WOMADelaide is officially kicking off this Friday, and with it a whole crew of international acts bringing an eclectic range of music from right around the world.

Sometimes the best part of WOMADelaide is stumbling across some act from the other side of the globe you’ve never heard, let along seen live, only to be totally blown away. Well, here are some key international acts you’ve definitely not seen in these parts before as they make their WOMADelaide debut this weekend.

Ibeyi

There are many interesting things to say about Ibeyi – their melodies, rhythms, the languages they use – and you can read about that here. You’ll no doubt reflect on all that in profound and fascinating ways but, more importantly for right now, check out this awesome music video in which they both get drowned.

47SOUL

Purveyors of Middle Eastern electro music, 47SOUL describe themselves as being “the futuristic sound of a Palestinian wedding; true party music for the masses.”

Alsarah & the Nubatones

These guys make Nubian/Sudanese inspired East-African Retro-Pop. They’re out of Brooklyn, because of course.

Eska

Eska is a multi-instrumentalist from Zimbabwe via South London. Beautiful, weird, textured pop songs:

Ester Rada

Israeli nu-soul songstress. Joyful, life-affirming, super melodic stuff.

The Jerry Cans

From the arctic rim, these chaps make “Inuktitut alt-country” with “throat singing, and reggae”. Although we’re sure that’s not what they were ‘aiming for’ when they formed a band, they’ve achieved the honor of being the most WOMADelaide thing you’ll see at WOMADelaide.

Spiro

Think Phillip Glass meets a piano accordion.

Sadly, not at all related to the lovable purple dragon of the same name.

숨[su:m]

Contemporary-Traditional Korean music. We don’t know what them instruments are called, but boy howdy, we do sure like the way they sound.

Tulegur

Mongolian Grunge that’s so powerful, it will soon dominate the entirety of the Steppe.

Giant inflateable Stonehenge

It might not be an ‘act’ per se, but it has never been in Australia before, and it looks awesome.

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