Womad adds two talented Sou African vocal trios to line-up

The Soil mix uplifting soul, poetry and beatboxing in their soings

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Womad music festival will be bringing two of South Africa's finest vocal harmony groups to UK shores from 23 to 26 July. Set amongst 4,500 stately acres of the Charlton Park estate, Wiltshire, the beautifully curated and somewhat bonkers festival has announced The Soil and The Mahotella Queens are to join its exciting line up.

The Soil, a young vocal trio who come from Soweto, experiment with beatboxing, poetry, a capella and harmonies to produce what they describe as melodic medication' for the soul. Since their first album went platinum, they've supported Freshlyground and collaborated with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, one of their major inspirations.

The Mahotella Queens formed in 1964, are more established legends, also from Johannesburg. Mistresses of the mgqashiyo sound, they are acclaimed for their a capella, traditional zulu songs and distinctive vocal harmonies. When they featured on Paul Simon's Graceland, interest in their sound helped coin world music' as a genre.

These two acts are just the tip of the intriguing iceburg that is the Womad line-up. Sure there are headline names; Laura Mvula, De La Soul, Ghospoet, Cerys Mathews, Tinariwen, Bellowhead and Nightmares on Wax, but these are not necessarily why you go to Womad.

Tinariwen (meaning deserts') are a Grammy Award-winning Mali-based group Basically, if you love all the music spectrum marked not Indie bands' then you will love Womad. There's reggae from Tiken Jah Fakoly, a Cote d'Ivoire singer who's currently one of Africa's biggest exports in the genre, Congolese electronic music (Mbongwana Star) and futuristic grooves from the energetically named Atomic Bomb! The Musi vc of William Onyeabor after the eponymous Nigerian synth pioneer.

There are amazing collaborations across continents. Niger / Estonia duo Alhousseini Anivolla & Maarja Nuut combine desert blues-playing electric guitar with folk-dance violin. Reggae is paired with Parisian accordion (Winston McAnuff & Fixi ) and there are live dance music mash ups; Daddy G of Massive Attack and dancehall MC Deemas J will be on at The Red Tent, one of seven stages at Womad.

If you're hunting for treasures in the serene setting of Charlton Park just a stone's throw from quintessentially English Cotswolds - you're looking at the right festival. Tashi Lhunpo Monks from Tibet will provide chanting and there will be throat singing from Violons Barbares. There are also five Worlds' to lose yourself in.

Womad provides many opportunities to chill out in the sun The World of Art will display Water Dance' by Cameroonian artist, Barth l my Toguo, a large scale structure which explores global concerns around water shortage. It follows urban requiem', his acclaimed installation at the Venice art biennale and punctuates a two-week long artist residency at Charlton Park.

The World of Words will host poetry performances, a Sunday poetry slam and even a human library. Choose who you'd like to chat to, book a slot with one of the librarians, and then come back at your allotted time to find out if you can really judge a book by its cover.

You'll need to eat and drink, which is good as you'll be in the mood to sample food cooked by the singers and artists at Taste The World. Here in a sylvan setting you can chat to the artists about their inspiration and life as you try their best dishes from home. You can make a beeline too for Global Market for more dishes from around the globe.

That is the not nearly or entirely the exhaustive preview from Womad, the full to the brim festival of diverse music from across the globe.

For more information go to womad.co.uk. Tickets are £165 / person for the weekend and children under 13 go free.

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