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Oumou Sangar\u00e9<\/p>\nLegendary American hip-hop band Arrested Development has today been announced as one of the headline acts for next year\u2019s WOMADelaide Festival.<\/p>\n
The trailblazing band found fame in the 1990s with hits such as Everyday People, Mr, Wendal and Tennessee, showcasing their socially conscious lyrics and funky hip-hop beats.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s WOMAD announcement includes the final 20 artists to make the 2026 lineup.\u00a0 It will be a return performance for Arrested Development who played at the music festival in 2014, a show that WOMADelaide associate director Annette Tripodi describes as\u00a0 \u201cjoyous\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were a delight to work with,\u201d Tripodi says.\u00a0\u201cIn July, when I read that the first single from their latest album was \u2018much-needed good vibrations for these turbulent times\u2019 it struck a chord, because that\u2019s what WOMADelaide is, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity and positivity are things that Arrested Development have always radiated and exemplified over their decades-long career so it felt like the perfect time to bring them back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The band\u2019s groundbreaking 1992 debut album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of\u2026 sold six millions copies and in 1993 Arrested Develpment became the first hip-hop group to win Best New Artist at the Grammys, as well as a second Grammy for Best Rap Performance for a Duo or Group.<\/p>\n
They will take to the WOMAD stage on the Monday night of the four-day festival.<\/p>\n
Other major artists announced today include one of Africa\u2019s greatest female voices and activists Oumou Sangar\u00e9,\u00a0 beloved Italian pop icon Jovanotti who will headline the opening night of the festival, Canadian jazz-fusion group BADBADNOTGOOD, The Netherlands\/NZ blues-funk trio MY BABY, American gospel family band Annie & The Caldwells and psychedelic Amsterdam-based six-piece Nusantara Beat.<\/p>\n
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Oumou Sangar\u00e9<\/p>\n
They join soulful blues guitarist\/singer Fantastic Negrito\u00a0from the USA; festival favourites KAIIT and Mama Kin Spender, and newcomers including Brazilian Australian artist Alcides Neto.<\/p>\n
WOMADelaide director Ian Scobie says: \u201cI\u2019m excited about the return of Oumou Sangar\u00e9 from Mali, who will close the night on International Women\u2019s Day. Her performances at the 2004 and 2017 festivals were just extraordinary and she is such a powerful singer and advocate for women, with an incredible career \u2013 from singing in the streets as a child, to becoming an artistic ambassador for African music.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also looking forward to Jovanotti, our very first headline artist from Italy, whose career has covered everything from funk and rap to pop and rock, and who has a reputation for amazing live shows.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Italian artist Jovanotti will perform at WOMAD next year.<\/p>\n
Tripodi says today\u2019s announcement of artists \u201cbeautifully rounds out\u201d the festival offerings for 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day will be completely different,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m keen to see Canadian jazz-fusion outfit BADBADNOTGOOD making their festival debut, Australia\u2019s The Necks returning for a fully-improvised late-night show and Scotland\u2019s reggae sound system Mungo\u2019s Hi Fi feat. Eva Lazarus.\u201d<\/p>\n
WOMAD ticket sales to date, Tripodi says, show that just over 40 per cent of ticket buyers will be visitors to South Australia.<\/p>\n