Guiseppe Castellana
January 23, 2012
Bilge Ozgun
January 25, 2011
Tulip Garden, led by Bilge Özgün’s lyrical and expressive voice is a Brisbane-based ensemble of multi-instrumentalists playing traditional Turkish music on ud (fretless lute), kemanche (spike fiddle), ney (end-blown reed flute), and darabuka and bendir (hand percussion). Tulip Garden performs both classical pieces with intricate vocal and instrumental arrangements, and traditional folk songs with lively and unusual rythyms. Bilge’s ability to connect with listeners and her extensive repertoire of Turkish nostalgia allows her to take requests from the audience, and if they’re Turkish they’ll usually sing along.
Tulip Garden’s instrumental repertoire is drawn from the Tulip Era of Ottoman history; the cultural equivalent of the Western Renaissance. Our classical fasil (suite) is usually made up of instrumental pieces in the form of a Peşrev (a slow prelude), Saz Semai (a piece usually in 10/8 and 6/8), and Longa (a lively conclusion) all in the same makam (mode). A mellow moment in our set will also include Tasavuf (religious) music of the Sema (the Whirling Dervish prayer ritual); pieces in a form known as Ilahi which are played on the ney. We also play bubbly folk tunes that we collected on our journey in 2008 through North-Eastern Turkey and Central Anatolia.
A French Butler Called Smith
November 4, 2010
Gold Coast based world music band A French Butler called Smith have been performing their high energy Latin, funk ,instrumental fusion over a 2 year period to ever increasing audiences on Australia’s East Coast. The initial creators behind this all organic dance music sound were acoustic guitar aficionado (Scott French), bass maestro (Jake ‘the Butler’ Martin) and respected world percussion artist (Brennan Smith). These original members have now been joined by esteemed musicians Mark ‘Gibbo’ Gibson on saxophone and Liam ‘Rasta’ Dorney on trumpet and it has invariably lifted the energy of the band and their multi-layered sounds of Latin, gypsy, world-roots and funk to ecstatically captivating levels.They are all consuming to watch, and it is impossible to keep your feet still once you are within the energy realms of their music.
After recent festival performances such as Melbourne’s High Vibes Festival, Snowy Mountains Music Festival, Utribe Festival, Caloundra Music Festival and Island Vibes Festival, Illawarra Folk Festival, Rainbow Serpent Festival (Vic) and the Woodford Folk Festival, the band has ventured into the studio to record their debut album ‘the Milkdrop Circus’ due to be released early 2010 with national touring to launch the release. A French Butler called Smith are ready to take their evolving sound to a world audience, inspiring music lovers in venues and on dance floors across the planet. Their musical intentions are to bring people together for an all organic, spirited experience for the sole purpose of celebrating the joy of living. And their live performances are a testament to that admirable vision.
For more information,
http://www.myspace.com/afrenchbutlercalledsmith
Band Members:
- Scott French – Guitar
- Jake Martin (the butler) – Bass
- Brennan Smith – Drums
- Liam ‘Rasta’ Dorney – Trumpet
- Mark ‘Gibbo’ Gibson – Saxophone
Alan Boyle
August 19, 2010
Alan Boyle is an Irish singer-songwriter who now calls Australia home. As a Brisbane-based emerging artist he’s been busy building a reputation as a powerful live performer with notable appearances at the Woodford Folk Festival, Greenfest, Queensland Multicultural Festival, Brisbane’s official Australia Day 2009 Celebrations, The Planting 2010 and has supported great Australian acts like Wendy Matthews, Ian Moss, Dragon, Daryl Braithwaite, Mental As Anything, Ben Salter (Gin Club) and more recently Irish folk-country legends The Sawdoctors during their sell-out Australian tour.
Before moving to Brisbane, he began his career in Dublin singing in Keith Walker’s (Power Of Dreams) Tapestry in the early nineties, performing at Eamonn Doran’s and the legendary White Horse and then as a solo artist at venues like the International Bar and Vicar Street supporting the late Herb Dade. He spent an entire winter busking on Dublin’s Grafton Street, earning cigarettes from students, abuse from junkies and a tenner from Bono (once). While living in Italy, he has played on stages in Rome, Venice, and at the Festa Della Musica in Florence.
In 2005 Alan débuted a five-track EP called Shallow Heart, partly recorded in a single session at Pulse Studios Dublin, augmented by beautifully austere home-recordings with the bare bones of each song poking through.
