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THURSDAY 18 November 2010

Opening: WAI (NZ), Poi Piripi Kapa Haka Group (Australia/NZ), Kulkal Baba Dance Group (TSI, Australia) + Guests

Mina Ripia and Maaka McGregor formed WAI in 1999 to create new waiata (music) out of ancient Maori roots, traditions and Te Reo (Maori language). The pair perform electrifying, inspirational songs and stories which draw on profoundly personal events.

Poi Piripi perform awe-inspiring traditional Maori music and dance.

Cairns-based Kulkal Baba perform the dances of Sabai Island and the Torres Strait.

Opening Night Party

PBS 106.7fm Presents: Dan Sultan (Australia), Jeff Lang (Australia), Ngaiire (PNG/Australia), Celenod (New Caledonia), Street Warriors (Australia) + DJ Nui Moon & DJ Voodoo Dred

Winner of two 2010 ARIA awards for Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album, Dan Sultan, and his band's powerhouse performances are amongst the most talked about shows in the country - delivering a dynamic mix of blues, soul, rock and country.

Jeff Lang has earned worldwide acclaim as a virtuosic guitarist, a dynamic songwriter and a startlingly unique live performer. Blending rock, roots, folk, blues, ballads, instrumentals and a devastatingly high level of musicality, Jeff Lang is a singularly unique artist in our world.

Ngaiire has been flooring fans, critics and fellow musicians alike with her raw, soulful grooves and honest lyrics. She boasts collaborations with jazz great Roy Ayers, Paul Mac, Sarah Blasko, ARIA award winning Monsieur Camembert, and Blue King Brown.

Hailing from Mare Island, New Caledonia Celenod is one of the most renowned Kaneka bands, producing a diverse mix of percussive dance music using bamboo and wood instruments, an acoustic guitar, an electric bass and polyphonic vocals inherited from religious choirs.

Newcastle boys, the Street Warriors are well-respected pioneers of Indigenous hip-hop. The boys have built a loyal following around the country on the back of their energy filled live shows, poignant lyrics and their unique musical messages.

DJ Nui Moon plays world music reflecting his multi-cultural connections.

Voodoo Dred has been composing music since 1997 and has developed a distinct sound that has been described as a blend of tribal/orchestral. Raised on the Haitian rhythms of Kompa and the music of Central American Voodoo Dred plays a mash up of hip-hop, dancehall, world beats and jungle.

Tijuana Cartel (Australia), Cumbia Cosmonauts (Australia),

Busby Marou (Australia) + DJ Simon Winkler (Australia)

Tropical space cowboys Cumbia Cosmonauts are Australia's first cumbia sound system, combining influences from classic Colombian roots-cumbia, Jamaican dub, Mexican tribal club, electronic mutations, Peruvian psychedelic, chichi-funk and digital cumbia experimentation.

Tijuana Cartel delivers a perfect marriage of lustful rhythms and upfront electronica. The outfit is inspired by everything the musical world has to offer, from funk to hip hop to reggae to the Middle Eastern flavours of the Sub Continent to the dance venues of London.

From humble beginnings, on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Busby Marou is making a serious impact on the local music scene, boasting a unique Australian songwriting flavour with cracking harmonies and breathtaking musicianship.

Melbourne-based DJ Simon Winkler’s sets feature anything from obscure soundtrack selections, global hip-hop, psychedelic South American pop, future-beats or melodic downtempo breaks.

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FRIDAY 19 November 2010

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'World Music: Global Sounds in Australia' Book Launch featuring The Woohoo Revue (Australia) & DJ Systa BB (Australia) with Seth Jordan & Paul Petran (Radio National's Music Deli)

Chronicling the evolution of the World music genre over the last 30 years in Australia, the publication of a new book World Music: Global Sounds in Australia (UNSW Press) covers African, Latin, European, Middle Eastern, Asian and Indigenous styles. Edited by music journalist Seth Jordan, the book profiles many of Australia’s best-known world music  performers, along with some of our hidden multicultural treasures. It also captures the excitement and passion of our festivals, multicultural organisations and World music media. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the launch.

