
The Soil mix uplifting soul, poetry and beatboxing in their soings
--
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.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
New agreement for uninterrupted UHF connectivity for Australian Defence Force through 2033, With Options Extending to 2041
Luxembourg, January 13, 2026 - Satel...
26/01/2026
Music videos play a huge part in how fans connect with their favorite songs, but...
26/01/2026
NAIDOC launches 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly , marks major milestone
25 January, 2026
Media releases
The National NAIDOC Committee has today unveiled its...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) today announced an exclusive partnership with Nu Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersi...
26/01/2026
OpenDrives, the leader in high-end video data management and workflow solutions, today announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds, led by IAG...
26/01/2026
SmallHD today announced a major update to its award-winning PageOS software, introducing Fleet Control, Portrait Mode, expanded Camera Control features, and Dow...
26/01/2026
Whether rigging a PTZ on a truss, sliding a Blackmagic camera across a mezzanine railing, or capturing the mayhem from inside a drum, Filipic delivers visuals t...
26/01/2026
26 Jan 2026
VEON Unveils the New Beeline Uzbekistan Network Operations Center, ...
26/01/2026
Bookish is created by and stars Mark Gatiss
Images available HERE
Following th...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
New Sky Original Series explores Entertainment Juggernaut, The X Factor
Sky today confirmed it has greenlit a premium, definitive docum...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
Sky confirms major investment to transform Livingston ca...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for Salvador
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DISCOVER THE TRAILER
DO...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Presents Our 2026 Series and Films and Announces New Projects
Entertainment
26 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
...
26/01/2026
Back to All News
Made in Louisiana: People We Meet on Vacation' Lights Up New Orleans
Emily Bader and Tom Blyth film on Royal Street in New Orleans' ...
26/01/2026
LinkedIn Gives Professionals the Edge with Verified Skills and Tools to Navigate the Job Search Show Proficiency of AI Tools such as Descript, Lovable, Relay.ap...
26/01/2026
Alfalite, Brainstorm, Dejero, Domo Broadcast Systems, FOR-A, KitPlus, Ontario So...
26/01/2026
Tyngsboro, Mass. - January 26, 2026 - Broadcast Pix is excited to exhibit at the Alliance for Community Media West Region Conference and Trade Show, taking plac...
26/01/2026
Software for Stable Data Management and Lasting Business Success in Uncertain Ti...
26/01/2026
RT is today publishing a statistical summary of the Register of External Activities for the third quarter of 2025.
The RT Register of External Activities com...
25/01/2026
Back to All News
Sins of Kujo' Premieres April 2: Teaser Trailer, Art and ...
24/01/2026
Masami Kawai Selected as the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow; Isabella Madrigal and Tsanavi Spoonhunter Named 2026 Graton Fellows During Native Forum Celebration in Par...
24/01/2026
The MC-55A Peregrine aircraft will give the Royal Australian Air Force information superiority and serve as strategic assets for future Australian Defence Force...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
24/01/2026
RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of t...
23/01/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 29 July, 2025 - Yospace, the global leader in Dynamic A...
23/01/2026
WWE's Virtual Production Playbook: How the Professional Wrestling Super Powe...
23/01/2026
Tight set up: Squeezing the PSA's Tournament of Champions into Grand Central...
23/01/2026
Evolving production: The PSA on bringing squash to more viewers at the Tournamen...
23/01/2026
AFC Championship Preview: Behind the Scenes With NFL on CBS' Producer Jim R...
23/01/2026
NFC Championship Preview: FOX Sports Director Rich Russo Talks Technology, Story...
23/01/2026
Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration honors the rising stars whose talent, creativity, and dedication have propelled them to the music industry'...
23/01/2026
Coalition military forces operating across the vast geography of the Indo-Pacific rely on interoperable, secure data links to share intelligence, surveillance a...
23/01/2026
Artist rendering of L3Harris Technologies' AERIS next generation airborne early warning and control solution....
23/01/2026
The U.S. Air Force AMP Increment II aircraft at L3Harris' facility in Waco, Texas. L3Harris has modernized C-130 avionics since 1985, delivering digital coc...
23/01/2026
Paramount is transforming its operations by unifying the media supply chains of their top brands into a scalable global pipeline.
This transformation enhances ...
23/01/2026
Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...