PREMIERS GALA DINNER 2007 THE CROWN PALLADIUM

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "PREMIERS GALA DINNER 2007 THE CROWN PALLADIUM"

Angela O’Brien’
5 years ago
Views:

1 PREMIERS GALA DINNER 2007 THE CROWN PALLADIUM PRODUCED BY Multicultural Arts Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission and supported by the City of Melbourne PHOTOS BY GEORGIA METAXAS ACQUITTAL DESIGN BY JANETTE HOE

2 EXECUTIVE OFFICER S REPORT JILL MORGAN Executive Officer - Multicultural Arts Victoria GALA DINNER The Crown Palladium was the setting for the 2007 Premiers Gala Dinner held in Cultural Diversity Week 2007 where over 1,400 people were treated to an entertainment extravaganza showing local artists from Victoria. Multicultural Arts Victoria worked in partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission and supported by the City of Melbourne to present an extraordinary diverse line up of quality performances for the evening. It was a feast of talent for an evening that celebrated our unique diversity and community harmony. The line up included some of our best culturally diverse artists in Melbourne. WADAIKO RINDO opened the night with Japanese drumming, taught and led by Toshi and Junko Sakamoto. KUTCHA EDWARDS then followed with John Favaro on guitar and Matthew Weegberg and Alan Brown on the didge. He is a Mutti Mutti man and a singer/songwriter whose voice and deeply personal songs have made him a legend in the Indigenous community. SEVDALINKA CHOIR The choir Sevdalinka performed traditional Bosnian music - a Cappella, arranged in four parts harmonies (soprano, alto, tenor and bass). The Choir also sang the national anthem which signifies our amazing cultural diversity NGA HOE WAKA CULTURAL GROUP Nga Hoe Waka Cultural Group pride themselves on teaching the art of mau rakau, haka, poi, song and dance to all those who wish to learn. They performed the traditional haka and an action song. ARTE KANELA considered as the best exponents of flamenco this dynamic art form in Australia. Arte Kanela stunned the audience with their expertise UNDERBELLY is a network of the finest performers of the ancient art forms of Belly dance, West African dance, Arabic and African music in Melbourne. They performed tribal dance for the dinner with a spectacular fire show DEREB DESELEGN then presented the musical style of he wandering minstrels of rural Ethiopia with fellow Ethiopian musicians and dancers. KING BELL AND SOUKOUS BA CONGO King Bell from Congo performed and entertained people with his unique style of singing and dancing. In all of his performances he captures the audience with his passion and visual excitement of the dance. He had everyone on the floor dancing. BOMBA Nicky Bomba is one of Australia s most highly respected musicians. The irrepressible master of groove and multi-instrumentalist Nicky Bomba leads Australia s funkiest dance/reggae band that finished off an excellent night of dance. A special guest in Nickys set was his dad, who performed a traditional song with Nicky in Maltese, which was appreciated by all his family from Shepparton!. The Dinner was addressed by the Premier of Victoria the Hon Steve Bracks, Leader of the Opposition Mr Ted Ballieau, The Lord Mayor of Melbourne Mr John So and was chaired by Mr George Lekakis Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. It was a fantastic night and was enjoyed by all.

3 EVENT COORDINATOR S REPORT MEG LARKIN Executive Officer - Multicultural Arts Victoria GALA DINNER The Premiers Gala Dinner as part of Cultural Diversity Week which was held on Saturday 24th March 2007 at the Palladium Ballroom, Crown Casino was a great success and wonderful project to work on. All organisers and artists involved worked together to deliver a spectacular showcase of local multicultural music and dance at an evening to remember. We began planning and negotiations with the Victorian Multicultural Commission three months before the event which was necessary for such a large program. With 1400 guests expected and over 90 performers, professionalism and detailed organisation was vital. MAV s job was to coordinate the artists: contracting, correspondence in the lead up and then stage management on the night. On the actual day, with such a large number of performers it was necessary to bring in extra staff from MAV to coordinate the performers. There were a few hiccups, with artists arriving late and missing time slots for sound checks, which has resulted in changes to MAV contracts and the rules outlined in them. Over all however the actual show was spectacular and audience participation on the dance floor was fantastic. The Premiers Gala Dinner has proven over and over to be a great platform to showcase the hard work and creativity of our many diverse and talented artists throughout Victoria. It s their performances which brings life and excitement to this sell out annual event.

4 ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES SEVDALINKA CHOIR The choir Sevdalinka performs traditional Bosnian music - a Cappella, arranged in four parts harmonies (soprano, alto, tenor and bass). This style of singing is very unique for Bosnian music and complex musical arrangements of traditional songs sound extraordinary. Currently the choir is based in Melbourne and has 25 active members. The choir is directed by Jasna Dolic - Melba Conservatorium of Music graduate. KUTCHA EDWARDS Kutcha Edwards is a Mutti Mutti man and a singer/songwriter whose soft voice and deeply personal songs have made him a legend in the Indigenous community. In 2001 he was named Aboriginal Male Artist of the Year and also NAIDOC Person of the Year. But what s special about Kutcha is how he s overcome personal hardships to achieve his success. And he s now dedicated himself to helping young Australians do the same. He will be performing with John Favaro on guitar and Matthew Weegberg and Alan Brown on the didge. DEREB DESELEGN This style of music developed when the Azmaris, the wandering minstrels of rural Ethiopia, began to take over small bars in the inner city of Addis Ababa. Through them, the musical heritage of the country s 70 ethnic groups collided with soul, blues, reggae, satellite TV and Bollywood. Azmaris are known for their nonconformism, humour and improvisation. ARTE KANELA This group has been thrilling Melbourne audiences with their perfect blend of authentic and contemporary flamenco since they formed in Considered as the best exponents of this dynamic art form in Australia, Arte Kanela are regularly featured at leading festivals in and around Melbourne including the Melbourne International Festival. KING BELL AND SOUKOUS BA CONGO King Bell from Congo is an entertainer in the true sense of the word. His main focus in life is to perform and entertain people with his unique style of singing and dancing. In all of his performances he captures the audience with his passion and visual excitement of the dance. Flamboyant Kings Bell gives out the true African spirit that guarantees to make the crowd move. The audience can expect a feast of color and movement as 2 dancers and King Bell move to highly choreographed dance steps. Percussion solos and high energy traditional dance movements are guaranteed to capture the audience s attention. UNDERBELLY Underbelly is a network of the finest performers of the ancient art forms of Belly dance, West African dance, Arabic and African music in Melbourne. Tribal Belly dance which they will perform tonight is a powerful and mesmerising style that combines elements of Spanish, Indian and Middle Eastern movements with a contemporary improvisational structure. Tribal Fusion will explores the unique movements, posture, costuming and group dynamics that make up Tribal style with the additional Underbelly flair.

