Great Music from Everywhere: WOMEX 17 Showcases

Berlin/Katowice: The leading global music meeting, WOMEX – the World Music Expo, has announced the long awaited first set of showcase artists for their 23rd edition taking place in Katowice, Poland, this October. As organisers Piranha Arts announced today, the first 18 artists alone represent 23 different countries and a range of musical styles unparallelled in the showcase festival scene. 

The chosen artists, some of the most exciting acts in the current music scenes worldwide, are now likely to kickstart their international careers by performing in Katowice this October in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 promoters, festival makers, agents, international media and other professional delegates as well as the Polish music public. WOMEX 17 will feature everything from a leading solo artist deeply rooted in Persian tradition to a seven-piece Eastern European folk-punk cabaret outfit, and from renowned Haitian-American cellist Leyla McCalla to Night, the first-ever Nepalese band to perform at WOMEX, who enthuse on this prospect:

"We’re very honored and privileged to get a chance to be a part of WOMEX, this giant congregation of amazing bands, musicians, promoters, delegates and music lovers. It is a great opportunity for us to present Nepali music and art to the world music community. We are indeed humbled."

The Showcases have been selected by an independent, international jury, the 7 Samurai, from proposals put in from all over the globe. Additional DJ Summit artists were curated by Guy Morley from No Nation and the WOMEX team. Katowice being a UNESCO City of Music, the showcase performances will take place across different stage contexts within Katowice's Cultural Zone, which boasts intimate Daycase settings, the new and highly-acclaimed NOSPR concert hall, twin stages in the Spodek arena as well as the city's Królestwo club.

Further announcements of Showcases, a regional stage, this year's Opening programme, Conference and Film programme as well as the WOMEX Awards are to be announced in the upcoming weeks

Official Selection:
  • Alireza Ghorbani (Iran)
  • Black Flower (Belgium)
  • Dakh Daughters (Ukraine)
  • Dimitris Mystakidis (Greece)
  • Elkin Robinson (Colombia)
  • Gato Preto (Mozambique/Ghana/ Senegal/Germany)
  • Ifriqiyya Electrique (Tunisia/France)
  • La Dame Blanche (Cuba/France)
  • Leyla McCalla (Haiti/USA)
  • MAZ (Canada)
  • Night (Nepal)
  • Park Jiha (South Korea)
  • Qwanqwa (Ethiopia)
  • Talisk (UK)
  • Vasilis Kostas & Layth Sidiq Duo (Greece/Jordan/USA)
  • Waldemar Bastos (Angola/Portugal)

DJ Summit:
  • Barda (Argentina)
  • Ibaaku (Senegal)