Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. 8 Mar 2015
After the madness of yesterday’s dance-fest at WOMADelaide, I am satisfied with my night’s sleep and arrive at Botanic Park early, to soak in as much atmosphere as possible! Accompanied by my main lady, I enjoy a sip of Holy Cow chai before the music begins, relaxing in the morning ambiance.
With the chai putting me in a good mood, I head out to see the World Percussion Discussion, over by the main stage. Two drumming corps filling the ranks of the workshop, a few different drum corps techniques are played, from marching band to Cajun to Brazilian rhythms. The massive drum sounds fill Botanic Park, and soon a healthy crowd is gathered around. It’s at this point I catch a sniff of Taste The World, where Israel-US act Balkan Beat Box have taken over the stove. And it’s madness in the kitchen, with one of the funniest presentations of a traditional recipe I’ve ever seen! As they cook they threaten a food fight, decide to empty a whole packet of paprika into the dish, and even pose for selfies under the stove-top camera! The antics are wild, and the cooking smells sensational! The dish, traditional to Yemen, Israel, and the Middle East is also similar to one from my own Maltese heritage, which makes the ordeal even more awesome! Balkan Beat Box shows that they’re not only masters of the stage, but also of the kitchen!
I grab a bite of lunch before heading to stage two for the Malawi Mouse Boys, a group of guys (from Malawi, obviously) who’ve re-envisioned gospel music with a pure African flavour. These guys are awesome, and the sizable crowd obviously thinks so too. Despite a fair whack of hot sunshine, the band wows everyone with their smooth vocals, and minimalist guitars and vox only stage set. One of the guys even jumps into the crowd and sings while wandering about! Very cool stuff.
From Africa, it’s over to Jamaica on stage one, with Melbourne’s Mista Savona, joined by special Jamaican guests Prince Alla and Randy Valentine. The two Jamaican guests represent two sides of Jamaican reggae music: old school from Prince Alla, who wows the crowd with his stage prowess (and an awesome big dreadlock hat!), and new school from Randy Valentine, who spends most of his time in London these days. The new and the old fuse together seamlessly with Jake Savona’s brilliant band, and under his musical direction, bringing a new sense of reggae music to the masses. Despite the heat, I can’t help but dance, and everyone else around me is clearly feeling the same.
After dancing in the sun, it’s time to take things down a notch. Legendary Toumani Diabate and his son Sidiki have me soaring to new heights on stage two. Toumani is a master of the 21-stringed Malian kora instrument, and his son is clearly following in his dad’s footsteps; himself a formidable kora player. These guys are true masters of their craft, and their mastery of the kora allows the listener to lay back and be taken on a musical journey across both time and space. I love a bit of kora, and it doesn’t get much finer than this!
Feeling relaxed after the kora session, I head back to stage one to get my dancing vibe on once again, this time with Fanfare Ciocarlia, from Romania. With a huge array of horns, including no less than four tubas, plus some drums, these guys have a truly enormous sound that amply fills the park. As the thumping tuba bass lines ring out, with soaring trumpet and sax over the top, you can’t help but feel yourself start to dance! The world slips away and suddenly you’re lost in the Roma party land that is Fanfare Ciocarlia; nothing else seems to matter. The rhythms are madly infectious and the energy levels keep on climbing as these guys power through their set. Brilliant stuff indeed!
It doesn’t let up there either, as Spain’s Argentina- and Colombia-membered Che Sudaka take to stage two, taking things up a notch further! With a sound reminiscent of Manu Chao’s Radio Bemba, and all the craziness you might expect from them, Che Sudaka has the energy turned all the way up to 11! It’s madness from start to finish, with reggae and ska beats mixed with Colombian folkloric cumbia, Argentinean folk sounds, and even sounds that remind me of forro street parties I’ve been to in Brazil. Throw in some crazy guitars, zany accordion, awesome beats, plenty of punk attitude and two sensational singers (one who reminds me of Manu Chao, the other of myself!) and this show is really taking things to the next level!
