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‘TAPAS’
AN UNEXPECTED (AND TASTY) ALBUM FROM
THE AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA
Released March 5
“What happens when you take 17th century music into a smoky dance hall?” says Paul Dyer artistic director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. “You get something a little daring, sexy, and delicious. You get Tapas!”
“It’s our 21st, so we thought we’d take the Baroque out for a spin. We took baroque dance beats and love songs, and then we improvised till we found a new sound to stir up new emotions.
“Its old music on old instruments, made new. It’s all those gorgeous Brandenburg flavours in a spicy mix – dueling violins, a haunting lirone, spanish guitar, a divine soprano, bells, castanets, harpsichord, there’s even an old school wind machine. It’s ecstatic and highly intoxicating!”
ABC Classics releases the Tapas CD on 5 March and special Tapas performances will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this month in a rare live concert performance of a Brandenburg recording.
“Our last disc won our 4th ARIA Award and has received rave reviews internationally, including an Editor’s Choice in the prestigious Gramophone magazine. But Tapas is going to take audiences on a whole new journey.”
“Tapas is also a tribute to the music-making of my parents – Mum, a pianist with a gift for improvisation, and Dad, who played the drums. Their influences of classical, swing, jazz and pop have led us to the rhythms of Tapas.”
“We’ve taken 21 years of historically informed performance practice and thrown it into the 21st century. Ladies and Gentlemen, Tapas is served!”
TAPAS concerts (featuring vocalist Mina Kanaridis)
SYDNEY - City Recital Hall, Angel Place
Wednesday 17 March @ 7pm
BOOKINGS:
City Recital Hall Box Office (02) 8256 2222
Brandenburg Box Office (02) 9328 7581
MELBOURNE - Melbourne Recital Centre
Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 March @ 7.30pm
BOOKINGS:
Melbourne Recital Centre (03) 9699 3333
Brandenburg Box Office 1300 782 856
SPIRIT of INDIA presents
The Killing of Dushasana
Kathakali Dance Drama 9 (Melb) & 11 (Syd) March 2010The epic and elaborate tale of war and succession, blood and lust - The Killing of Dushasana, reveals all the beauty and brutality of India’s alluring and elaborate history and culture. Catch the enthralling dance-drama for one night only at Sydney’s Seymour Centre on Thursday 11 March (7pm) and Melbourne’s Town Hall Tuesday 9 March (7pm).
Rarely seen outside of Kerela, Southern India’s stunning coastal state; this very special performance tells the story of two families - the Kauravas and the Pandavas, in traditional Kathakali dance style - one of India’s most elaborate and ancient forms of dance.
Performed by the world-renowned Kerala Kalamandalam Dance Company, The Killing of Dushasana is a central episode of the famous Sanskrit epic The Mahabhrata, one of India’s most significant cultural and religious tales. And tells of the great civil war in the kingdom of the Kurus, where modern Delhi now sits. With one hundred thousand verses, the poem is the longest in existence and a cornerstone of Hindu mythology and philosophical thought; the other being The Ramayana.
Brought to Australia by the Nataraj Cultural Centre for the 32nd SPIRIT of INDIA cultural tour, the powerfully artistic dance-drama comes direct from Womadelaide, and comprises 17 dancers, singers, actors, drummers, and make-up artists. Akin to and around as old as Japan’s Kabuki Theatre tradition, Kathakali developed over centuries in Kerala, with elaborate costumes and make up that can take up to four hours to prepare. The performance delivers an artistic impact that needs to be experienced to be fully understood.
The Killing of Dushasana begins with a dice-game - the Pandavas are lured to gamble with their cousins the Kauravas for succession to the throne they are supposed to be sharing. The stakes are high - the Kingdom, and then as a last desperate bid, Draupadi, wife of the five Pandava brothers (married to them all to avoid jealousies), are the ultimate prize. When the game is lost Draupadi is publicly disrobed. Exile for 13 years is punishment for the brothers. But when the Pandavas return the Kauravas refuse to give up a share of the Kingdom.
The centre-piece is the famed Bhagavadgita, containing Lord Krishna’s sermon on selfless action delivered to Arjuna (a Pandava), to urge him to fight when he begins to lose nerve. Considered one of the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy, it sets out the Indian concept of Dharma, often described as a concise guide to Hindu theology, also considered a practical, self-contained guide to life.
The sermon leads to a great bloody war at Kurukshetra, near Delhi which rages until the Pandava brothers and Lord Krishna are the only contenders left. This is represented in the final scene where the angry Bhima (a Pandava) rips open Dushasana’s body (a Kaurava), drinking his blood.
