News
49 AUSTRALIAN SONGS HONOURED IN INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC) 0
Multi-category winner Sahara Beck
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce its 2021 winners. Launched in 2002, ISC is considered the most prestigious songwriting competition in the world, receiving more than 21,000 entries this year from over 150 countries. Renowned for its panel of high-caliber judges, ISC has been called “the songwriting competition to take note of” by The New York Times.
This year continues the amazing winning streak by Australian songwriters, once again taking home the most wins of any country second only to the USA. Australians have garnered four First Places, two Second Places, five Third Places, and 37 Honourable Mentions in the competition. Additionally, an Aussie has been awarded the winner in ISC’s special Stocking Stuffer promotion.
“The number of wins by Australians is impressive but not surprising,” said Candace Avery, ISC Founder and Director. “The entries we receive from Australians have a sound that is fresh and inspired. Perhaps this is partially due to Triple J and their mandate to play (and break) local artists. This offers such a unique and valuable outlet for Aussie artists to be heard nationally in their country and allows for a lot of musical freedom and creativity. We always look forward to hearing what Aussie songwriters produce, and we are often blown away by what we hear.”
Throughout the years, many Australian artists have been honored in ISC, including four Grand Prize winners: Tones And I; Kate Miller-Heidke; Kasey Chambers; and Vance Joy. Additional winners have included Amy Shark; Augie March; Big Scary; Birds of Tokyo; Dean Lewis; Eskimo Joe; Flight Facilities; Gang of Youths; Gotye; Guy Sebastian; Jebediah; Matt Corby; Missy Higgins; Ocean Alley; Ruel; Sarah Blasko; Shane Nicholson; The Living End; Troy Cassar-Daley; Vera Blue; Washington; and many, many more. In addition to Australian winners, other previous winners have included: Illenium; Bastille; Fantastic Negrito; R.LUM.R; Lindsey Stirling; Kimbra; Dustin Lynch; Faouzia; The Band Perry; Kehlani; Gregory Porter; Passenger; Gin Wigmore; For King and Country; Adrienne Lenker (Big Thief); and many more.
Overall, the ISC winners hail from all over the world (56% of this year’s winners come from outside the USA) and range from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 23 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from Rock to Pop to Country to R&B/Hip-Hop and more.
The overall Grand Prize is ISC ‘s highest honor and this year is awarded to Alt Pop songwriter and performing artist Stephanie Middleton (aka Notelle) from Richmond, VA, USA for her song “Sufjan Stevens.” This award, selected by ISC’s panel of celebrity judges and music industry executives, is given to one songwriter in the competition who embodies the highest degree of excellence in the craft of songwriting.
The list of Australian winners includes:
First Place Winners
“Blink Twice” – Joey Cirillo, Dylan Nash (San Joseph) – Melbourne, VIC – Pop/Top 40
“Goodbye” – Bree Rusev – Newcastle, NSW – Teen
“Nothing Wrong With That” – Sahara Beck, Anthony Buchen, Damon Syme (Sahara Beck) – Brisbane, QLD – Unsigned
“Treading Water” – Mabel Windred-Wornes, Ivy Windred-Wornes (Charm Of Finches) – Melbourne, VIC – Music Video
Second Place Winners
“Bad Decisions” – Emmy Mack, Craig Wilkinson, Stevie Knight (RedHook) – Sydney, NSW – Rock
