STACK March 2016 Issue 71

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Songhoy Blues (Mali)
If you love Saharan desert
blues artists such as Tinariwen
and Etran Finatawa, then this Mali
four-piece will be an essential WOMAD
act. They’ve only released one record
to date, Music In Exile (2015), but it’s
a cracker: tracks like Soubour, Nick
and Sekou Oumarou wouldn’t sound
out of place on an early Black Keys
album, yet the closing numbers Desert
Melodie and Mali show that they have
not forgotten their country’s musical
traditions either. Let’s hope they find
room in their live set for
a few of their celebrated
covers: as well as The
Clash’s Should I Stay Or
Should I Go, they also do
an excellent version of the
Led Zep classic Kashmir.
St Germain (France)
Ludovic Navarre has
been a fixture of chill-out
compilations since his St
Germain debut Boulevard
(1995) – a cool blend of jazz, electronica
and house – became a global smash.
The follow-up Tourist was an even
bigger hit with more than three million
copies sold worldwide, but his latest
album has found him stepping outside
his comfort zone and exploring African
music.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
St Germain (2015)
While he’s not
the first person to
blend African music
with Western dance
beats, St Germain brings his usual
cool class to his first studio set in
15 years. Featuring traditional Malian
instrumentation, standouts include the
spiky desert blues of How Dare You and
the sparkling kora-infused trip hop of
Forget Me Not.
Tiny Ruins and
Bic Runga
Both will be playing
individual sets at the festival
and neither will disappoint
– it will be particularly
interesting to see whether
Runga will be previewing
much from her upcoming
new album. However, the
two acts will also be doing
a set together and if it’s
anything like their shows last
year, then you won’t want to
miss it. As well as duetting
on each other’s materials,
expect covers of songs from
artists such as Francoise
Hardy, Fleetwood Mac and
Simon & Garfunkel.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
Tiny Ruins, Brightly Painted
One; Bic Runga, Belle
Tami Neilson
With a well-drilled new
band in tow, the cool retro
sounds of our favourite
country singer is just the
ticket for WOMAD. Her raw
but uplifting fourth studio
album Don’t Be Afraid has
lost none of its power to
bring both a tear to the eye
and a smile to the face, and
with blues and gospel very
much at the fore this time,
even country skeptics should
enjoy themsleves
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
Don’t Be Afraid
Pass The Gat
Comprising of acclaimed
singer-songwriters Warren
Maxwell (Trinity Roots,
Little Bushman), Louis
Baker and Thomas Oliver,
this is another local music
summit that is likely to draw
on both original material
and unexpected covers.
Baker and Oliver will also
be playing solo at WOMAD,
so try and find room in your
schedule for those slots, too.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
Trinity Roots, Citizen; The
Thomas Oliver Band, Baby
I’ll Play; Louis Baker, Louie
Baker EP
CLOSERTO HOME…
As usual, this year’sWOMAD boasts a sterling local line-up of artists.
Here’s three shouldn’t miss.
For more information visit
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