A phenomenal display of music, culture and dance the performance lasts for two hours, with an interval; and is an Indian feast for the eyes and ears rarely seen at this level of authenticity in Australia. There are two performances at the Womadelaide Festival (6 and 7 March); one at Melbourne’s Town Hall (09 March) and Sydney’s Seymour Centre (11 March) 2010.
KEY INFORMATION:
SYDNEY CONCERT 11 March 2010 7PM
VENUE Seymour Centre, Everest Theatre
PRICE $25-70
BOOKINGS www.seymour.usyd.edu.au
P: 02 9352 7940
MELBOURNE CONCERT 09 March 2010 7PM
VENUE Melbourne Town Hall
PRICE $25-$70
BOOKINGS TICKETMASTER
P: 1300 136 166
The Nataraj Cultural Centre
The Centre, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2010 was set up in 1980 and incorporated as a non profit-making society in 1983. The Centre owes its inspiration to the magnificent India International Centre, New Delhi.
It aims to promote the study and performance of the classical music of India in order to create stronger cultural ties between Australia and New Zealand; and India; and to look after the cultural needs of settlers from South Asia and of other interested Australians and New Zealanders.
The Centre provides facilities for the study of both Hindustani and Carnatic music, by way of short-term courses and workshops by eminent visiting musicians. The Centre’s main arts activity is the SPIRIT of INDIA concerts, which presents India's classical music annually in Australia and New Zealand.
Indian music
Indian music, Hindustani and Carnatac, has been an integral part of the religious and cultural life of India for over two thousand years, with an elaborate musical theory and literature. It is purely melodic – it neither needs nor implies harmony. Unlike Western music, Indian music retains its roots in pure melody and rhythm. Indian classical music is based on the concepts of Raga – the melodic basis of composition and improvisation, and Tala – the rhythmic framework.
The rhythmic texture of this music is highly intricate and ornamented with grace notes. It is lyrical and sensual and aims at creating a definite mood. Since Indian music is not written down, every performance is virtually a new composition, but the musician has to improvise within a well-defined traditional Raga. “Perhaps the most moving and exciting quality of Indian music is the innocence of its rapture. However sophisticated the means… complex the structure... nothing is lost of the child's freshness of wonder.” Yehudi Menuhin
Kerala Kalamandalam
A major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of Kerala, Kerala Kalamandalam is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur district on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. The institution, now a deemed university, was founded in 1930 by poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and Manakkulam Mukunda Raja. Kalamandalam imparts training in classical dance and theatre forms like Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kudiyattam, Thullal, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, and Nangiar Koothu, besides the traditional orchestra called Panchavadyam. Training is also given in various percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam and mizhavu.
Kalamandalam follows the gurukula sampradayam, the ancient Indian education system based on residential tutelage. The inception of Kalamandalam gave a second life to three major classical performing arts of Kerala, as Kathakali, Kudiyattam and Mohiniyattam were, by the turn of 20th century, facing the threat of extinction under various regulations of the colonial authorities. It was at this juncture, in 1927, that Vallathol Narayana Menon and Mukunda Raja came forward and formed a society called Kerala Kalamandalam.
They solicited donations from the public and conducted a lottery in order to raise funds for this society. Kerala Kalamandalam was inaugurated in November 1930 at Kunnamkulam, and was later shifted to the village of Cheruthuruthy, just south of Shoranur in 1933.The Maharaja of Cochin donated land and a building. Subsequently, a dance department was started to revive Mohiniyattom.
Kalamandalam was conceived to provide training to its students in the Gurukula Sampradaya, an ancient tradition of residential schooling where students stayed with the teachers, sharing the same atmosphere and learning from them the nuances of the arts. Eminent masters were brought to Kalamandalam.
SMIRNOFF®
Presents
Regrooved Audio Visual Party
in conjunction with Goodgroove Records
Smirnoff® presents Regrooved Audio Visual Party in conjunction with Goodgroove Records
Regrooved has teamed up with Smirnoff, Zebra and DJ Warehouse to present the first Serato SL Video club night in Melbourne on Sunday 7th March at the Prince in St Kilda.
The addition of custom visuals to the unique mash up style of Funk, Jazz Breaks, Hip Hop, Dubstep and DnB that is Regrooved will create a unique sensory clubbing experience not to be missed.
Headlining the party will be DJ Cheeba (Solid Steel), one of the UK’s biggest AVDJs, renowned for his technical ability and humour in delivering a video show like no other. Also bringing visuals into the mix will be Melbourne’s own Mr Nice & The Umalicious MCs and Nick Thayer, with DJ sets from Sly Players (Goodgroove Records, Uk), Boom Monk Ben (Solid Steel, UK), Citizen.com, Matty Blades, EGO and Zander…See you on the dance floor!