“Nothing Wrong With That” – Sahara Beck, Anthony Buchen, Damon Syme (Sahara Beck) – Brisbane, QLD – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
Third Place Winners
“Air” – Phebe Starr, Alister Wright (Phebe Starr) – Dorrigo, NSW – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
“Good For A Girl” – Georgia Germein, Ella Germein, Clara Germein (Germein) Adelaide, SA – Unsigned
“Ode To A Guitar (In My Hands)” – Jessie Che – Adelaide, SA, – Lyrics Only
“This Is Our Time” – Jack Gray, Robert Conley (Jack Gray) – North Queensland, QLD – AC (Adult Contemporary)
“Window Shopping” – Grace Hughes, Louis Schoorl (Yorke) Bangalow, NSW –Pop/Top 40
Stocking Stuffer Winner
“How To Write A Song” – Shane Nicholson – Brisbane, QLD, Australia – Americana
Honorable Mentions
“99 Ways” – Kavyen Temperley, Stuart MacLeod, Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe) – Melbourne, VIC – Rock
“Awe! ” – Anna Beaden – Melbourne, VIC – Christian
“Beautifully Broken” – Jediael – Brisbane, QLD – Teen
“Blink Twice” – Joey Cirillo, Dylan Nash (San Joseph) – Melbourne, VIC – Unpublished
“Bloom” – Nicholas de la Hoyde, Timothy de la Hoyde (D.E.L) – Sydney, NSW – AC (Adult Contemporary)
“Born Yesterday” – Kevin Mitchell (Bob Evans) – Melbourne, VIC – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
“Bottle It Up” – Riley Pearce – Hilton, WA– Folk/Singer-Songwriter
“Clown” – Janaki Easwar – Melbourne, VIC – Teen
“DISC0VR” – Trent-Jean Michel (Trent-Jean) – Perth, WA – Rock
“Fred The Frog” – Joshua Arnold – Newtown, QLD– Children’s Music
“Good For A Girl” – Georgia Germein, Ella Germein, Clara Germein (Germein) – Adelaide, SA – Lyrics Only
“Goodbye” – Bree Rusev – Newcastle, NSW – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
“Goodbye” – Bree Rusev – Newcastle, NSW – Unsigned
“Home” – Sally Jefferys, Aidan Hogg (JEFFE) – Brisbane, QLD – AC (Adult Contemporary)
“How To Write A Song” – Shane Nicholson – Brisbane, QLD – Americana
“How Would It Feel” – LT – Cairns, QLD – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
“How Would It Feel” – LT – Cairns, QLD – Unpublished
“I Am Released” – Andy Zarins (L.I.D.) – Candelo, NSW – Lyrics Only
“I Can’t Let It Go” – Angus Brill Reed – Adelaide, SA – EDM
“I Can’t Let It Go” – Angus Brill Reed – Adelaide, SA – Teen
“I’m Closed” – Aidan Whitehall (Aodhan) – Tullimbar, NSW – Teen
“Just For You” – Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Aaron Birch (Joan & The Giants) – Perth, WA – AC (Adult Contemporary)
“Just For You” – Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Aaron Birch (Joan & The Giants) – Perth, WA – Music Video
“Just For You” – Grace Newton-Wordsworth, Aaron Birch (Joan & The Giants) – Perth, WA – Unsigned
“Let Me Go” – Mitchell Curley, Lenny Pearce (RUMOR) Sydney, NSW – EDM
“Life Ain’t Fine” – Shane Nicholson – Brisbane, QLD – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
“Little Too Late” – Lachlan Edwards – Newcastle, NSW – Folk/Singer-Songwriter
“Oil & Water” – Mitchell King, Mark Lizotte (Mitch King) – Gold Coast, QLD – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
“Read” – Zoe Marshall, Kyran Daniel, Richelle Cox (Zoe A’Dore) – Melbourne, VIC – Pop/Top 40
“Rescue Me” – Andy Golledge, Caitlin Harnett, Leigh Boland, Joshua Piltz, Nick Ryan, Aaron Ballantyne (Andy Golledge) – Tamworth, NSW – Americana
“Shoosh! ” – Nadia Sunde, Simon Howe (Nadia Sunde) – Annerley, QLD – Children’s Music
“Superglue Ft. Stand Atlantic” – Ian Kenny, Adam Spark, Adam Weston, Ian Berney, Bonnie Fraser – (Birds Of Tokyo) – Sydney, NSW – Pop/Top 40
“Trainwreck” – Rachael Brady, Cameron Kinsey (Rachael Brady) – Katoomba, NSW – Americana
