Six African acts confirmed for WOMEX showcases

This comes after organisers announced the first conference sessions and first artists set to showcase at the event. Performers at WOMEX are selected by a Jury comprising music professionals from different parts of the globe, also known as the Seven Samurai. WOMEX is expected to announce more artists in the next few weeks.

First line-up

• Alo Wala (Denmark/USA)
• Aziza Brahim (Western Sahara/Mali/Spain)
• Baraji (South Korea)
• Bella Hardy (UK)
• Chouk Bwa Libète (Haiti)
• Cimbalomduó (Hungary)
• Didier Laloy & Kathy Adam (Belgium)
• Emicida (Brazil)
• Forabandit (Turkey/France)
• Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha (Finland)
• Iberi (Georgia)
• Moh ! Kouyate (Guinea/France)
• Nine Treasures (China)
• Palenke Soultribe (Colombia/USA)
• Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band (Ghana)
• Pierre Kwenders (DR Congo/Canada)
• Tarek Abdallah & Adel Shams El-Din (Egypt/France) 
• Trumpeter Avishai Cohen's Triveni (Israel)
• Vaudou Game (Togo/France)

WOMEX 15 Conference: Heritage; Data and Copyright; and Artist Mobility

Organisers have also unveiled the first sessions that will form part of this year's conference programme. Among the confirmed sessions: Erich Ludwig (USA) from Spotify will take a look at how data is driving the global music scene; Darren Ferguson (UK) from Beyond Skin will analyse the uniting role music plays in post-conflict environments; Min Kim (South Korea) from Sonic Islands will delve into how artists from Far East Asia are bringing their music to the rest of the world.; Manojna Yeluri (India) from Artistik License will explore folk music, culture, copyright and the law in a digital age; while a number of other sessions will explore visa laws in the UK and Ireland; touring the Balkans; curation and more.