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LOCAL VOICES SINGING GLOBAL
A Concert of Human Rights Songs
Byron Bay Beach Hotel, Thursday 3 July from 7.30 pm
This concert of local performers is one of the open events being presented in conjunction with the Activating Human Rights and Diversity Conference, hosted by Southern Cross University.
The evening will provide a wonderful opportunity for music lovers everywhere
to experience the creative energies of passionate songwriters and musicians
who have a commitment to social activism through music.
The line up currently includes:
- Acre
- Manuhiri
- The Hottentots
- Monkey and the Fish
- Gregarious Chance
- Lisa Yeates
- Cleis Pierce & Greg Sheehan
- Janie Conway Herron
- Leigh Carriage
- PEACETRAIN
- Demi-urge
ACRE are from Byron Bay in Northern NSW. Their sound is described simplest as a combination of rock, country, blues and folk. The music of Neil Young and The Church are good reference points. They are putting the finishing touches on their second, as yet untitled album, due for release in September. You may have heard the album’s opening track, “Fading Light”, on Triple J - instantly recognisable by the 40 seconds of table tennis sounds at the start.
Their debut album, “The Vision Splender” (2000) featured the track “Fourteen Fifty” which received high rotation on Alternative Radio, and afforded the band the opportunity to do shows with the likes of Alex Lloyd, Palladium and Karma County. They are planning on doing a national tour to coincide with the release of the new album.
The members of Acre are all professionals in their field. Lead singer, Christian Pyle, grew up playing shows in Brisbane before being hired as the guitarist for Max Sharam’s band. After a stint in the U.S in the mid-90's where he released one album he returned to Australia, determined to release albums independently. He soon met up with drummer + North Coast legend Dave Sanders, well known for his tasty chops as a jazz drummer. Dave has played with all the big names in jazz and is kept busy with session work and teaching. After the release of “The Vision Splender” Tim Webb, bass player and kazoo blower joined the lineup. Tim is a graduate of the Contemporary Music course at Southern Cross University, Lismore. He has recorded and toured with bands since the early nineties.
The band formed “Prawn and Spanner Records” to release their own albums and are planning on releasing more artists on the label in the future. Prawn and Spanner is distributed by MGM.
CONTACT: Dan Biddle, http://www.prawandspanner.com.au (launching soon)
THE HOTTENTOTS are Carl Cleves and Parissa Bouas. What makes this act so special probably boils down to emotional honesty, genuine talent and the kaleidoscopic cultural and folk influences that inform their immensely appealing music. Framed by beautiful melodies, pulsing rhythm and passion that drips from both their live performances and recordings, The Hottentots have been winning hearts across Australia, Brazil and Europe.
The Hottentots dare to challenge the imagination and move the spirit, performing a range of music that combines the best of multi ethnic traditional music with contemporary songwriting. The lyrics are something else again. Deeply poetic, tinged with Aussie humour and wry social comment, they deal with the full breadth of human experience, be it with Carl's warm, cheekily rustic tones or Parissa's superbly dulcet ones that seem capable of finding an emotional context for every genre. Their 3 award winning albums have received rapturous reviews. The latest, 'Graceful', voted in the top 3 Australian Albums of 2001 by Diaspora magazine, and is currently featured on the national ABC playlist. Direct from acclaimed appearances at Port Fairy Folk Festival, The National Folk Festival, The Basement, Brunswick Music Festival, Fairbridge & Kalgoorlie Festivals WA. Not to be missed!
"pure Hottentotalia - unreservedly recommended!" - Diaspora Worldbeat Magazine
"Cleves and Bouas inject a feeling of hope and joy into their music." - Rhythms Magazine
CONTACT: The Hottentots, http://www.thehottentots.com
Gregarious Chance
A cappella with attitude – and occasional instruments
Gregarious Chance from Lismore was formed in 1993 by composer/arranger
Bruce McNicol.
More a group than a choir, they are to choirs what performance poets are to poetry. Their strong and eclectic mix of musical styles and rhythms, human rights issues, and a whacky sense of humour, weld these twelve singers into a compelling force. Mostly a cappella, they can pull out a variety of instruments to spice things up.
Their material ranges from Sting’s They Dance Alone, which challenges
the murder of political prisoners, to songs written on the north coast
of NSW, which include several of McNicol’s quirky or serious observations
on society.
Their first album was EXMASS HYPE! (1997)- a dozen tongue in cheek carols,
commenting on the spendathlon aspects of “Exmass”. The second
album was Really . . . (Gregarious), launched at the Woodford Festival,
Jan 1999.
The mix of serious and comedy will continue in “Social Animals”,
which they commenced recording live late 2002. Its twenty tracks will
include ASYLUM, in Islamic modes, which gives a portrait of women’s
lives in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. There will also be the
new jazz-choir love song, Incredularity, plus There Will Be Peace, Reconciliation,
There is Love Like a River in my Soul (lyrics by a member of the stolen
generations), and covers including a Trilogy of songs by Billy Joel and
Phil Collins . . ( Why can’t we learn from all we’ve been
through/ cross the river that divides us/ and Dance into the light? )
” . . local and Universal”,
“. . evoked a huge range of emotions.”
“ . . making a cultural difference . .” [audience responses]
CONTACT: email Gregarious Chance,
or phone Bruce McNicol on (02)6624 1969
LISA YEATES - Singer - Passionate,
dynamic, powerful and playful.
Nationally recognized as a driving force in environmental and Peace activism
for over 20 years, Lisa Yeates' fascinating life on the front line has
gained her a wealth of political and protest tales, songs and images that
are sure reach into your heart to both educate and entertain. Lisa's talents
as a vocalist and musician have taken her from direct actions, solo performances
and soundtrack work to being in a Reggae band and everything in between.
