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African Australian Young Achievers Awards (Sydney)
Sydney, December 2006
The 9th Annual African Australian Young Achievers Award was held in Granville on 2nd December, celebrating the achievements and efforts of young people across the region. Member of Parliament Laurie Ferguson presented awards to winners including Soro Wako, and Emmanuel Arthur (photos at left by Anthony Brown). Emmanuel, age 6, of Sierra Leoneon background, received the award for Academic, Sports & Environment achievements, while Soro Wakjo, age 21, of Ethiopian background, received the award for Sports & Academic achievements. Soro summed up with: "I would like to see a better future for young African Australians." Others recognised on the night include Sarah Binut Kanneh, Nancy Kamara, and nominees Mohamed Faisal Mohamed, Imara Djumpaili, Abishay Djumapili, Abneri Djumpaili, Yuol akoy Yuol and Daddy Yongai. Their families originate from Somalia, Congo, Sudan & Sierra Leone. The night was organised by Friends of Sierra Leone Inc
 
African Women's Dinner Dance
Sydney, September 2006
There was a stunning range of traditional African costumes on show at the African Women's Dinner Dance in Sydney in September. A crowd of 350 people attended the gathering in Auburn, coming from across Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong, and 'representing' 20 African countries. Aminata from Sierra Leone took the title of 'Best Dresser' and Chichi from Kenya took the title of 'Best Dancer' for the night. The women enjoyed the symbolic African cake cutting by a representative of each country there, music arranged by DJ Prince2000, energetic dancing led by Next Level Generation, raffle sponsored by local business and inspiring speeches by local politicians, community members and even a domestic violence survivor. It was a great night, organised by Flemington Local Area Command and the African Communities Council, with assistance from local service providers. With high demand, plans are already in progress for next year’s dinner dance, with the possibility of forming an umbrella group for all African women. For further details or to grab a copy of the photo CD and/or movie DVD, please contact Rosemary Kariuki (Mobile: 0411 263 230). To register for updates on African events link here
Eshak and Jane on stage
Review and pics by TRUDI BEAN, September 2006
I was lucky enough to be visiting Hobart and caught the performance of the African band Eshak and Jane on 24 August at the Republic Bar and Cafe, North Hobart. The band has a mix of Sudanese, Ethiopian and Australian musicians performing numbers in Madi and Arabic - their music has a strong Congolese influence so it's great dance music. They really got the crowd jumping with many people from the local African Australian community in the audience grooving the night away. Band members are Eshak Paulo (lead guitar/vocals), Jane Baker (rhythm guitar/vocals), Emanuel Loro (hand drums/vocals), Maxwell Makalani (vocals/djembe), Dane Hunnerup (drum set) and Charles Harris (bass guitar). If you are in Hobart, look out for their next gig and look forward to some great dance music!
ARCHIVES 2005
 [Review from October 2005]
The South African theatre production AMAJUBA, now showing in Sydney at Company B, Seymour Centre is a wonderful dose of African theatre in all its full-blown story-telling, singing, dancing, tub-thumping glory.
With incredible energy and resourcefulness (using only the most basic of props - including, yes... wash tubs), five performers take turns to tell their own stories of growing up in the 'townships' of apartheid South Africa - from a "coloured" child's encounters with a bullying school teacher to women risking rape and starvation as they survive fragmented families and gang-hatred in their neighbourhoods. At times the sadness of their stories feels too much to bear. But the actors aren't asking for pity, and sprinkle a song, dance and comic touch into some of the darkest moments - so you're moved, yes, but ultimately buoyed by the thought of a more positive future. See africanOz What's On for viewing & booking details. [Review from 7 November 2005]
    
AFRICAN FESTIVAL OF CULTURES (pics above) 15 October, in Sydney, was a credit to the organisers and presenters, the Bankstown Youth Development Service (BYDS). Hundreds of people filled Sydney's Bankstown Town Hall to watch performers ranging from Dig If (pictured, far left) and popular Sudanese Australian musician Asim Gorashi (pictured, far right),  as well as enthusiastic young African Australian performers presenting everything from Nigerian dancing to carefully choreographed hiphop sequences.
Concert-goers took turns between watching the talent on stage and roaming around the auditorium, where the entertainment included Ethiopian & Sudanese coffee ceremonies, African curios and clothing, Zimbabwean wire sculpture toys, and tasty Ghanaian cuisine. For those who arrived early enough, there was a friendly African Australian soccer match outside - with Tanzania the winning team!
  ROAR CHARITY CONCERT was a popular night in Sydney in September. Presented by the Rwandan and Burundian Association of NSW and held at Newtown Petersham RSL, the concert included performances from Jive Kayana and Usutu, with Jaclyn Hall (pictured) as MC. The night was a great success, with over $8,000 raised - enough to support 218 orphans at Rwanda's Linganwe primary school for all of next year! Speaking on behalf of the organising committee (some of whom are pictured far right) Rwandan Australian Lily Nyamwasa thanked contributors: "Thank you for showing such generosity of spirit, and for doing those things that make such a practical difference to the lives of children and their families when they're most in need."
[Review from October 2005] The Senegalese dance drama FAGAALA, fresh from Melbourne International Arts Fest, showing at Sydney Opera House, is like a disturbing, yet visually stunning dream. Long after the production (pictured right) is over and you're safely tucked up in bed, images of whirling, shaking dancers and their shadows loom large in the mind. ..read more
With Fagaala, Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny worked with Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki to convert the complex emotions of the Rwandan genocide into an artistic, intense dance production. While Rwanda is in Central Africa, at a great distance to Senegal on the West African coast, the use of traditional African dance forms (combined with Japanese Butoh), invigorating African music themes and talented African performers delivers a strong message. Speaking after the performance, one dancer admitted they endured a taxing preparation for the role: "Sometimes (when we were training) we would spend two days in the forest and the sun, not eating, to see how people feel." Their sympathy is obvious on stage, with anguish, elation, hope, despair apparent in every dance and body movement. While dancing may not seem like the most obvious way to portray the brutality and insanity of genocide - Fagaala reminds us there is nothing more powerful than the human body at work: so familiar, powerful, threatening, yet utterly vulnerable and exposed. This is not only a stunning production, but one with a real message.
 