“Trawler” – Nick Milwright, Damian Cazaly, Tristan Courtney, Guy Kable (Blackchords) – Collingwood, VIC – AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
“When The Machine Starts – Melissa Higgins (Missy Higgins) – Sydney, NSW – AC (Adult Contemporary)
“Window Shopping” – Grace Hughes, Louis Schoorl (Yorke) – Bangalow, NSW – Music Video
For a complete list of all ISC 2021 winners, go to: https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners
- Dom DiSisto
ARE YOU PARTICIPATING IN MAKE MUSIC DAY AUSTRALIA 2022? HAVE YOU REGISTERED YOUR EVENT? 0
Join people from over 1000 countries around the world in making music on Make Music Day June 21. When you Register an event on the MMD website it is included on a searchable program of events on the site. Register the details of the activity or event you’re organising so that others can find your event and access it on 21 June!. Register here: https://makemusicaustralia.org.au/events/submit/add
- Dom DiSisto
GRAMMY AWARDS 2022: ALL THE WINNERS 0
The Grammy Awards returned to an in-person ceremony on April 3, 2022 in Las Vegas and the maskless stars came out to play. Silk Sonic featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak opened the show with a performance of “777,” the Vegas-themed song from the R&B duo’s debut album “An Evening with Sonic.” Their song “Leave the Door Open” was nominated for four Grammy awards tonight, including Record and Song of the Year (and won all four in a clean sweep!). During the duo’s performance, Bruno Mars could be seen on a dazzling Fender Custom Shop Late ‘60s Stratocaster in Surf Green.
Grammys host Trevor Noah did a great job, only vaguely referring to the disaster that was this years Oscars.
In a nice touch, production crews were celebrated by having some them introduce the artists they work with. A clearly nervous production manager, Nicole Massey was the first to hit the stage, introducing her boss Billie Eilish as she performed wearing a Taylor Hawkins t-shirt.
It was also great to see the legendary Joni Mitchell on stage alongside Bonnie Raitt introducing the fabulous Brandi Carlile.
In one of the night’s most poignant moments, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the world, asking everyone to use their music to send a message of peace to the world.
Great news for Australia was the first Grammy win for Rufus Du Sol, who picked up their award for Best Electronic/Dance Recording for their album Alive.
Every year The Grammys honour those in the music industry that we have lost, with this year’s list being extra raw due to the very recent death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The Foo Fighters also won 3 Grammys on the night.
In addition to being nominated for 8 Grammy awards and winning for Best Traditional R&B Performance, H.E.R. took the stage and performed an incredible, star-studded mashup of her hit “Damage” and Lenny Kravitz’s song “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” Rockstar drummer Travis Barker (on his DW Drums kit and Zildjian cymbals) and Kravitz (with Gibson Flying V) joined H.E.R. for the second song to make for an epic Grammy-sized performance. During her performance, she used her gorgeous H.E.R. Signature Stratocaster® that she personally collaborated with Fender to create in 2020.
The biggest winner of the night was Jon Batiste, best known as band leader from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste won 5 Grammys including Album of the Year for We Are.
