: Tim Gruar
The Veils with NZTrio
This will be a highlight of my weekend. I’ll be rushing to get there by 6PM when they take the Bowl stage on Friday Night.
Having just interviewed Finn Andrews, I’m expecting a soulful, stirring and powerful set from Andrews et al and NZTrio.
The Veils’ new album Asphodels is possibly the best thing they’ve ever done (in my opinion). Music is haunting, poetic lyrical and brooding, intensity, The Veils have carved out a distinctive place in the alternative music scene and music form their 7 fabulous and differing albums all sit firmly within my playlists.
NZTrio
I saw NZTrio last two years ago at the Cuba St Classical Music Festival and was utterly captivated. Even though the venue was the dull and un-inspirational foyer of the corporate offices of the Goethe Institute, Somi Kim’s piano sung like a nightingale, ably supported by Alalia Hall on and Ashley Brown’s superb atmospheric resonant viola. They created magical moods and colours from a repertoire I would normally have never given a minute of the day to. Such was their skill and sensitivity with the repertoire. To be fair, NZ Trio can make a rusty tin can and a glass of water sound intense, dark, light or shady, sublime, or ethereal, all in equal measures! Their kaupapa: to smash preconceptions of classical music being somewhat stuffy or elite. Don’t miss their team up with the Veils!
Black Comet
I recently had the chance to speak to the band’s frontman and main ‘Comet’, Laughton Kora (Kora, L.A.B, Fly My Pretties). He told me that this was a band dead set of reading the room and finding the groove. They were more of a jam-set experience than following a prescriptive song list. Their sound is psychedelic, multi-dimensional, dripping in George Clinton-style galactic funk. Also featuring Stan Bicknell on drums, Dan Antunovich on bass, Poihakena Reid on keys, sax and talkbox, and Andrew Isdale on keys, guitar and sax — this collective is super talented. I’m looking forward having my sock blown off with one of their dynamic “live jams”, playing material from their new album and Episode 1: Looking For a New Planet and their 2022 debut EP, Live @ Totara Street, with band friend Tiki Taane. To quote the well known show, they plan to go boldly where no band has gone before!
Who Shot Scott
Also on my list is Iraq-born/Kiwi-bred (Zee) Zaidoon Nasir (Who Shot Scott) who fuses Middle Eastern sounds with hip-hop, punk rock, raw emotion and high-level energy into his intense brand of experimental Hip Hop. His work is a true representation of the current diverse and vibrant Aotearoa music scene. Critics call his work “filthy and frantic”, a fearless expression of personal transformation.
Zee mixes up experimental production techniques with personal and vulnerable lyrics, which are revealing and transparent as he steps away from his former mahi, as one part of duo Times x Two.
After his former musical partner abruptly left, Zaidoon re-cast himself as Who Shot Scott and released the critically acclaimed Mercy EP trilogy. The single Loners Anthem made the top of NZ College Radio Network Charts and his music has been used Spotify, MTV and YouTube Creators. He’s opened for Snoop Dogg and played the headliner in shows across Australasia.
Check out Zee’s new music on Brain (Side A) and singles Loners Anthem (topped the NZ College Radio Network charts ) packed with witty, sometimes biting, clever lines and heavy messaging often lightened by sly, slick, humour. Also try out Glitch Mfers from the new EP. Brain (Side B) which has just dropped.
Emily’s Favourites
CHAII
I love, love, love this wāhine. You can’t avoid her massive banger Lightswitch which is all over the latest Spark advert. But there’s way more to this lady than just one catchy jingle.
CHAII (Mona Sanei) defines herself as ‘Persian-Kiwi’. She’s a highly productive rapper/producer, making music that is a veritable melting pot of styles and cultures. She draws on traditional Persian music, cutting edge electronica, disco-soul and various strains of hip-hop.
Her music is a workout for the ears and the body! With heart-pounding rhythms and a wickedly an intense live set. Check out some of her drops, including 2019’s Digebasse (Enough) and Safar (Journey) – the video was filmed in Oman. Amazing!
But that’s no surprise when you dig into her credentials. She’s got a background in film and visual arts, and a yearning to go ‘somewhat experimental’ to it all.
I am soaked to listen to this genre-bending performer. Go download her debut EP Lightswitch. This is a bold six track comes with individual visuals showing off images and sounds made in locations as wild as Oman and Joshua Tree, California. Just watching these will makes you want to jump on a plane and explore more of these worlds.
The idea for the visuals on title track was sparked by CHAII’s own personal learning journey to discover more about her roots. That includes Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, a series of events that led to the overthrow the America-backed Shah Pahlavi and his dynasty which led to the country’s current political state. As a consequence of the political and social upheaval a great deal of creative people, including intellectuals, artists and musicians, were forced to flee their homeland and move to California to start again. For over forty-five years, the state of California has been home to the largest Persian arts and music community outside of Iran. That’s why there are shots of Joshua Tree in the video mix.
A spot of Google-searching tells me that she’s already caught the eye of fashionistas FENDI, the UFC and a music spot in Netflix’s ‘The Old Guard’ (with Charlize Theron). She’s also Spotify’s first ever RADAR artist (for Aotearoa). RADAR is a new global streaming giant and a huge platform for emerging artists like Lauv and Jorja Smith.
CHAII is huge already. It’ll be amazing to see her set live at WOMAD! It’ll go off!