LION KING IN MELBOURNE 'ravishing spectacular'
What IS all the fuss about The Lion King? Reviewer Craig Newcombe went along to the Melbourne show to find out for himself...
Pictured: South African performer Buyisile Zama (left), in her lead role as 'Rafiki' (right)
The Lion King is a ravishing spectacle that really is beyond comparison with almost any other recent musical. The stunning costumes are extraordinarily beautiful but, combined with simple headdresses, allow the actors to cross from cartoon-like animal characters to having complex emotional inner lives and back again. The visible mechanics of the puppets and masks become part of the magic. The fluid fields of long grass, jungle water pools and birds flying on strings from the balconies are dazzling. The 232 types of puppets include rod, shadow and full size puppets and involve 25 different types of birds and animals. The giraffes are a magnificent 18ft high and the elephants 13ft long. There are 27 kite birds. Moving onto the stage from within the audience at the start of each half and combined with the fluency of Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs, a fusion of western and African music, the audience does begin to feel part of the show. The stampede of the herd is also particularly effective, seeming to flow right into the heart of the theatre.
This is a drama - though with great comic moments, and there are dark corners and sombre moments in this story of family treachery. The poignancy as Simba the lion cub stands over the body of his dead father moved the audience to audible gasps. This is the tale of the birth, childhood and eventual manhood of Simba the Lion Cub, hence its theme song of 'The Circle of Life'. The musical deals with life’s realities and difficult lessons with surprising seriousness - this is not a mindless romp. The evil manipulative scheming Scar and his yipping hyenas convince Simba he is responsible for the death of his father. While the cast is uniformly strong the shaman or spiritual guide Rafiki was especially enjoyable bringing an authentic touch of Africa through chant and dances.
The Lion King will be playing at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, Collins Street, until early 2006. See
Lion King site for bookings & details. Also see the africanOz interview with Lion King singer Karinda Mutabazi on Features
 Soweto Gospel Choir Australian tour (Aug/Sept 2005)
Thankfully we had time to clap AFTER each song when we saw the Soweto Gospel Choir perform at the Sydney Opera House - not just because we liked their music, but because the urge to clap, dance and stomp DURING their lively, exhilirating tunes was almost unbearable... an urge we suppressed in the sensible, cough-sensitive air of the majestic theatre... where dinner suit refinement seemed the order of the day. Not so restrained were the choir themselves who (seemingly spontaneously) danced, jiggled, pelted drums and sang to the high heavens their wondrous tunes in several African languages. Drawing on talent from churches and communities in and around Soweto, South Africa, the choir is made up of some tremendously natural, yet highly disciplined performers. Little wonder that in just a few short years, the choir has won music awards, critical acclaim and thousands of willing fans from Joburg to LA to London. The choir are using their success to help raise thousands of dollars for AIDS orphans and disaster victims, and acting as willing ambassadors for African culture and their South African 'rainbow nation' homeland. See africanOz What's On for shows in your state. For more on the choir, see their website at www.sowetogospelchoir.com Their new CD 'Blessed' is now available at major music outlets in Australia
African element: Routes of Trance (December 2004)
It was a great night at the Routes of Trance musical adventure from Africa to Central Asia, held on Fri 5 November at Balmain Town Hall. Davod Azad Ensemble from Iran gave a spectacular performance finishing the program, following a series of delightful performances including two African musicians pictured below - Noble Mashawa (Zimbabwe) and Moussa Diakite (Mali - in blue) - as well as the Aghani, Australian, African combo, the Hashim Saba Band. The town hall was packed, a great turn-out to raise money for West African charity the Nurbakhsh Foundation.
Caught in Action! Jive Kayana
(Posted 2004)
Playing their 'funky township jive', the band Jive Kayana (and guests) hit the stage in North Bondi RSL on 9 October to help raise money for Zululand Hospice, an NGO that works in KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa. The Hospice care for the terminally ill, particularly AIDS patients, as well as orphans and vulnerable children. Photographer Martin Heffels caught the band in action:
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