Currently she is singing with the popular Jazz band 'Skylarks' who play
regularly at the Currumbin RSL and Nimbin Hotel.
Equally comfortable performing to small intimate audiences as to performing to crowds of thousands Lisa's performing career has been diverse to say the least. As the lead singer in the popular Tasmanian band Misters and Sisters she played to up-market audiences at Wrest Point Casino, conventions and festival events. She was the fourth part in the accapella cabaret group, "Silly Symphony", which opened the 1986 Adelaide Arts Festival, as well as being a backup vocalist and guitarist in bands varying from Rock n' roll to Reggae. Her solo musical career stretches from performing at the Adelaide Fringe, Woodford/ Maleny and Lismore Folk Festivals, to singing in front of the bulldozer at the Franklin and other forest protests, and too many Festivals, Fund-raisers, Clubs, Pubs, Rallies, & Restaurants up and down the East coast to mention.
MANUHIRI are Messepa Eruera (Samoan/Maori), Maea Martin (Maori) and Ora Barlow (Maori). They are an exciting Pacific Womens’ Trio based in Northern NSW and have been together since 1998. They perform a fusion of Acoustic and Percussive World Pacific Music with contemporary and traditional elements.
They have performed at major festivals in Australia including Woodford
Folk Festival, Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival, Port Fairy, Canberra
National Folk Festival, Carnivale and Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi
Gras 1999 at the Sydney State Theatre and opened their 2000 launch on
the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
In 2001 Manuhiri were invited to Noumea’s Femme Funk Festival double
billing with Vicka and Linda Bull. In 2002 they were reinvited to Noumea
for the Dunbar Festival and travelled to Manchester’s – ‘Raising
the Spirit’ – a festival associated with the 2002 Manchester
Commonwealth Games and toured England and Scotland.
In workshops, Manuhiri teach traditional and contemporary Maori and Samoan
body percussion (sasa), songs and dance including learning stick dances
and songs using the poi (soft ball on the end of a woven string).
In 2003, Manuhiri are touring Australia and Europe. They have been invited
to internationally renowned festivals such as Womad UK and Sidmouth Festival
as well as performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
‘Energy and warmth won the hearts of the audiences’ - Mary Keith, Raising The Spirit, UK
‘Ambassadors of Pacific Culture; - Marie-France Auguet-Vogel, Femme Funk Festival, Noumea
‘Manuhiri are bringing Pacific culture to the masses’ – Damien Condon, Northern Star
PEACETRAIN is a trio comprised of
Mook and Shanto, Byron's long-time duo
and cornerstone members of the group BAHLOO which was arguably the most
high profile Byron musical act during the eighties. Now appearing with
these veteran ex-Melbournian all-round musician/singer/songwriters is
Peter
Ching, flat-picking guitarist extraordinaire who adds a virtuoso orchestral
element to their already mature and well-rounded repertoire of home-grown
and top cover songs. Combined they represent well over 100 years of live
music between them, bringing the disparate influences of rock, reggae,
jazz, folk and now bluegrass into their unique and original re-invented
sound. Mook's cutting-edge lyrics, both serious and satirical and Shanto's
renowned healing voice stamp their performances as exclusive and authentic.
Using guitars, mandolin, ukulele, five string banjo and their incomparably
tight harmonies (38 years of singing together) they are truly a
cross-generational, cross-platform group that delight and uplift the spirit
of their audiences.
Janie Conway Herron has been a lecturer
in writing at Southern Cross University for the last five years. She has
a PhD in Writing from the University of Western
Sydney, and is currently writing a trilogy based on the history of the
women in her family.
Her family have a long history of involvement in music and prior to
engaging in academic pursuits she was a musician, working as a singer
songwriter in a number of bands in Sydney and in Melbourne. All of her
work reflects her concern and involvement with with human rights.
Leigh Carriage is a lecturer in the contemporary music programme at Southern Cross University, Lismore, where she heads the vocal studies department. Leigh has worked extensively with ensembles, musical and choral groups, and with individual singers, as a vocal arranger, music director and teacher.
Before her present appointment, Leigh’s work at Eora Aboriginal Performing Arts TAFE College, Sydney, in 1997 saw her teaching a cappella workshops, studio recording techniques and individual lessons, culminating in arrangements and conducting for an ensemble group who performed widely in Sydney venues. Leigh has taught, directed and arranged for many other vocal ensembles including the Bondi Youth Wave, Kooloora Settlement Centre, Older Women’s Network Theatre Group, and The Australian Theatre for Young People, Eastern Suburbs Evening College.
Leigh is an established contemporary vocal performer in her own right.
She has performed at many jazz and music festivals, including the prestigious
Monterey Jazz Festival, and played major venues in Sydney, Melbourne and
Brisbane. An accomplished and versatile vocalist in her own right, Leigh
has recently completed two albums, and continues her career as a performer.
Leigh published a paper titled ‘Studying the Experience of Contemporary
Australian Female Vocalists’ in the 5th Voice Symposium Conference
proceedings. More recently. Leigh presented a paper at the NATMUS conference
in Byron Bay. The paper focused on Vocal Education (Pedagogical Approaches)
And Performance Realities: The Relevance of Institutional Vocal Education
to the Requirements of the music industry.
Contact:Leigh Carriage Website:
http://www.leighcarriage.com
“Without doubt, one of the strongest new breed of vocalist
in Australia”.
Guitarist Jim Kelly
For further concert information on the concert please contact:
Dr Janie Conway Herron
School of Arts, Southern Cross University
Phone: 02 6620 3602 (w)
or
Leigh Carriage
School of Arts, Southern Cross University
Phone: 02 6620 3874 (w)
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