Proprietors of punchy folk jazz, gypsy swing and manic tango, The Woohoo Revue is a multi-instrumental monster responsible for wreaking havoc upon dance floors across the country. Described as a “Balkan gypsy brass band, wild-west fiddle contest and a roaring 20's swing band all rolled into one”.

Championing the proliferation of electronic global fusion, dub and traditional beats, one of Melbourne’s favourite DJs, Systa BB, finds the rhythms that bind us from all corners of the globe.

Premier Artists Australia & Fleming Artists USA Presents: That 1 Guy (USA), Mr. Percival (Australia), Graveyard Train (Australia)

That 1 Guy challenges the idea of what a one-man band can and should be. Rather than altering and adding on to the bass, he started from scratch, conceptualising and creating the Magic Pipe. Standing at seven-feet-tall, the collection of swivelling pipes, metal gears, bass strings and electronic buttons forms the shape of a harp, but is played like a futuristic gutbucket.

Mr Percival has achieved an outstanding reputation in Australia as an artist, musician, vocal coach and jazz singer of talent, imagination and skill. With over twenty years of professional experience, he has worked as an entertainer, recording artist, singing teacher and innovator with resounding results

Exclusively singing songs about death, despair, vampires, werewolves and anything macabre, Graveyard Train have drawn on the storytelling styles of old folk songs and mashed it with a punk/rockabilly/country frenetic foot stomping energy to create 'horror country'.

Katie Noonan & the Captains (Australia), Mama Kin (Australia), Microwave Jenny (Australia)

Katie Noonan's technical mastery and pure voice make her one of Australia's most versatile and beloved vocalists. This multi-award winning and 5 times platinum selling songstress first received widespread praise as the angel-voiced songstress of indie-pop band George and has since taken audiences on sublime excursions through jazz, pop and classical music.

Drawing inspiration from the songbird greats, Mama Kin’s music is powerful and gut wrenchingly honest. She opens her heart to reveal a strength and vulnerability that is arresting and mesmerising.

Microwave Jenny is Australian duo Tessa Nuku and Brendon Boney. This intriguing match has been wooing music lovers across the country with its silky harmonies since the pair first joined forces three years ago.

Creative NZ Presents: King Kapisi (Samoa/NZ), Electric Wire Hustle (NZ), Bella Kalolo (NZ), Maisey Rika (NZ), Nga Tae (NZ) & DJ The Nomad (NZ) & DJ Ayesha (NZ)

King Kapisi fuses an eclectic mixture of hip-hop inspired beats with sprinklings of funk, drum 'n' bass, reggae and jazz - executed with the help of a live 6-piece band.

Developing their own sound, which includes a fluid twist on modern hip-hop, psychedelic and soul, Electric Wire Hustle has created an exciting new musical style that challenges genre boundaries at every turn.

Equal parts raconteur and soulstress, Bella Kalolo is a sassy femme fatale who draws on her experiences of love, life and heartache. Her bittersweet melodies soar with stomping piano and swampy beats, traversing the riotous, the raw and the intimate.

If you took some of Sade, a touch of India Arie and a splash of Tracey Chapman you would get the sound of Maisey Rika. She performs stripped-back, hauntingly beautiful acoustic melodies with a spine-tingling fusion of English and Maori lyrics, accompanied by her brother JJ on guitar.

Nga Tae fuses Maori traditional music with electronica to create a uniquely Aotearoa sound which pays homage to the raw beauty of New Zealand.

Roaming the globe, cruising along the road less travelled, The Nomad plays music that pushes boundaries and combines a unique blend of reggae, dub, hip-hop and electronica.

Wellington-based, DJ Ayesha has been spinning an artful blend of soul, funk and hip-hop for the last seven years.

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SATURDAY 20 November 2010

Leah Flanagan (Australia), Lajamanu Teenage Band (Australia), Sol Nation (East Timor/Australia), Kulkal Baba Dance Group (TSI, Australia), Busby Marou (Australia) + DJ's Simon Gorman, Kuya, Syreneyiscreamy, Ms Butt & Andras Fox

A storyteller at heart and a multi-instrumentalist by nature, Leah Flanagan moves between guitar, ukulele and piano. Her down-to-earth personality translates effortlessly through her live performances, with a delivery of utter sincerity, humility and a sense of playfulness at the most heart-warming degree.