I guess my only complaint at this point in the day (apart from sore dancing feet) is all the chalk and paint covered punters, who seem blissfully ignorant of their dirty influence on everyone else. I’m fine if people want to cover themselves in coloured dust and mud and the like, but since it isn’t exactly my idea of fun, I want to wear someone else’s sweat-infested coloured dirt even less! My WOMAD clothes are generally selections I’ve collected from all around the world, and I want to keep them in pretty good nick (today’s outfit is brought to you by Colombia!). It seems a nice concept, and it even looks pretty cool, but I’m not sure these colour parades are a good idea. Bring back the samba parade, or at least spray everyone who likes rolling around in muck and dirt at the end, and leave those of us who prefer to remain colourless, clean.
Anyway, with my rant now over and my belly full from a tasty dinner, I’m on my way to Taste The World again for a few African delights courtesy of Jupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess International. Of course, they play a bunch of tunes throughout, and their food is a tasty dessert for me too!
Back over at stage three for another taste of Spain’s Depedro, he is pouring his heart into the show and delivering what is one of the standout performances of WOMADelaide 2015, so far. Definitely buying his album after the show! With only three people on stage, the sound is very full indeed, and frontman Jairo Zavala is showing his ample prowess as a singer-songwriter as he plays through his collection of tunes. It’s fantastic stuff, with hints of Spanish folk, occasional bursts of flamenco and even mariachi, a bit of blues, plenty of rhythm, and loads of soul, even a hint of Manu Chao from time to time! Depedro are certainly a brilliant act, and I’m particularly pleased that their set is going a little longer, since the next show’s scheduling means we get about half an hour of bonus time! With an act like Depedro, I can’t think of anything better!
And so it’s back to stage one for Sunday’s main stage finale, and there’s no one better to deliver that than WOMAD and world music favourite, Senegal’s, Youssou N’Dour. It’s been over ten years since he’s played a WOMAD stage, having served his country’s government as a minister in that time, but as soon as he comes out on stage, along with a massive band, he shows us that he’s lost none of his musical abilities to politics! Youssou is putting on a fantastic show, and despite a long day of dancing, I can’t help but continue to dance the night away! Youssou even has a special surprise in store, when Neneh Cherry joins him for their duet 7 Seconds… I’m sure WOMAD organisers had this moment in mind when they cast Nenah as part of the line-up alongside a headliner like Youssou N’Dour! Along with all the traditional African tunes we’ve come to expect from Youssou, this tune is a fitting addition. Alas, after a solid 90 minutes of playing, Youssou and his band have to call it a day, but not before they close with a rousing West African fashioned cover of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, ending proceedings on stage one in fine form!
But that’s not all folks, the DJs roll on well into the night. Stopping by Mr V’s WoMusic shop (told you I’d buy the Depedro album!), I’m making my way to Speakers Corner for a taste of DJ Spooky. As I sip another chai tea under the Holy Cow tent, the mix of dub, dance, funk, and more form a beautiful backdrop against the trees, lights, and bats, to end another brilliant day of WOMADelaide.
Luke Balzan
When: 6 to 9 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au
Photography by Aaron Vinall
Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. 7 Mar 2015
Most people recognise this month as ‘Mad March’. It has certainly been the case for me, though not for the obvious festival reasons; rather than seeing shows, like the rest of Adelaide, I’ve been off travelling around the northern hemisphere for work! Having left the day after Soundwave, it was fitting that I return in time for WOMADelaide! Unfortunately, my flight got in too late for Friday’s festivities, but I did make it back in time to kick off my WOMAD on Saturday, which also marks my tenth anniversary at the festival!
Since I’d missed Friday, I decided to do a bit of catch-up by seeing as many acts as I could. Chopping and changing between stages is quite a bit of fun. First cab off the rank is the Tijntu Desert Band, hailing form Ikuntji a few hundred kilometres from Alice. These guys are on fire, really rousing up the afternoon crowd, and playing a bunch of bluesy, funky and reggae tinged tunes, singing in the band’s native tongue, Lurtija. Definitely an impressive set!