Interestingly, The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards drove a 3.3 percent increase in album sales compared to the previous week, according to a Billboard report. The 2010 GRAMMY Nominees album jumped to No. 5 with sales of 71,000 units, a 55 percent increase. Top GRAMMY winner Beyoncé’s I Am…Sasha Fierce rose to No. 14 with sales of 32,000 copies, a 101 percent increase. Other GRAMMY performers experiencing sales increases include Pink (up 234 percent), Dave Matthews Band (up 114 percent), the Zac Brown Band (up 82 percent), the Black Eyed Peas (up 76 percent), Taylor Swift (up 58 percent), and Lady Gaga (up 17 percent). Lady Antebellum, who also performed on the telecast, remained at No. 1 for the second consecutive week. (2/10)
Here are the 2022 Grammy Award winners
Record of the Year
WINNER: Leave The Door Open, Silk Sonic
Album of the Year
WINNER: We Are, Jon Batiste
Best New Artist
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
Song of the Year
WINNER: Leave The Door Open, Silk Sonic
Best Pop Solo Performance
WINNER: drivers license, Olivia Rodrigo
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
WINNER: Kiss Me More, Doja Cat ft SZA
Best Pop Vocal Album
WINNER: Sour, Olivia Rodrigo
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
WINNER: Love For Sale, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Best Dance/ Electronic Recording
WINNER: Alive, RÜFÜS DU SOL
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
WINNER: Subconsciously, Black Coffee
Best Rock Performance
WINNER: Making A Fire, Foo Fighters
Best Rock Song
WINNER: Waiting On A War, Foo Fighters
Best Rock Album
WINNER: Medicine At Midnight, Foo Fighters
Best R&B Performance
WINNER: Pick Up Your Feelings, Jazmine Sullivan
Best Traditional R&B Performance
WINNER: Fight For You, H.E.R.
Best R&B Song
WINNER: Leave The Door Open, Silk Sonic
Best R&B Album
WINNER: Heaux Tales, Jasmine Sullivan
Best Progressive R&B Album
WINNER: Table For Two, Lucky Daye
Best Rap Performance
WINNER: Family Ties, Baby Keem ft Kendrick Lamar
Best Melodic Rap Performance
WINNER: Hurricane, Kanye West ft The Weeknd and Lil Baby
Best Rap Song
WINNER: Jail, Kanye West ft Jay-Z
Best Rap Album
WINNER: Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler, The Creator
Best Country Solo Performance
WINNER: You Should Probably Leave, Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
WINNER: Younger Me, Brothers Osbourne
Best Country Song
WINNER: Cold, Chris Stapleton
Best Country Album
WINNER: Starting Over, Chris Stapleton
Best Children’s Music Album
WINNER: A Colorful World, Falu
Best Music Video
WINNER: Freedom, Jon Batiste
Best Music Film
WINNER: Summer Of Soul, Various artists
Other categories
Best Metal Performance
– WINNER: The Alien, Dream Theater
Best New Age Album
– WINNER: Divine Tides, Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej
Best Alternative Music Album
– WINNER: Daddy’s Home, St Vincent
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
- WINNER: Tree Falls, Taylor Eigsti
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
– WINNER: Humpty Dumpty
Best Jazz Vocal Album-
WINNER: Songwrights Apothecary Lab, Esperanza Spalding
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
– WINNER: Skyline, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
– WINNER: For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver, Christian McBride Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album
– WINNER: Mirror Mirror, Eliane Elias with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdes
Best Latin Pop Album
– WINNER: Mendo, Alex Cuba
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album –
WINNER: Origen, Juanes
Best Tropical Latin Album
- WINNER: Salswing!, Ruben Blades r Roberto Delgado and Orquesta
Best Musica Urbana Album (NEW CATEGORY)
– WINNER: El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo, Bad Bunny
Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano)
– WINNER: A Mis 80’s, Vincente Fernandez
Best Gospel Performance/Song –
WINNER: Never Lost
Best Gospel Album –
WINNER: Believe For It, CeCe Winans
Best Roots Gospel Album
– WINNER: My Savior, Carrie Underwood
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
– WINNER: Believe For It
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
– WINNER: Old Church Basement, Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music
Best American Roots Performance –
WINNER: Cry, Jon Batiste
Best American Roots Song
– WINNER: Cry, Jon Batiste
Best Americana Album –