Prince Bandroom,
29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda,
Victoria, Australia
Using two turntables and Serato's Video-SL plug-in for Scratch Live to enable video controlled and manipulated by vinyl, Cheeba makes the most of this technology... mixing, scratching and juggling both sounds and pictures with stunning results. Original films, remixes and music videos made by Cheeba and James Reed (Thousand Thousand Points of Light) blend seamlessly with video mashups, animations and a wealth of other wonderful and often bizarre visual sources. With over 8 months producing the set and a further 6 developing it at shows, this revolutionary video mix has also been produced to coincide with the launch of djcheeba.com the new home of all Cheeba's mixtapes, videos, blog entries and much much more. Plug in, sit back and "Enjoy this trip... and it is a trip!"
Al Di Meola with World Sinfonia
Touring Australia & New Zealand
from March 2010
Legendary guitarist, Al Di Meola is bringing his 6-piece Latin Jazz Fusion band World Sinfonia to our shores in March 2010. One of the most prominent virtuosos in the contemporary instrumental jazz field, Al Di Meola’s dazzling technique on both acoustic and electric guitars is unmatched, extending to fluid arpeggios flying at breakneck speed and beautiful, slow vibrato-laden melodies.
The tour commences in Perth and extends through NSW, Queensland, New Zealand, Tasmania, South Australia and ACT. Provocative and enchanting, Al Di Meola’s intriguing union of complex rhythms, lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmonies ensures an unforgettable aural sensation.
Known for his guitar mastery, Al Di Meola has twenty one recordings, three gold albums and has recorded and played with a number of illustrious names including Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Luciano Pavarotti, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Chick Corea, Steve Winwood, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jaco Pastorius, Les Paul, Jean Luc Ponty, Steve Vai, Milton Naciemento, Egberto Gismonti, and many more.
Early in his career Al Di Meola was bestowed a Grammy, as part of Chick Corea’s Return To Forever. He has been voted World’s Best Guitarist several times by Guitar Player Magazine and has had sold out concerts across the world including Bulgaria and the United States.
Al Di Meola’s finds inspiration in music cultures across the world including sounds from Argentina, Brazil, Israel and the Mediterranean and in acoustic genres such as flamenco and the tango. The depth of his writing along with the soulfulness of his guitar expression have won this guitar virtuoso legions of fans worldwide, having played over many years to sell out shows across Europe, Canada and his native USA.
Of Di Meola, Guitar historian Robert Lynch said: “In the history of the electric guitar, no one figure has done more to advance the instrument in a purely technical manner than Al Di Meola. His total command of the various styles and scales is simply mind-boggling.”
Al Di Meola
with World Sinfonia
Australian & New Zealand Tour
MARCH & APRIL 2009
Perth Concert Hall
March 5
08 9231 9900
Sydney City Recital Hall Angel PlaceMarch 7
02 8256 2222
Bellingen Memorial Hall
March 9
02 6655 1522
Byron Bay High SchoolMarch 10
Enmore Theatre Sydney
March 12
02 9550 3666
The Basement, Sydney
March 13
02 9251 2797
Christchurch James Hay
BrisbaneMarch 15
136 246
Kuranda Amphitheatre
New ZealandMarch 16
1300 762 545
Auckland The Great Hall
March 18
0800 289 842
James Hay Theatre Christchurch
March 19
03366 8899
Wellington Opera House
March 22
04384 3840
Hobart City HallMarch 24
1300 762 545
Melbourne Hamer Hall
March 25
1300 182 183
Adelaide Her Majesty’s Theatre
March 26
08 8216 8600
Canberra Royal Theatre March 27
02 6243 5711
Newcastle Civic Theatre
March 29
02 4929 1977
Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
March 30
02 8839 3399
September 26th 2009 01:27
GIN WIGMORE TO TOUR HOLY SMOKE ALBUM WITH THE CARDINALS
Gin’s new album Holy Smoke featuring The Cardinals (as in Ryan Adams and….) has just been released to widespread acclaim. And now following their experience recording the album together at fabled Capitol Studios in LA, Gin is thrilled and proud to announce that Cardinals - Neal Casal, Jon Graboff and Brad Pemberton will be playing shows with her much closer to home
[ Click here to read more ]
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AND GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING GUITARIST MARTIN TAYLOR TO TOUR AUSTRALIA WITH UK'S FASTEST RISING JAZZ SINGER ALISON BURNS IN MARCH 2009
When Grammy award winning guitarist Martin Taylor (pictured), who has collaborated with great singers including Peggy Lee, Martin Carthy, Jamie Cullum, Dionne Warwick and Bryn Terfel, chose to record a special duo album with a vocalist he chose the UKs fastest rising jazz singer Alison Burns.
[ Click here to read more ]
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TAPAS concerts (featuring vocalist Mina Kanaridis) 
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