Aside from the heavy-hitters closing each night of the festival ­– Bon Iver, Friday; Florence + The Machine, Saturday; Ondatrópica, Sunday; Youssou N’Dour & Le Super Étoile de Dakar, Monday; and Gratte Ciel’s Places des Anges, nightly) – here (in no particular order) are a handful more treasures who are perhaps not as well-known in South Australia.

Rizwan Muazzam Qawwals (Pakistan)

It’s been 20 years since their last visit to WOMADelaide but the brothers Rizwan and Muazzam have lost none of their impact. In fact, their vocal range and power is more spellbinding than ever. Traditionally, a Qawwali song goes for at least 15 minutes, delivering inspirational messages and transporting listeners to a state of ecstasy, and a spiritual connection with Allah. The brothers lead an ensemble of seven male artists on harmonium, chorus and hand percussion, and you won’t be able to take your eyes off them. – 11pm Saturday, Stage Two, and 8.15pm Monday, Stage 3

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Cimafunk (Cuba)

Cimafunk makes music that effortlessly taps into his roots, but also African-American funk and hip hop from the USA – from James Brown to George Clinton, Prince to Lupe Fiasco.  With a name that subverts the word cimarron (a fugitive slave in colonial-era Americas), his live shows are free-flowing affairs; energetic, highly visual – expect spectacular outfits! ­– and wildly danceable. – 7.40pm Friday, Foundation Stage, and 5pm Monday, Foundation Stage

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Izy (Australia)

This Melbourne trio’s deep grooves, soulful harmonies and mastery of music and emotions evoke D’Angelo. It’s a sound that, as my friend’s teenage son said when he heard their debut album Irene in 2021, “makes you feel good”. Irene may seem breezy and light at first, but their gentle storytelling and vulnerability really cuts through after multiple listens, and their relationship on stage makes for a very affecting live show. ­– 6.45pm Saturday, Zoo Stage

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Bab L’ Bluz (Morocco/France)

A Moroccan psychedelic rock band formed just five years ago, Bab L’ Bluz’s inventive mix of hypnotic gnawa and blues rhythms with contemporary trance is a winning combination. Their fearless frontwoman, singer and musician Yousra Mansour, exemplifies the Nayda movement, a new wave of musicians that has emerged since 1999 in Morocco. Nayda means “to rise up” and “to party”, and their eclectic, electric sound captures both perfectly. ­– 3.30pm Saturday, Stage 2, and 8pm Monday, Stage 7

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ADG7 (South Korea)

Using only traditional instruments – jing (gong), daeguem (bamboo flute), piri (double reed oboe), saenghwang (mouth organ), ajaeng (seven-string bowed zither), gayaguem (12-string zither) and percussion – Ak Dan Gwang Chil are a truly unique mix of North and South Korean folk culture and… bouncy pop. The icing on the cake is the vivid costuming, fun choreography and otherworldly vocals from the three female lead vocalists. ­– 4.30pm Saturday, Foundation Stage, and 6pm Monday, Stage 2

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San Salvador (France)

With drums, tambourine and clapping accompanying their phenomenal polyphonic vocals, San Salvador are thrilling to watch. You can’t help but be drawn in by the complex rhythms, the synchronicity, the passion – and be enthralled by their extraordinary talent. Singing in the ancient language of Occitan, and working in a call-and-response way using lots of repetition, they gradually build the intensity of each song. It is spine-tingling stuff. ­– 5pm Saturday, Stage 7, and 5.30pm Sunday, Foundation Stage

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Foco alAire (Mexico)

Directed by dancer, writer and sociologist Marcela Sánchez Mota, Foco alAire are bringing two stunning pieces to the festival. L’Orchestra SoNiDeRa LOStheMáS (7.10pm Friday, Frome Park Pavilion) celebrates the sounds and neighbourhood parties that were popular in Mexico City in the ’70s and ’80s. It begins with a procession from Luke Jerram’s Gaia artwork (a 7m-wide Planet Earth being installed at WOMADelaide) and ends on stage in the Frome Park Pavilion. LOStheULTRAMAR (two shows a day, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) are a disarming, eerie, dark-suited “tribe of the world” who will rove though Botanic Park before inviting the audience to dance with them.

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Kefaya and Elaha Soroor (Afghanistan/UK/Italy)

As a Hazara woman growing up in Kabul, Soroor (a stage name meaning “goddess of happiness”) faced opposition and personal danger in pursuing a career in music. As an outspoken news reporter and community member as well, she made the decision to leave and arrived in the UK as a refugee in 2012. Aside from her life story, which is inconceivable to me, the music she has created with the award-winning Kefaya is a mesmerising meeting of cultures and genres; poetic Afghan laments filtered through jazz, dub, classical and electronica. ­– 1.30pm Saturday, Stage 3, and 2pm Monday, Stage 2

WOMADelaide is in Botanic Park from March 10-13.

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