WINNER: Native Sons, Los Lobos
Best Bluegrass Album
– WINNER: My Bluegrass Heart, Bela Fleck
Best Traditional Blues Album –
WINNER: I Be Trying, Cedric Burnside
Best Contemporary Blues Album –
WINNER: 662, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Best Folk Album –
WINNER: They’re Calling Me Home, Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
Best Regional Roots Music Album
– WINNER: Kau Ka Pe’a, Kalani Pe’a
Best Reggae Album –
WINNER: Beauty In The Silence, Soja
Best Global Music Performance (NEW CATEGORY) –
WINNER: Mohabbat, Arooj Aftab
Best Global Music Album –
WINNER: Mother Nature, Angelique Kidjo
Best Spoken Word Album (including poetry, audio books and storytelling)
– WINNER: Carry On: Reflections For A New Generation From John Lewis, Don Cheadle
Best Comedy Album
– WINNER: Sincerely Louis CK, Louis CK
Best Musical Theatre Album
– WINNER: The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
– WINNER: The United States vs Billie Holiday
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
– WINNER: Soul
Best Song Written for Visual Media
– WINNER: All Eyes On Me (from Inside}
Best Instrumental Composition –
WINNER: Eberhard
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
– WINNER: Meta Knight’s Revenge (from Kirby Superstar)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
– WINNER: To The Edge Of Longing
Best Recording Package
– WINNER: Pakelang
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package –
WINNER: All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition
Best Album Notes –
WINNER: The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-1966
Best Historical Album
– WINNER: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical-
WINNER: Love For Sale
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
– WINNER: Jack Antonoff
Best Remixed Recording
– WINNER: Passenger (Mike Shinoda Remix)
Best Immersive Audio Album
– WINNER: Alicia
Best Engineered Album, Classical
– WINNER: Chanticleer Sings Christmas
Producer of the Year, Classical
– WINNER: Judith Sherman
Best Orchestral Performance
– WINNER: Price: Symphonies Nos 1 and 3
Best Opera Recording –
WINNER: Glass: Akhnaten
Best Choral Performance –
WINNER: Mahler: Symphony No 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand’
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance –
WINNER: Beethoven: Cello Sonatas — Home Amid Tears
Best Classical Instrumental Solo –
WINNER: Alone Together
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
– WINNER: Mythologies
Best Classical Compendium
– WINNER: Woman Warriors — The Voice Of Change
Best Contemporary Classical Composition –
WINNER: Shaw: Narrow Sea
- Dom DiSisto
KATE CEBERANO RETURNS AS MAKE MUSIC DAY AUSTRALIA AMBASSADOR 0
Make Music Day Australia is happening again on June 21, 2022. Make Music Day is a free celebration of music making around the world, taking place on 21 June each year. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 1000 cities in 120 countries. And now for a fifth year in Australia.
We are stoked to announce that Kate Ceberano has once again accepted an invitation to be a Make Music Day ambassador for 2022.
Fronting pop funk band I’M TALKING, Kate notched up 5 consecutive hit singles and a Platinum debut album ‘Bear Witness’ (The 100 Best Australian Albums). The year was 1986 and Kate won Most Popular Female Artist at the Countdown Awards. Barely drawing breath since, Kate’s racked up 28 albums over 35 years whilst effortlessly moving around genres. 13 X Platinum status, 8 X Gold, 3 x ARIA awards and 7 nominations for Best Female Artist, Kate is Australian entertainment royalty. She performed across the country in the legendary Australian Made tour with INXS, Barnesy & Divinyls, starred in Jesus Christ Superstar with John Farnham, had her own hit tonight show ‘Kate Ceberano & Friends’ on the ABC TV, won Dancing With The Stars, awarded an Order of Australia for services to arts and charity (2017), first Australian woman inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) Hall of Fame in 2014, just to name a few of her milestones.
Kate Ceberano is a most diverse and creative tour-de-force, possessing one of the great voices of her generation. Kate’s latest album SWEET INSPIRATION (ARIA Top 5), places Kate in the pantheon of acts who have achieved Top 10 ARIA albums over 5 decades; 80’s / 90’s / 00’s / 10’s and now 2010’s; joining AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, Midnight Oil and Queen and in 2022, kate is still performing to sell out crowds.
