Transition into your weekend with FRIDAY FIESTA - a monthly session of REGGAE, SKA, ROOTS, FOLK, WORLD, LATIN! This edition featuring HEAVY tropical and jazz vibes with THREE local acts: NYASH! + CHICHARRITA CLUB + PACHAMAMA! Plus DJs Frank Madrid and DJ Buda!

Entry includes basic drink on arrival too!

~ NYASH! ~
Canberra's very own enclave of Afrobeat + Ska + Reggae sounds - this 9-piece orchestra combines the mighty Afro-Funk of Nigeria's Fela Kuti with a tight brass section and heavy jazz + ska grooves! From West Belconnen to West Africa and beyond, this musical collective will keep your nyash shaking!Originally formed in 2012 by Nicholas Combe and Simon Milman - two stalwarts of the local jazz and reggae scene in Canberra - the band recorded their debut EP in the same year and played around the ACT. 7 years later Nyash is back - the band has reformed with original members and some great new additions, including a frontman Jim on vocals and percussion. Nyash still base their sound on afrobeat and ska, but have now opened up their musical influences to include reggae, ethio-jazz, and dub.

~ CHICHARRITA CLUB ~
Chicharrita Club is a 7-piece Tropical Latin Rock band formed in Canberra during 2020 + made up of members from Peru and Australia. Their melodic, guitar-driven, Peruvian psychedelic sound extends the roots of chicha to the far reaches of Australia. Also known as Peruvian cumbia - Chicha fuses the tropical sounds of cumbia with the traditional Andean sounds of huayno. Additional influences from international genres such as surf and psychedelic rock, salsa, give Chicha a distinct sound. Chicha music was born in Lima at the end of the 1960s.

~ PACHAMAMA ~
Blending romance and revolution as only Latinos know how, PachaMama is an innovative five piece ensemble that fuses the rich traditions of Latin American music with multi-instrumental combinations. Well known for utilising exotic instruments like charango (Andean string instrument) and bouzouki (greek string instrument) and enchanting melodies achieved masterfully with flute and melodica along with complex rhythms made possible by a combination of guitar and cuatro. Pachamama will make you smile and dance. They will tell you a story before every song, something that, added to their music, will dissolve the language barrier to the point that you will want to move to the up-tempo beats or sit down and close your eyes to just listen to the heartfelt ballads.

~ DJ FRANK MADRID ~
Frank Madrid joined the DJ circuit by hitting the airwaves before the decks. His broadcasting of global sounds on Sydney radio (Alchemy, 2SER, Triple J) generated a solid following that pushed him into lounges and clubs around the city and landed him major gigs such as Darling Harbour’s Fiesta, Luna Park’s NYE Party and the legendary Urban Latin parties at the Sydney Opera House. He has appeared a major festivals and arts markets including Tasmania’s Ten Days on the Island, Barcelona’s Live Music Market, Miami’s Decadence Extravaganza and taken his ethnic chic sounds to venues in New York, Wellington, Brasilia, Canberra, Caracas, Bogota and beyond. He currently hosts sessions of World Vibe - ArtSound FM on Canberra's ArtSound FM 92.7 and is active in the cultural events space in the city.

~ DJ BUDA ~
Buda is a beat maker and former MC turned DJ from Argentina. He started rapping at age 16 inspired by the west coast and long beach sounds of soulful producers like Warren G and Nate Dogg. He began DJing for his own parties where he would regularly rap and host freestyle competitions. As a producer and organizer, he organized the first hip hop events in Argentina's north. His rapid mixing features classic beats from old school hiphop from all over Latin America mixed with new mashups of legendary hiphop legends from the East and West coasts.

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WHAT IS FRIDAY FIESTA ?

Friday Fiesta RETURNS after living incandescently since 2016 - delivering a monthly dose of live global sounds and packing out the sweaty dens in the CBD (Phoenix/Sideway). The flame has been smouldering and is now IGNITED ONCE MORE - across the street at Transit Bar! REJOICE as ONCE a month you'll be graced with musical shamanism from local wizards taking you on eclectic journeys along the worlds of REGGAE, SKA, LATIN, FOLK, ROOTS + MORE! Banish your ills and worries and kick start your weekends with live music at FRIDAY FIESTA