I swing around to stage three and catch the end of Hi-Tops Brass Band Featuring Shazza T. These guys also worked the crowd into a frenzy, and with only brass (sax being an honorary brass!) and drums, they have a truly massive sound! Visiting from Sydney, they are masters of their craft, with my only criticism being Shazza T, the singer’s, incessant use of auto tune. I’m really not a fan of the funnelled, tinny electronic induced so-called assistance device. Its presence started to grate a little, tarnishing what is otherwise a great act.
Starting to get a little peckish (lets blame it on the jet lag) I figured a bit of Taste The World was in order, especially since Spanish/Colombian/Argentinean act Che Sudaka was in the kitchen. On my way, I caught a couple of tunes from Spain’s Depedro, and was duly impressed. Looking forward to seeing more of him tomorrow!
At the Taste The World tent, is a band who fuses different sounds from different countries, so it isn’t so surprising to find that they were cooking a Thai curry with some subtle Latin influences. These guys are great, and do an entertaining session, including playing a few tunes. I only wish the Argentineans had shared the maté with me!
It is a bit of a trek back to stage three to see South Korea’s Jambinai, but well worth it. Another fusion set, bringing together elements of traditional Korean music with traditional instruments; the oboe-like piri, stringed haegum and zither-like gomungo, mixed in with hardcore metal. This group would fit equally well in at Soundwave. It is a great mix, and my mind is blown; traditional sounds with head-banging, amazing!
Maximising my exercise time after my flights, next on my schedule was Ramzi Aburedwan & Ensemble Dal’Ouna over on the Zoo stage. I caught a couple of tunes from Bolivia’s Andean Quechua songstress Luzmila Carpio too, and will definitely catch a bit more tomorrow. Ramzi and his ensemble are from Palestine, and put on a fantastic show, playing traditional music of the orient, with a variety of pieces that really speak to you - whether they had lyrics or not. Sitting under the trees around the stage, you can just close your eyes and let Ramzi and co take you on a journey. Fantastic!
Keeping with the sitting mood, I head back to stage three for a bit of sit-down jazz with Abdullah Ibrahim Quartet, from South Africa; definitely some fine playing and an interesting mix of styles freely flowing through the essence of jazz.
No more sitting down though - It is time to exercise the ‘D’ in ‘WOMAD’ with plenty of dancing!
Israeli-US act Balkan Beat Box is up on stage one, and they certainly know how to get a party started! It is fairly tight-packed near the front, but the party is going off! With a mix of Oriental, Mediterranean and Balkan sounds, all envisioned through modern eyes with hints of electronica, there is no way you can sit still! The music is fantastic, and the energy overflowing. Just about everyone in front of the stage is up and jumping for the majority of the set! My jet-lagged blood is certainly pumping, and it’s safe to say these guys certainly raise the bar.
I am proper-hungry by now, so armed (or should that be stomached?) with a curry, I head to stage two for some Brazilian party time with Flavia Coelho. She has big hair and a big heart too, with her music combining a bunch of Brazilian styles with hints of reggae, Afro-beat and funk thrown in for good measure. And of course, you just have to dance!
Next, I arrive at the Zoo stage, a little surprised to find everyone sitting, since Italy’s Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino promises a rousing show. I was even more surprised at the rude cow behind me, complaining at her obscured view after I sat to the side of her… WOMAD crowds do seem to be losing a little of their hippie tolerance. And in any case, the old cow’s comments were irrelevant, since as soon as Canzoniere took to the stage, everyone took to their feet! And rightly so! These guys are all-acoustic, and definitely all-sensational! With an array of interesting instruments, including a Mediterranean take on bag pipes, a bouzouki, violin, accordion, a whole host of drums and a bunch of others, they put on a fantastic performance! There is music stretching across the Classical world, and the band knows their craft well. It was excellent to see them in the intimacy of the Zoo stage!
A little more from Brazil is up next in the form of Criolo, an act that sees hip hop entwined with soulful Brazilian grooves. Needless to say, plenty of dancing ensues, and a relaxed crowd makes it easy to get into the groove and dance well into the night! A mix of toasting, rapping, and smooth vox, accompanied by electronic and acoustic instruments made these guys a perfect party band, and party we do! It is high-energy from start to finish, and I do not see one dissatisfied face in the crowd!