On Make Music Day last year, Kate teamed up with talented guitarist Kathleen Halloran for a livestream of a beautiful song. See below
Join Kate and participate in Make Music Day on June 21. For more information visit makemusicaustralia.org.au
CATCH KATE CEBERANO AND BAND AT PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS
You can also catch Kate Ceberano and her band performing on the Peninsula Hot Springs Amphitheatre Stage on Sunday April 24, in a musical showcase not be missed.
Set amongst the tea tree in our tranquil Bath House, the open -air Amphitheatre creates a magical space for performers and audiences alike, where each are taken on a sensory journey like no other. Concert goers will have the opportunity to soak up the soulful sounds of Kate Ceberano along with support act Khristian Mizzi, while submerged in the geothermal mineral springs or relaxing on a surrounding terrace. Singing all the hits plus songs from her latest ARIA Top 5 album, Sweet Inspiration.
Ticket prices start at $80, or for $110 combine geothermal bathing with the concert. An array of dining options are available with the performance including a T’Gallant prosecco cart. Tickets are available for purchase via our website.
More information HERE
- Dom DiSisto
REVIEW: WOMADELAIDE 2022 0
Baker Boy
WOMADelaide The World’s Festival. March 11-14 2022.
Review by Ros Jason. Photos by Mark Moray (Wicked Rock Photography)
WOMADelaide Festival 30th ANNIVERSARY held in the surrounds of the lush Botanic Park, kicked off to a spectacular start under clear skies with the sublime experience that is the collaboration between JOSEPH TAWADROS and the ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Tawadros’ Concerto for oud and Orchestra, ‘a rare and thrilling work, cinematic in scope and full of drama..standing at the crossroads of East and West, tradition and innovation.’ With gentle moments for meditative thought and swells of exhilarating excitement, this performance was not to be missed. TAWADROS on oud joined by brother JAMES on percussion added his touch of quirky humour and warmth throughout this stunning piece.
Headline acts included poetic lyricist COURTNEY BARNETT in a standout set, the farewell performance of the original lineup of THE CAT EMPIRE, the explosive calypso blues reggae romp that is MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA, the iconic GOANNA BAND celebrating the 40th anniversary of their standout album Spirit of Place, and the warm nostalgic hug that is an evening spent with the song book of PAUL KELLY. The crowd roared for their faves including ‘To her door’, ‘ Dumb things’, ‘Leaps and bounds’, and ‘Before too long’. But for me the set soared to new heights with LINDA and VIKA BULL, each taking centre stage in outstanding solos as well as contributing their sublime harmonies to much of the set. I’ve loved these two talented sisters since the ‘80s when I first saw them perform at Melbourne’s Tankerville Arms.They feel like old friends and I was so excited to see them in the lineup with PAUL KELLY on closing night.
The Cat Empire
Paul Kelly
Ash Naylor (Paul Kelly)
Paul Kelly band
Courtney Barnett
GOANNA’S SHANE HOWARD reminded his huge audience that ..’the time to act is now .. to protect the environment for our children and grandchildren.’ Footage was projected on the screens behind the band as they sang ‘Let the Franklin Flow’. GOANNA BAND famously stoked the fire for indigenous rights and environmental protection back in the eighties and their legacy lives on in their unique mix of classic folk song blended with spirited roots rock. The feeling in the crowd when they played their anthemic ‘Solid Rock’ was touching as people all around me stood swaying and singing the words, a special moment.
Goanna
Our First Nations voice was clear and bright throughout the Festival with a range of acts including songwriter and reconciliation activist Mutti Mutti man KUTCHA EDWARDS beautiful ballads, the vibing pulsing rapping vitality of BAKER BOY and Adelaide’s spirited Hip Hop SONZ OF SERPENT.
KING STINGRAY joined the line up as did the dynamic hip hop artists A.B. ORIGINAL and Malyangapa Barkindji woman BARKAA described by Triple J as ‘one of the most exciting and powerful rappers in Australian music.’
