This May the Sargam School of Music presents a mini festival of world music. With taonga pūoro, waiata, contemporary jazz, traditional Scandinavian and French folk music and Indian classical music and dance performances the evening will traverse times and cultures.
Conceived as a response to the impact of Covid 19 on world music events An Evening of World Music celebrates the wealth of musical traditions alive in New Zealand and creates opportunities for collaboration and cross pollination.
The evening will conclude with a tribute to Ravi Shankar and Yahudi Menuhin. These two world famous musicians, from India and the United States, collaborated in the 60s and released the 1967 studio album West meets East which won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.
The Blockhouse Bay Community Centre sits at the heart of an deeply diverse neighbourhood, with over half its residents born overseas. It is the home to the annual Sargam School of Music concert, which, in previous years, has featured award winning musicians from India on its stage. Thanks to the efforts of local musicians including Basant Madhur Blockhouse Bay has become a quiet hub for world music in Auckland.
The evening will include performances from: Franko Heke and Matua Kereopa, Riki Bennett, Tristan Carter, Ethno Music, Sonia & Nigel, Lynfield College Jazz Group, Sargam School of Music and Kathak Kendra Nrityashala
Saturday May 29 2021, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Blockhouse Bay Community Hall, 524 Blockhouse Bay Rd, Blockhouse Bay
About the Musicians:
Franko Heke and Matua Kereopa combine to share traditional waiata with a focus on spiritual and emotional guidance, through music celebrating our connection to one another and to mother earth
Riki Bennett started playing taonga pūoro after attending a wananga held by the late Dr Hirini Melbourne, since this time he has played behind stage shows, done backing soundtracks for films as well as performed overseas.
Composer, violinist and improviser Tristan Carter holds an MMA in Composition from the New Zealand School of Music. He has a keen interest in free improvisation and cross-cultural collaboration, working with the Atlas Ensemble in Amsterdam, traditional musicians in Bangalore, and taonga pūoro musicians of New Zealand, as well as playing in a variety of cross cultural ensembles.
Ethno Music New Zealand is a program for folk, world and traditional music, aimed at young musicians (18-30). The mission of Ethno, a worldwide organization, is to revive, invigorate and disseminate our global traditional musical heritage.
Sonia & Nigel are an acoustic duo featuring French-American Parisienne Sonia Wilson on vocals and ukulele & Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on his 7-string guitar. They perform French, Kiwi and American folk songs alongside their own original compositions.
Sargam School of Music is a school fully devoted to Indian Classical music with a mission to provide an ideal education in the field of Indian Classical vocal & instrumental traditions. The founder of school, Basant Madhur is a well-known and beloved Tabla Player performing across New Zealand and internationally.
Kathak Kendra Nrityashala is a classical Indian dance school in Blockhouse Bay run by their very dedicated teacher Parul Juneja
Lynfield College Jazz Group is a collective of seven young musicians studying at Lynfield College, trained under highly qualified teachers Charlie Isdale & Lisa Norman
