Womad - A new world of music

Africa's biggest musical stars will be shining on the night of this year's Womad concert in a line up rarely seen on any stage. Elisa Bray reports

Ethiopiques, Solomon Burke and Fat Freddy's Drop are headlining this year's Womad (World Of Music, Arts & Dance), The Independent can reveal as media partner to the 27-year-old festival. Among the first names announced from its line up are some of Africa's biggest musical stars, and acts from around the world including China, India, Guinea, Corsica, Spain, Hungary, Australia, and England will perform across the five stages at Charlton Park in Malmesbury.

There will be performances from within two of Africa's most musically rich countries, Mali and Ethiopia. Mali's Oumou Sangare charmed her fans and critics alike with her recent album Seya – her first in six years. Known as the "songbird of Wassoulou", Sangare played the UK at last year's Africa Express concert at KOKO and the Africa Now show at the Barbican, her first visit for many years. Another of Mali's stars, Rokia Traore will perform her songs telling of poverty and injustice.

Ethiopiques, a veteran collective of four of the biggest names in Ethiopian music from its golden age – Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqe, Alemayehu Eshete and Getatchew Mekurya – will unite for a live performance showcasing their best known works accompanied by a 10-piece backing band. It was Francis Falceto's Ethiopiques series of album compilations totalling 23 volumes that inspired the most significant tour of Ethiopian music ever seen outside its homeland and has been endorsed by everyone from Elvis Costello to Robert Plant and Michael Stipe. On the younger contemporary side of the Ethiopian music spectrum are Dub Colossus, who despite only rising to fame in the past 12 months are now a festival favourite.

The band members, all in their teens and early 20s, led by Nick Page (aka Dubulah), the founding member of Transglobal Underground and Temple of Sound, blend a heady mix of funk, hypnotic grooves, jazz piano, brass and celestial blues.

America's soul and blues legend Solomon Burke will also take to the stage to perform a selection from across his repertoire which spans more than 30 albums. It's a rare appearance for the Grammy winner and member of the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. Also headlining are New Zealand septet Fat Freddy's Drop, performing their blend of roots, reggae, dub, soul and funk with band leader DJ Fitchie's sampled beats and bass. London-based contemporary jazz group Portico Quartet will be performing from their 2008 Mercury Music Prize-nominated album Knee Deep in the North Sea.

It was an idea Peter Gabriel concocted for a concert starring an African group that led to the very first Womad festival in Shepton Mallet in 1982. The Genesis star's initial tentative plan unravelled into a far larger event that would incorporate music from around the world alongside rock, jazz and folk music from the West.

This year organisers are launching the first Womad in Abu Dhabi. Festival director Chris Smith said: "It's always the unknowns that are the most exciting. We have Black Arm Band from Australia, Caravan Palace and Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan – they didn't get to the festival last year because of visa problems so it's really exciting they're coming. And Ethiopiques. I saw them at the Barbican and they were fantastic."

Womad is at Charlton Park, Wiltshire, from 24 to 26 July. For tickets, please call 0845 146 1735 (womad.org)