AB Original
King Stingray
Each evening world premiere collaboration KARDLA PALTENDI – DANCING FIRE celebrated the re-emergence of traditional KAURNA fire practice, ‘symbolizing the primordial eternal connections of land and sky material and spiritual…tapping into humanity’s fascination with fire..’
A still and reverent audience witnessed this mesmerising ceremony each evening as pillars of fire were lit by indigenous dancers accompanied by chanting and didgeridoo.
KARDLA PALTENDI – DANCING FIRE
What truly makes WOMADelaide special is the variety of experiences on hand. There are so many WORKSHOPS to choose from and I was lucky enough to attend a number of these such as BALKAN ETHNO ORCHESTRA’S in which participants were taught traditional Circle dances known as ‘Kolo’ from Central Serbia, accompanied by live music. It was such a lovely experience to join hands with people from all over as we danced in a circle under the huge Moreton Bay fig trees.
FARHAN SHAH AND SUFI OZ brought traditional Sufi music to the festival and during their workshop taught us vocal chants and clapping rhythms of famous Sufi songs with live instrumental accompaniment. I’m still humming the tunes and it’s so delightful to have them embedded in my memory to carry with me always.
Cook Islands TE TANGI O TE KA’ARA entertained us as they taught hip swaying rhythms, arm movements and chants in a fun workshop, and their outstanding live performances featuring pate log drums were exhilarating.
YID burst onto the stage with their traditional Yiddish tunes echoing the voices of Eastern European folkloric songs. The 23 piece BIG BAND ensemble had their audience jiving to klezmer vibes electronic dance music with a dash of late ‘70s funk.
YID!
VALANGA KHOZA brought a taste of South Africa to the mix and ELEPHANT SESSIONS from the Scottish highlands charmed their audiences with intricate trad tunes featuring bass heavy funk, fiddle mandolin and guitar.
CEDRIC BURNSIDE is the leading ambassador for the distinctive North Mississippi Hill Country blues genre.His stripped back style and extended riffs took us deep into the Mississippi whilst AZYMUTH AND MARCOS VALLE from Brazil infected their audience with hip swaying jazz-funk, soul samba and bossa nova grooves of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Cedric Burnside
Guatemalan born GABY MORENO, UNICEF ambassador and Latin Grammy winner was captivating with her lilting voice and breathtaking blend of folk soul and blues.
Gaby Moreno
Late each night, the party animals amongst us gathered at STAGE 7 under the trees with the flying foxes to groove the night away. INNER CITY rocked the house with hits BIG FUN and GOOD LIFE, the simple yet profound lyrics, hypnotic beat and PARIS GREY’S soaring vocals resonating with me in a way that I hadn’t experienced before, a complete letting go and surrender to just feeling good and feeling joy. ‘’Anyone here been feeling depressed for the last two years?’ she asked..
It was noticeable throughout the Festival that almost every artist commented how exceptionally exciting it was to be back performing live for us and how grateful they were for the experience, as most certainly were we.
Townsville’s award winning CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY DANCENORTH joined forces with 100 drummers from Adelaide’s percussion community to present NOISE, a high energy dance performance accompanied by thunderous percussive live drumming. A Festival highlight for me. These powerful athletic dancers moved with so much passion and vigor it was utterly captivating.
The TASTE THE WORLD pavilion runs workshops, inviting festival performers to cook a traditional dish from their land of origin. At the conclusion, with recipe in hand, each member of the audience is given a sample of the dish to try.
I never miss it, so much fun, and this year I attended the workshop of GELAREH POUR from ZOJ preparing a Persian herb and noodle dish with zataar bread. The aromas wafting down the stairs as I arrived were delicious, as was the taster.
The PLANET TALKS events offer the opportunity to attend a variety of panel discussions and I sat in on CLIMATE FIGHTING FARMING, an interesting and informative discussion which looked at how regenerative agriculture might change the way our food production system works so that it is better for the soils, uses water more efficiently and is still profitable for farmers.