A finale should always be grand, and with Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club taking to, and closing, the main stage for this evening’s proceedings, a grand finale it is! The Orquesta comprises the originals and the greats from the documentary, which is now 16 years old, including Guajiro Mirabal, Aguaje Ramos, Barbarito Torres, and the amazing Omara Portuondo, joined by a full band of Cuban music maestros to bring all the tunes we know and love from the documentary and more.
Seeing these guys is definitely a special WOMADelaide moment, and I’m rather pleased to be a part of it. The music is spot on, ranging from son to guajira to boleros, the dancing is wild, and the atmosphere electric! There isn’t a whole lot of room to salsa, but the crowd are loving it just the same! The massive 90 minute set, including encore, is fantastic from start to finish, and this is indeed a perfect way to end a fantastic day!
Now, to some rest before tomorrow…
Luke Balzan
When: 6 to 9 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au
Photography by Aaron Vinall
Arts Projects Australia. Botanic Park. 6 Mar 2015
As one walks with purpose down to Botanic Park, through the cool, crisp Friday night air drifts the sounds you have been waiting for: drums, brass, roars of appreciation. Yes, it is unmistakably the start of Womadelaide weekend.
The familiar layout invites you in and the music spurs you on. Wandering towards the first act on your schedule, the noise and colour of Artonik's The Colour of Time completely engages and all plans are forgotten. With booming sounds and clouds like a powdered rainbow, you are drawn to follow the cheering, laughing, dancing parade as it follows the moving speakers, powered by The Colour of Time team. They lead the revellers towards a cat walk in front of the Healing Village. The crowd spreads and grows as it goes, swallowing up onlookers and those in its way. It is building to its crescendo: an explosion of sound, dance and giant plumes of colour. Inspired by Indian Holi Festival, a celebration of the victory of good over evil, it is a wonderful concept.
After this unexpected dance party, one seeks a break and decides to indulge in one of the best parts of opening night: exploring the new food and product stalls on offer in the Global Village. Many old favourites are present, Byron Bay Doughnuts, Beyond India and All Fired Up Pizzas, but there is also 15 news food stands to try. Sukhumvit Soi 38 immediately catches the eye with well-priced thai street food. Vegetarian larb is not easy to come by, so their tofu offering is an immediate winner. Some of the newer stalls are definitely challenging the price limit - $20 for a meal likely eaten standing up with plastic fork is a stretch, but for those with cash to splash, it's worth a try.
With a full belly, one’s original intention is forefront in the mind; time to check out some music!
Eager not to miss one of the highlights of this year's festival, it's back to centre stage to see Bueno Vista Sessions. Friday night's performance is a stripped back version of the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club (minus the orchestra). Touring for the final time, these stalwarts of the Latin music scene bring streams of festival goers and don't disappoint. The ever popular style is at its best with these masters whose Cuban soul is still sultry and effortlessly cool. Omara Portuondo blows the audience away with her energy and vocals; at 85, she reminds us all that age is no barrier to getting your cha-cha on.
Sharon Van Etten follows on Stage 3, and her mellow and bluesy pop rock brings you back to earth, and to yourself. The moody, hypnotic sound draws the audience closer: all eyes are fixed on the unstated figure clad in black. Deep bass and echoing vocals drift out from the stage and settle over the crowd like a warm blanket. Van Etten is a perfect contrast.
As the night progresses, the crowds ebb and make their way to the exits, keen not to completely exhaust their reserves on the first night and eager for the new experiences to be explored over the next three days.
Nicole Russo
When: 6 to 9 Mar
Where: Botanic Park
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au
Photography by Aaron Vinall
Adelaide Festival. Gavin Bryars. Studio 520, ABC Collinswood Centre. 27 Feb 2015
Marilyn Forever is a chamber opera, which means it is ‘small’ in its execution and composer Gavin Bryars proposes it therefore has the “…possibility of more frequent performance...” and is more “…intimate and confined”.
