Australasian World Music Expo

Traversing the highlands of PNG, the islands of Aotearoa, the riverbanks of South Korea and the desert sands of Australia

The third, annual Australasian World Music Expo (AWME) will turn Melbourne into a melting pot of global sounds with artists and music industry representatives preparing to descend on the city from 18th – 21st November 2010.

Once again, a selection of the world’s finest local and international artists will be playing back-to-back over four days, at some of Melbourne’s premier music venues. The lineup so far includes Nigeria’s mighty, Afro-beat luminary, Femi Kuti and his 15 piece band The Positive Force; conscious roots-reggae powerhouse, Groundation (USA), Jamaica’s oldest, foundation-shaking sound system, Stone Love; and Australia’s own rising star, Dan Sultan.

Joining them on the bill is Katie Noonan & The Captains, The Raah Project, King Kapisi (Samoa/NZ), Mista Savona, Yien (South Korea), The Bombay Royale, Electric Wire Hustle (NZ), Mama Kin, Diafrix, Celenod (New Caledonia), Nathalie Natiembe (La Réunion/France), Ngaiire (PNG/Australia), That 1 Guy (USA), Bella Kalolo (NZ), Frank Yamma, WAI (NZ), King Kadu, Maisey Rika (NZ), Nga Tae (NZ) and Busby Marou, Neil Murray, Cumbia Cosmonauts, Street Warriors, Black Jesus Experience, Microwave Jenny, Graveyard Train, Mr Percival, Tijuana Cartel, The Woohoo Revue, King Marong and Afro Mandinko, Blak Roots, Afro Habesha, Kavisha Mazella, Kundalila, Lajamanu Teenage Band, Chant Down Sound, Systa BB and Mr Fish with more to be announced soon.

Coinciding with the start of the festival season, AWME will bring together musicians, industry representatives and festival audiences from across Australia and around the globe. Featuring more than 50 performance groups and attracting national and international delegates, AWME aims to raise the profile and commercial opportunities for contemporary and traditional Indigenous, roots, folk and world music artists from the region, whilst also offering audiences a vibrant program of live music.

“AWME is a world class event profiling some of region’s finest roots music artists to international delegates, with the vision of marketing diverse cultural based art forms from our shores internationally. It simultaneously introduces audiences to new music groups they might not otherwise have access to,” says Simon Raynor, Director of AWME.

To date, the confirmed international delegates attending AWME 2010 include Toby Mills (Agent, Glastonbury Festival Liverpool, UK), Erwin Schellekens (Artistic Director Mundial Productions/Festival Mundial, The Netherlands), Warren Smith (Director of Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, USA), Jason Mayall (Smash Corporation/Fuji Rock Festival, Japan), Min Kim (Ulsan World Music Festival, South Korea), Randy Raine-Reusch (Rainforest World Music Festival, Malaysia), Jérôme Galabert (Director Sakifo Productions, La Réunion), with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

This year, AWME will be offering an expanded conference program through a collaboration with The Push’s annual music conference, Face The Music. Working hand in hand, AWME and Face The Music will increase opportunities for local emerging musicians to access some of the world’s most influential festival bookers, booking agents, record labels and media personnel.

Delegate registration for Australasian World Music Expo 2010 is now open on the AWME website, awme.com.au.

AWME 2010 will take place from 18th – 21st November at the Arts Centre, The HiFi, Toff In Town and the BMW Edge at Federation Square. Tickets for all shows are on sale now from the venues.