5 ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES DEREB DESELEGN & THE LION OF JUDAH This style of music developed when the Azmaris, the wandering minstrels of rural Ethiopia, began to take over small bars in the inner city of Addis Ababa. Through them, the musical heritage of the country s 70 ethnic groups collided with soul, blues, reggae, satellite TV and Bollywood. Azmaris are known for their non-conformism, humour and improvisation. Lion of Judah is the first Azmari band in Australia. WADAIKO RINDO The performances of Wadaiko Rindo Japanese drumming, taught and led by Toshi and Junko Sakamoto, are spectacular visual displays of stamina and strength with the vibrations produced on stage seeming to energise the whole audience. Toshi and Junko and their drummers are in huge demand performing both throughout Australia and internationally. Traditional Japanese drums are known as taiko or wadaiko drums. The original concept for the large drums came from China over 1,000 years ago. These first drums were made of slats of wood, but produced an inferior sound because of the secondary vibrations and loss of energy through the joins in the slats. The Japanese then developed a new manufacturing method to improve the sound. The improved manufacturing method involved the use of a single piece of wood from the trunk of a very large zelkova tree. The larger drums normally use cow hide for the heads of the drums. NGA HOE WAKA Nga Hoe Waka Cultural Group meet every weekend in Preston for practice. We pride ourselves on teaching the art of mau rakau, haka, poi, song and dance to all those who wish to learn. The origins of kapa haka lie in Hawaiki - the ancient home of the Māori. Legend has it that a troupe of women, so as not to arise suspicions of an attack, was sent by the ancestor Tinirau to identify and capture Kae, who had killed and feasted on Tutunui - the pet whale of Tinirau. The only description they had of Kae was that he had hideous, overlapping teeth. The women arrived at the village of Kae and quickly devised a plan to make the audience laugh. They began to sing, accompanying their comical tune with curious facial expressions and vigorous movement of the arms and legs. At the end of the performance the whole village began laughing uncontrollably and Kae was easily identified and apprehended. The power of kapa haka to make people smile has not weakened through the ages and the art form is alive and well in modern day Māori society. NICKY BOMBA Nicky Bomba one of Australia s most highly respected musicians, The irrepressible master of groove and multi-instrumentalist Nicky Bomba leads Australia s funkiest dance/reggae band. The secret of BOMBAs success has always been their eclectic and righteous party blend of riddems, beats, dubs and funky soul! Learn To Breathe blends all these sounds with their impeccable reggae sensibilities and finds them poised to convert new fans not only in Australia, but overseas as well. Nicky Bomba was born in Malta, raised in Australia (migrated as a 1 yr old) and picked up the drums at age 6. He had a number 1 hit in Malta at age 12 (with a Maltese singing priest!) and has followed music wherever it has taken him ever since then. Nicky completed year 11 by correspondence and immediately got busy writing music, which explains why he is such a highly sought session musician. Nicky has done everything from songwriting mentoring for SONGLINES indigenous association and producing CDs (his own and those of fellow musicians) to touring the festival circuit in Australia and abroad.nicky s music has also been featured on TV in Neighbours, Home and Away, Secret Life ofus, the station theme music for C31 and the international film Bedazzled. His music is alsocurrently being featured as the soundtrack for the Go For Your Life healthy living TV advertisingcampaign. Nicky has toured extensively and provided the rhythm for John Butler and Pete Murray, amongst others and also co-produced JBT s mega hit Zebra.

6 PREMIERS GALA DINNER 2007 THE CROWN PALLADIUM GALA DINNER 2007

7 Gala Dinner Guests GALA DINNER 2007

8 Wadaiko Rindo Sevdalinka Choir

9 Nga Hoe Waka Cultural Group GALA DINNER 2007

10 Underbelly

11 The Lord Mayor of Melbourne Mr John So The Premier of Victoria the Hon Steve Bracks Leader of the Opposition Mr Ted Ballieau Mr George Lekakis - Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission

12 Arte Kanela Dereb Deselegn & The Lion of Judah

13 King Bell And Soukous Ba Congo GALA DINNER 2007

14 Nicky Bomba

15 Kutcha Edwards

16 Guests on the night GALA DINNER 2007

17 SPONSORS & PARTNERS GALA DINNER 2007

18 PRODUCED BY PARTNERS

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos095.htm Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers * Nature of the Work * Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement * Employment * Job Outlook * Projections Data * Earnings