Delicious FOOD options at WOMADelaide abound and over the four days I managed to sample Sri Lankan curries, West African chicken and lentil curry, Morrocan, Afghani, Middle Eastern falafel, Turkish gozleme and Greek loukoumades. Determined to have my Byron Bay organic donut, I lined up on the last night and got the third last one of the festival. Mission accomplished.
SHOPPING opportunities are to be enjoyed as one strolls between the acts, towards the food or just to sit under a tree and have a rest or a shmooze with friends old and new.
There were beautiful jewelry stands, Morrocan handicrafts, Himalayan singing bowls, vegan shoes, ethnic clothing, and a very popular henna tattoo booth that always had long queues. Delvine cockatoo Collins, First Nations artist and designer presented home wares and beautiful original artworks hand printed on tea towels and bookmarks.
DISPLAY TENTS are dotted around the park including GREENING AUSTRALIA, PERMACULTURE, CLIMATE ACTION and a very touching stand supporting the UKRAINIAN CRISIS APPEAL run by members of the local Ukrainian community raising money to support the War Relief. I purchased a piece of Ukrainian embroidery and as I paid for my donation I expressed the wish that the hands that made this piece of embroidery are still able to continue doing so. Unimaginable to be fearing for the safety of loved ones in the Ukraine at this moment.
SHELTER BOX is an International ROTARY DISASTER RELIEF ORGANIZATION that believes in shelter as a human right. Cyclones landslides earthquakes floods and conflict impact families and homes worldwide and SHELTER BOX aims to deliver support following a disaster by providing family tents, shelter kits packed with tools and materials to help families repair their houses, water filtration kits, solar lights and shelter boxes which are designed to help people who’ve lost everything. The display stand provided pamphlets and information and the opportunity to step inside one of their tents to view how it supports families seeking relief. A wonderful initiative accepting donations towards the various packages available.
CATHEDRAL OF LIGHT by Mandylights drawing inspiration from traditional arched windows, created a beautiful walkway illuminated by tens of thousands of LED light globes, evoking a sense of journey, warmth and inclusion. This became a favorite photo opportunity especially at night as it sparkled in the darkness of the glorious Botanic surrounds.
The KIDZONE is a child friendly designated area including a much loved nature playground, nature yoga, indigenous weaving and sculpture, and play based experiences such as making musical instruments using natural materials.
I attended a STORY TIME SESSION with legendary Australian footballer proud Wirangu/Kokatha/Guburn man EDDIE BETTS whose personal experience with literacy challenges has given him a deep understanding of the disadvantage it can cause young people. His L’IL HOMIES is a fun educational book series born from a dedication to spread kindness, awareness and inspire love of learning. It encourages acceptance and equality, educating its readers about aboriginal culture and celebrating and valuing its deep and rich history.
EDDIE read his story book to the gathering and then had a discussion and chat with the children and parents, signing autographs and having photos taken with his adoring fans.
Football legend Eddie Betts
Always a warm and inclusive Festival for people of all ages, abilities and generations from tiny newborn babies cuddled up in a swag to elderly in wheelchairs and everything in between, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
We stumbled upon a couple TYING THE KNOT in the middle of the park in the middle of the Festival as this is their ‘happy place’. They’ve been attending WOMADelaide together for 20 years. We stopped to share in their joy for a moment and wish them well.
For this Melbournian, there were moments throughout the weekend when everything felt a little surreal given our recent pandemic experience…yet so very nurturing for the soul to come back to a place of such great joy.
A fantastic Festival, a credit to the organizers, everyone left with a smile on their face and hope in our hearts that we can do this again next year.
https://www.womadelaide.com.au/
YID!
Emma Donovan and The Putbacks
Karen Lee Andrews
The Cat Empire
Reb Fountain
Willy Zygier
Shane Howard
Marcia Howard
- Dom DiSisto
MAKE MUSIC DAY IS BACK IN 2022 0
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MAKE MUSIC DAY IS BACK IN 2022 |
- Dom DiSisto