The Lajamanu Teenage Band hails from Lajamanu, NT, situated at the top of the Tanami desert. The Teenage Band’s music is deeply entwined with traditional ways of life and expressions of Aboriginality, which is cleverly fused with contemporary western styles of ska, funk, country and reggae.

Sol Nation is more than a band, it’s a meeting of nations and cultures – East Timorese, Indigenous and Australian. Drawing some of its members from top world and reggae bands, Sol Nation embodies Melbourne’s multiculturalism and is a living testament to what can be achieved through music – bridging cultures, languages and borders.

Cairns-based Kulkal Baba perform the dances of Sabai Island and the Torres Strait.

From humble beginnings, on the banks of the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Busby Marou is making a serious impact on the local music scene, boasting a unique Australian songwriting flavour with cracking harmonies and breathtaking musicianship.

The Raah Project (Australia), Nathalie Natiembé (La Réunion), Yien (South Korea)

The Raah Project stands out immediately as the most credible alternative to the European sound of Cinematic Orchestra, Matthew Herbert Big Band or the eccentric dub of Fat Freddy’s Drop from New Zealand. Performing with a 17-piece orchestra, this outfit boasts the presence of some of the best musicians in Melbourne.

Nathalie Natiembé sings an atypical and unclassifiable Maloya – the traditional music from Réunion Island. Combining rock, maloya, techno, disco, ethno-grooves and poetic trances, Nathalie creates a marvelous, intuitive collusion of musical forms.

Korean five piece, Yien, draw inspiration from contemporary musings on urban life. With instruments that include the gayageum, daegeum, haegeum, piri and percussion, the troupe showcases a creative combination of traditional Korean music and electronic sounds.

AWME Presents the Wantok Musik Label Launch of Frank Yamma’s Countryman CD (Australia), with special guests King Kadu (Torres Strait, Australia) and Gilius Kogoya (West Papua)

Frank Yamma is a traditional Pitjantjatjara man from Australia’s central desert. An extraordinary songwriter and an exceptional guitarist with an incredible voice, Yamma is regarded by many as one of Australia’s most important Indigenous songwriters. His brutally honest tales of alcohol abuse, cultural degradation, respect for the old law and the importance of country are spine tingling and heart wrenching.

Originally from Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait, King Kadu (Ricardo Idagi) incorporates authentic Merian music and the traditional instruments of his ancestors to create an incredible world music blend which ranges from the ragtime style of JuJu Jive to the funky rhythms of Taybobo.  

Gilius Kogoya is one of 43 West Papuan asylum seekers who arrived in Cape York in 2006. Now based in Melbourne, Gilius performs traditional based music from his homeland.

Groundation (USA), Mista Savona (Australia), Diafrix (Australia), Stone Love feat. Stevie Lightning of Rootz Underground (Jamaica), Chant Down Sound (Australia)

Groundation’s sound is an organic mix of roots-reggae, heavy funk/jazz fusion, and transcendental dub. Their live shows are synonymous with high-energy positive communal vibrations, combining the message and determination of the best reggae music has to offer with perpetually fresh jazz-inspired improvisation.

Mista Savona, is arguably Australia's leading exponent of roots-reggae and dancehall music, with acclaimed international releases under his belt and high profile collaborations with a raft of international reggae heavyweights, Mista Savona is building a reputation as one of the country’s most prolific musical exports.

The name Stone Love has become an international household name and is the most sought after sound system today. Rory is an icon in his own right and holds a place in the reggae history books as Jamaica's oldest and heaviest sound system.

One of the founders of Jamaica’s revolution-reggae outfit, Rootz Underground, Stevie Lightning’s rich lyrical message is the perfect accompaniment to the hard-hitting grooves of Jamaica’s number one soundman.

Favourite local outfit, Diafrix, produce an explosive concoction of hip-hop, funk and African roots - jam packed with raw energy and a mesmerising musical synergy. Since forming in the back blocks of Footscray in 2001, Diafrix has developed a reputation as one of the country's most hard-hitting live acts.

Chant Down Sound play in the Jamaican sound system tradition, mixing the freshest Jamaican reggae and dancehall together with vintage classics, custom dubplates and live MCing.