Jordyn With A Why
I’m also stoked to see Raglan’s own Jordyn Rapana (aka Jordyn with a Why). This fabulous Māori-Samoan R&B performer grabbed plenty of punters attention at Cuba Dupa last year and caught her set on RNZ as well.
Last year, she picked up the gong for 2024 APRA Maioha Award for He Rei Niho and a nomination for Best Māori Artist at the Aotearoa Music Awards.
If I was asked, I’d say her sound is a blend of old school R&B with some new Soul and a bit of that familiar commercial radio pop that’s catchy and comforting. It’s sing-along stuff I love to play in the car, for sure. Songs respect her Māori and Samoan heritage and are often bilingual, with a bit of a nod to the 1980’s. Her songs tell stories about identity and whakapapa and honouring mother tongue. I enjoy her soulful voice, which sounds more mature than her years.
I’m currently listening to her latest collection: Hauora Melodies.
Frau Knotz
WOMAD always has a science element and this year features a Taranaki electronic artist alongside scientists, ecologists and even a chocolate maker.
Frau (singer, pianist, producer and composer Lauren Nottingham) makes genre-defying electronica artist producing an incredible soundscape that weaves R&B, ambient, techno, and experimental beats into an avant-garde, cinematic experience.
To get a better idea – check out her EP Nextraterrestrial, which is an otherworldly journey, lauded as a retro-futuristic odyssey. At WOMAD her music will be paired up with a mesmerizing 3D-animated film by LA-based artist Blue Hamel – thrusting/viewers listeners into her amazing visionary universe. Live on stage will be with local Taranaki producer Sam Johnson, Frau Knotz will break down her creative process and share the raw art of music production.
DJ’s on the Tui Stage.
At previous WOMADs the smallest stage down near the lake, The Dell, was a perfect space for more intimate performances like acoustic and classical artists. This year there’s a change and that area will be like an exclusive club featuring DJ/Producers from across Aotearoa playing wild international and local music mixes, tunes and audio creations. That includes some fine people I’ve only managed to catch on YouTube so far like Tim Richards, Slimo, Pixie Lane, Littlewild, Ben Parkes and Poppa Jax. Here’s a couple I’m pumped to see.
Littlewild
Her reputation is for ‘crafting cosmically-laced’ musical journeys to the ‘outer dimensions’. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I like the concept. WOMAD is about discovery, and I’m intrigued to see what a DJ can do in this space.
Her medium is DnB, house, techno with more ‘nostalgic themes and dirty bass weaved into the mix. That also invites further investigation.
She’s a proud wāhine and queer artist. He music celebrates diversity and inclusion in all its forms, both on and off the dancefloor. I think the surrounding bush and warm night air magic will be the perfect accompaniment to her high-octane beats.
Ben Parkes
When I grow up, I want to be a raver. I’ll be heading to the clubs in Tamaki Makaurau to get down to electronic musicians like Ben Parkes and groove to high-energy deep house, tech and progressive house which throb with hypnotic basslines and intricate, detailed percussion.
Parkes’ performance at the renowned Shipwrecked Festival has been remembered by fans as was one of his best, packed with contagious beats, skilfully mixed to endlessly enthral his crowd. He’s also played regular gigs at XYZ and The Warehouse, keeping the dance floor busy all night long.
Poppa Jax
Alongside Parkes I want to check Tamaki-Makaurau based DJ Poppa Jax. Fans have dubbed her “New Zealand’s Queen of the Club”, a standout on the EDM festival circuit. Dad saw her at Laneway and raved on and on about her set. He says she’s a force to be reckoned with on the decks. Her sets are genre-blending sets. As a proud wāhine Māori, she grabs many snips of waiata and a raft of eclectic influences like Global Club, Trance and African Hip-Hop.
She burst onto the DJ scene three years ago and has opened for EDM heavy-hitters like Jyoty, Girl’s Don’t Sync & sim0ne. She’s done residencies on GeorgeFM and appeared on the bills of The Boiler Room, Rhythm & Vines NZ and Promiseland AU. Right now, she’ll be gearing up for gigs here in Aotearoa, as well as Europe and the UK. So, it’ll be great to see her before she takes off!
This is just a taster of some of the Kiwis but there are plenty more acts to discover at WOMAD this year, including some amazing international acts like Melbourne’s Palestinian/Jordanian party band 47 Soul, WOMAD favourites Goran Bregović and his Wedding & Funeral Band, Aussie Indigenous collaborators Not Drowning, Waving, British musician, producer and composer, Nitin Sawhney, Trinidad and Tobago global dancehall-reggae scene, Queen Omega.
Also on offer is a whole programme of writers, actors and comedians in the World Of Words (including a Poetry Slam hosted by Penny Ashton, ‘Gangland’ author Jared Savage, actor Morgana O’Reilly and funny ladies Courtney Dawson and Joanna Joy).
There’s also plenty of Kiwis at the OMV Steamlab sessions, which run throughout the three day festival, alongside all the music on offer. The programme features the afore mentioned Frau Knotz and people like Matt Williams and Maddi Brown from the Wellington Chocolate Factory and Dr. Greg Holwell who teaches zoology, behavioural ecology, and entomology.at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland.
With all these Kiwis at WOMAD we’ll be run off our feet covering it all. But we are stoked to be attending on behalf of Muzic.nz to bring you all the highlights!
WOMAD Aotearoa
14 – 16 March 2025
The Bowl of Brooklands, Brooklands Park
Ngāmotu (New Plymouth)
Tickets on sale now www.womad.co.nz\