His 2009-released EP, Oxygen came together over two sticky Brisbane summers with producer Andrew Kennedy and stellar local musicians including Emma Dean and Shannon Booyens and has had tracks respectively nominated in the Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition shortlisting and for a QSong Award, where Alan was also selected as the recipient of the Billy Thorpe Scholarship Award as chosen by Arts Queensland and the Thorpe family.
Oxygen is a dense and emotive work, drawing on a rich celtic music heritage, incisive lyricism and a unique vocal style that is warm, worn, jagged and intimate. Lush strings and stabbing brass arrangements interwoven with chiming guitars and beautifully stratified bass frame a voice that very much wears it’s fiery heart on it’s sleeve.
Returning to his home country at the end of last year to undertake his first national Irish tour, Alan shared a stage with indie-folk darling Fionn Regan and performed live to an astounding 290,000 listeners on RTE Radio 1’s Today show. 2010 sees Al pushing further on with national and European touring, Australian festival appearances and preparations to record his debut album.
For music and further information please visit:
The Transbalkan Express
August 5, 2010
The Transbalkan Express will take you on a wild ride through Eastern Europe! Bring your dancing shoes for some serious village dancing to the huge and joyful sounds of this big Balkan and gypsiy brass band!
website: http://www.myspace.com/thetransbalkanexpress
Yemanja
July 28, 2010
Yemanja, one of the freshest sounds on the music scene in years. “This multicultural accoustic duo has struck a positive chord with audiences around the world for their fun-loving mix of jass, samba, bossa-nova, gypsy, French chanson, classical, Brazilian and European popular music.
Australian songbird Anita Fernandes and Brazilian guitarist Edson Gazani are innovative composers and captivating performers, and have even been described as musical anthropologists – uniting the music and culture of our current diverse global community with all the zest and appeal of today’s popular music. Music from the heart and soul.
For more information,
Zhiva Voda
January 20, 2010
It has been said that to hear Bulgarian singing is to drink from magic waters, which can quench our thirst for beauty.
Renowned for their performance of Bulgarian traditional music and song, Zhiva Voda (‘Water of Life’) offers a unique and vibrant musical experience.
Inspired by the beauty of their home land’s traditions, Reni Pavlova-Bojilov and George Gaydov join with Australian born Ann Bermingham to create soaring solos, spine- tingling harmonies and virtuosic instrumentals, underpinned by exciting rhythms, and universal stories of love, longing and everyday life.
Both Reni and George have worked professionally as musicians in Bulgaria, and performed throughout Europe and in North America. Reni was a soloist and choir member with the world renowned “Philip Koutev” State Folklore Ensemble, and a leader of women’s and children’s choirs. George played with wedding orchestras and dance groups and contributes his skills on traditional instruments the gaida (bagpipe) and gadulka (strings) and clarinet. Ann brings to the mix her experience as a singer and choir leader, and her longstanding love of Bulgarian vocal music.
Since forming in 2002, Zhiva Voda has been evolving a presentation that honours the authentic music of Bulgaria, while also celebrating its continuing life and relevance in 21st century Australia.
For more information,
Mzaza
January 20, 2010
This six-piece Brisbane group combines sounds from East and West with ease and sensuality, creating a sound that is one of a kind.
Mzaza’s repertoire spans from classical Turkish tunes fused with jazz-style improvisation vocals, to French chanson, and interpretations of Sephardic/Spanish songs. Born in Morocco to French parents, Pauline Maudy sings in French, Spanish and Arabic. Bill Anderson plays ud, and wind instruments including, ney, kaval and tin whistle. Greta Kelly plays violin and kemanche (a spikefiddle with Persian/Turkish origins). Miranda Deutsch, on guitar, plays with a manouche flavour, Steven Cutriss is on accordion, and percussionist Jordan Stamos plays darabuka and bendir.
Mzaza engage and thrill their audience with world music rarities to French chanson favourites. We are versatile enough to perform a lively party set for large stages or a soulful suite for an intimate dinner event (we are playing the Brisbane Festival Albert St dinner in Sept 09). The experience we gleaned from performing regularly over the last 5 years makes us a professional act (I.e. despite our large numbers of instruments we get on and off stage quickly). Some events we’ve played include The Valley Fiesta, The Queensland Multicultural Festival and The Woodford Tree Planting.
For more information,
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