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SUNDAY 21 November 2010

The Arts Centre in association with MAV Presents: VISIBLE featuring Blak Roots (Ghana/Australia), Afro Mandinko (The Gambia/Australia), Afro Habesha (Ethiopia/Australia), Akoma Beat (Ghana/Australia), Kundalila (Congo/Australia)

Combining some of the rarest vocal talent to hit our shores with an all original repertoire of soulful African reggae tunes, Blak Roots has created a fresh and exciting musical brew that truly represents African reggae music.

Afro Mandinko draws on influences from across West Africa, ranging from coastal Senegambian highlife to deep Saharan desert blues - a vibrant blend of irristable dance music.

Afro Habesha is a 10-piece ensemble comprising some of Melbourne's finest instrumentalists, including the cream of Ethiopian-Australian artists. Traditional Ethiopian instruments feature alongside a blistering horn section and modern rhythm section that gives voice to the rhythmically infectious grooves unique to Ethiopian music and culture.

Traversing diverse musical territories through the simple beauty of voice, Kundalila brings together a unique a cappella sound which draws on the musicians varied cultural backgrounds. From the sweet melodies of peace to thunderous call of social justice, Kundalila's lyrics are heart-warming and thought-provoking.

Akoma Beat is a Melbourne based West African dance band specialising in highlife music from Ghana. Drawing on the popular music of the 1960's and 70's, they source the funkiest songs with the sweetest beats from that era and blend them with their original compositions and signature style.

The Boîte Presents: Black Jesus Experience (Ethiopia/Australia), Neil Murray (Australia), Kavisha Mazzella (Italy/Australia),

Black Jesus Experience is a Melbourne based hip-hop/jazz/Afro ensemble comprising of artists from Ethiopia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Australia. A veritable melting pot of global, jazz-infused sounds, the ensemble form a magical mix that stays true to the jazz tradition while incorporating driving percussive rhythms, hip-hop beats, East-African forms and doses of reggae.

Neil Murray first appeared in the early eighties as a founding member of the groundbreaking Warumpi Band, which over three albums and twenty years of performing helped to make contemporary Indigenous music heard in mainstream Australia. Neil is one of Australia's most original and respected singer/songwriters.

Kavisha Mazzella is an ARIA award winning singer/songwriter who produces passionate, life-affirming music, which amounts to energetic fusions of her own original music with echoes of Italian folk traditions, tinged with country, Celtic and gypsy styles.

Closing Party

PBS 106.7fm Presents: Femi Kuti & The Positive Force (Nigeria), The Bombay Royale (India/Australia), Dunganda Street Sounds (Australia), Future Roots feat. Jornick & R.u.C.L (Australia), DJ Mr Fish (La Réunion/Australia)

The world is full of celebrity offspring, yet it is almost impossible to think of one who lives up to expectations to the same degree as Femi Kuti, son of Fela - the originator of Afrobeat and Nigeria’s former Public Enemy No1. Copying his father’s music note-for-note has never been Femi’s goal. After he accompanied Fela’s musicians during his youth, he decided as early as 1986 to form his own band, The Positive Force. Whilst always respecting his musical heritage, Femi has refined, over more than twenty years, an Afrobeat with soul-jazz nuances that is entirely his own.

The Bombay Royale is a newly formed Melbourne based 12-piece Indian Bollywood Funk outfit. This innovative live ensemble play a high octane mix of slamming disco, funk and surf tunes from 1960’s and 1970’s Bollywood.

Hailing from Ramingining in East Arnhem Land, Dunganda Street Sounds comprises songwriting team Jason Durrurrnga and Michael Dhuwa along with singers Bobby Bununggurr and Jimmy Djamunba. Their song ‘Senor’ was nominated for Song of The Year and Film Clip Of The Year at the 2009 Indigenous Music Awards,

Melbourne’s only Afro-dub sound system, Future Roots traverse the base heavy territory of stripped back dub, hard-hitting roots, subsonic dubstep and futuristic instrumentals – with some of the most powerful, uplifting and authentic MCs in the country on the mic.

Originally from Reunion Island, Melbourne based DJ/Producer Mr Fish expertly blends Afrobeat and Latin grooves with house and hip-hop.

View the AWME 2009 Program Archive >

View the AWME 2008 Program Archive >