 |
|
| April 9, 2001
WOMAD USA returns to Marymoor Park in 2001
Event dates are July 27 - 29
WOMAD USA and King County Executive Ron Sims are delighted to announce the WOMAD Festival will return to King County's Marymoor Park near Redmond for a fourth year, July 27, 28, 29.
King County and WOMAD completed negotiations on a new deal that calls for a three-day festival at Marymoor Park this summer and the option for a similar deal in 2002 and 2003.
"I'm extremely excited that WOMAD will return to Marymoor Park again this year. I'm a big fan of world music, and WOMAD is the premier worldwide music festival, bringing the best musicians from around the world to the Pacific Northwest for a weekend of music, dance and arts. WOMAD is a tremendous event for our community and King County is very proud to host again the only WOMAD event in North America," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
WOMAD co-founder Peter Gabriel has also been personally involved in the successful negotiations with King County and today Peter said: "We are delighted to be back in Seattle and working with Ron Sims and his excellent team. WOMAD Seattle has become a great event and we look forward to a long future in Marymoor Park. We have already got a great bill cooking and we'll see you in July!"
WOMAD USA and King County will announce a truly exciting line-up for this year's festival at a news conference on Tuesday, May 1 at Experience Music Project's Sky Church. EMP has already confirmed its continued involvement with WOMAD USA.
Full event details and ticket prices will also be announced on May 1, and tickets for this year's festival will go on sale on Friday, May 4 through Ticketmaster.
A WOMAD festival features music and dance performances and workshops from dozens of artists from all over the world, in addition to a "global village" of food and merchandise booths. Marymoor Park provides an intimate and uncluttered setting for WOMAD USA, with a variety of stage atmospheres to choose from in a unique rural setting. Performance areas range from a big top and a large outdoor stage, to smaller performance spaces set in tranquil, shady groves.
The WOMAD organization was founded in 1980 by musician/artist Peter Gabriel, Thomas Brooman and Bob Hooton with the pioneering goal of producing multi-cultural music festivals worldwide to entertain, inform, and forge awareness of the worth and potential of a multi-cultural society.
Since the first WOMAD Festival in 1982, WOMAD has co-produced more than one hundred and twenty festivals in 22 different countries all over the world. "But even in this context, WOMAD USA has become a truly outstanding experience to rival any other festival worldwide," said WOMAD co-founder and Artistic Director Thomas Brooman. "Everyone involved in WOMAD is driven by a passion for music and a belief in its transformational power. We can't wait to share another weekend experience with the Northwest audience who helps to make this all so special."
Since 1998, WOMAD USA has presented dozens of world-class artists at the festival. Many artists have made their first-ever USA performances at King County's Marymoor Park; others have been North American legends. Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Zakir Hussain, the Drummers of Burundi, Joan Osborne and many more have delighted WOMAD's audiences over the last three years at Marymoor Park. Undoubtedly, the line-up announcement on May 1 will herald a spectacular fourth WOMAD USA festival.
Contact: Al Dams, King County, 206.296.4129; Lee Keller, WOMAD USA, 206.321.2627; Stephanie Pegg, WOMAD UK, 44 1225.743188
Updated: April 9, 2001
Executive's e-mail King County | Executive | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not
constitute endorsements by King County. |
|