Marilyn Forever is about Marilyn Monroe and is a poetic exploration of the day Marilyn died. It delves into the prominence of men in her all-too short life.
Production director Joel Ivany sets the action in front of a large curving white backdrop that gently arcs its way to the floor and forms the acting surface as well. This works a treat, and simple props become prominent under the well-executed moody lighting.
A jazz trio (with the composer himself on bass) takes stage right, and an eight-piece ensemble fabulously conducted by Bill Linwood provides the main musical backing from stage left.
So, the stage is set.
Anne Grimm as Marilyn wears ‘that’ white dress – which we routinely associate with Monroe – throughout the non-stop 90 minute performance. At times she blends in with the set and appears almost ethereal, which works well with the frequent suggestions of her alcoholic and prescription-pill induced haze. Baritone Richard Morris, who plays a selection of the men in Marilyn’s life, looks stark by contrast in his black suiting, as do supporting singers tenor Adam Goodburn and bass Nicholas Cannon who play the remaining two members of the cast.
At times the music is absorbing, and the occasional improvised solos from the jazz trio, especially from saxophonist Julien Wilson, are decidedly enervating. The orchestration is at times inspired in its use of woodwind and minimalist development of harmony and melody, which is a hallmark of Bryars’ compositions. However, the sung melody line borders on monotony. It almost has a drone quality and lacks vocal colour. Monotone was a word that was uttered all too frequently by the audience as they left at the conclusion of the performance. That said, Grimm was excellent as Marilyn, and Morris was commanding.
The performance begins in a broodingly ominous way as it brought slowly into focus and light a sheet-draped image of a Marilyn reclining in her bed. It concludes with the fading of lights and loss of focus and these images will linger on in the minds of the audience for all the right reasons, but the vocal score will not.
Kym Clayton
When: 27 Feb to 1 Mar
Where: Studio 520, ABC Collinswood Centre
Bookings: bass.net.au
Crooning with Michael Coumi. Holden Street Theatres. 28 Feb 2015
Clearly there were high expectations of Michael Coumi for his Fringe show of old-fashioned crooning.
People were shoehorned up to the rafters for the opening performance.
Coumi did not disappoint.
The lanky actor, familiar to Adelaide audiences for his fine work in amateur theatre and musicals, had honed up a lounge act which was so slick and endearing that, well, his audience simply did not want to go home. Long after the show was clearly over, they sat clapping and craving more.
Looking very dashing in formal black and starched white and complete with cummerbund, Coumi had swung them through a series of the great old pop songs of yore: old Frank Sinatra numbers, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr…
They whooped approval.
He linked the songs with tight, well-wrought patter - funny anecdotes about his Greek background, his happy love life and he even threw in some most amusing superstar impersonations.
Not only but also, using every available inch of The Studio’s stage, he did some soft shoe and some tap routines, most notably, Mr Bojangles, which he presented as a beautiful little salon piece of itself. Its pathos and his theatrical flair with it will stay in audience memory. It was quite special.
For this achievement he gave credit to his choreographer, Adelaide’s stellar veteran music hall artiste, Phyl Skinner, who is still dancing, choreographing and entertaining at 92. Skinner had teamed up with director, Peter Goers in throwing expertise behind Michael Coumi, obviously in the recognition that this 27-year-old has star quality worth polishing.
Hence this gem of a show.
Despite his youth, Coumi has all the moves of the seasoned lounge act, all seemingly easy and natural. He connects with the audience, emanating his good nature. He does not have the greatest vocal range in the world, but he knows just where to take it with confidence and style.
“Style” is a good word for him, old-fashioned style in a stylish, old-fashioned show. This show has legs and, if there is still a club circuit to do, he should be on it. But not without his band, Breezin’. They’re a class act, too. The four young musicians supported and complemented their soloist with creamy professionalism .They have a winning presence of their own and are an Adelaide band to watch out for.
Coumi is touting this show as the one to which Fringe-goers can take their mothers and grandmothers but, funnily enough, what is old is new again and this fine little show has something for everyone.
Samela Harris
When: 28 Feb to 15 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres Studio
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au