Playlist: African artists performing at WOMAD 2024

The festival, which attracted more than 40 000 people last year, features global music acts from all genres including hip hop, blues, electro and punk, as well as industry talks and other summer entertainment offerings.

The event was founded by English musician Peter Gabriel in 1982 and has played a key role in showcasing some of the greatest African musical talents, providing them a stage to interact with an international audience. This year will be no different, with African artists making up the bulk of the line-up. They include Malian blues great Baaba Maal, Zambian rock band Witch, South African musical provocateur Moonchild Sanelly and Tanzanian mother-daughter duo Zawose Queens, among other incredible artists from the continent and the diaspora named below.

Amadou & Mariam (Mali)

Among Mali’s finest musical ambassadors over the past few decades, the husband-and-wife team of Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have won many admirers across the globe with their swinging, bluesy sound. Notable collaborators have included Manu Chao and Damon Albarn.

Sampa The Great (Zambia)

Sampa The Great is one of Southern Africa’s greatest hip hop heroes – if not of the entire continent. Born in Zambia and raised in Botswana, her music draws from all over the shop, with electronica, gospel, neo-soul, jazz and Zamrock finding room in her songs that often wrestle with the themes of home, identity and injustice. 

Baaba Maal (Senegal)

Along with Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal has been sitting at the top of the Senegalese musical tree almost all of his career, in the process taking the music of the Pulaar-speaking people into the wider world. As well as working with such luminaries as Brian Eno, Tony Allen, Taj Mahal and Antibalas, Baaba Maal is also a well-respected humanitarian.

Ghana Special: Kwashibu Area Band, Pat Tomas, Charles Amoah and K.O.G (Ghana)

An all-star line-up, including some bonafide highlife legends, teams for a showcase of the rich sounds of this corner of West Africa.

Witch (Zambia)

One of Zambia’s most popular bands in the '70s, Witch has reconvened and reunited to dust off their potent psychedelic, bluesy rock known as Zamrock.

Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou (Morocco)

A rare female take on the gnawa music traditions of north Africa, as the warm-voiced Asmâa fronts the bluesy intensity of her all-woman band Bnat Tombouktou.

Defmaa Maadef (Senegal)

The sound of Senegal today, Mama and Defa are two of the most vital hip hop voices in Dakar right now, with a good squeeze of R&B drizzled over the top.

Emel (Tunisia/US)

New York-based singer-songwriter – and one-time Tricky collaborator – whose sharp, barbed political songs have often been banned on the radio in her native Tunisia. 

Gnawa Blues All Stars (UK/Morocco)

The deep and irresistible grooves of North African gnawa stretch beyond their home turf and become acquainted with the sounds of West Africa, South America and Asia.

Justin Adams & Mohamed Errebbaa (UK/Morocco)

The venerable, well-travelled guitarist teams up with gnawa master musician Mohamed for a deep voyage into the heavy sounds of North Africa and beyond.

Moonchild Sanelly (South Africa)

Visually striking with her blue hair, Moonchild Sanelly is the creator of the genre she calls ‘future ghetto funk’, drawing on hip hop, kwaito, funk, soul, electronica and Afro-punk.

Nana Benz du Togo (Togo)

Fascinating and exceedingly groovy group from West Africa dealing in the sound of voodoo, albeit with a Korg synth adding an unexpected edge.

Ndox Electrique (Senegal)

One of the most unlikely musical collaborations finds the music of the super-secretive Senegalese n’döep ritual fusing with thick and heavy electric guitars.

Seckou Keita & The Homeland Band (Senegal/UK)

The superb kora player, known for his solo work and duo collaborations, now plays the part of bandleader, fronting this dynamite outfit of sterling Senegalese musicians.

The Zawose Queens (Tanzania)

Daughter and granddaughter of the great Tanzanian musician Hukwe Zawose, these two queens uphold the polyphonic and polyrhythmic musical traditions of the Gogo people.

Gonora Sounds (Zimbabwe)

Father-son sunshine sounds from the hotspot of Harare. Those shimmering, chiming Zimbabwean guitars get another outing this summer.

Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary (Egypt/UK)

Beguiling meeting of minds and cultures with Tarek’s oud and Tamsin’s accordion turning out to be true instrumental soulmates. Heady stuff!