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Kavisha Mazzella & Charles Maimarosia - Island Songs: Mediterranean meets the Pacific
Coming up on Saturday 16th November Solomon Islander, Charles Maimarosia will be collaborating with multicultural musician, Kavisha Mazzella. Charles is part of the Wantok Musik FoundationCharles is part of the Wantok Musik Foundation and has performed with Tim C T Cole & Bao Bao Chan’s Small Island Big Song 小島大歌 project and at WOMADelaide 2024. Kavisha and has worked with Archie & Ruby, Tiddas, Kev Carmody, Lou Bennett, Richard Frankland, Joe Geia and others. Along with Neil Murray, with whom Kavisha has toured, she has played to many aboriginal communities

Island culture and music run deep in our shared consciousness. Both Kavisha and Charles have island culture in their musical heritage. We don't always think about it but as the Pacific comprises a vast chain of Islands of over 30,000 from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, Australia has amazingly 8,200 of which most of us can only name a few (think Norfolk, and Murray Isands for example) Italy has around 450 but many contribute significantly to Italian heritage and folklore (eg Capri, Sardinia, Elba). And the coastlines of all these islands is enormous. This is the cultural and creative pool we seek to fish.

Kavisha - vocals, guitar, piano accordion
Songbird Kavisha Mazzella returns to her second home bringing her Italian father’s heritage to share. ARIA award winner, songbird, choir director and folkloric explorer, Kavisha's original song's lyrical ingredients include humour, poetry, social justice and the spiritual. Combine this prowess with the voice of an angel and you have the experience of a Kavisha concert. Singing in English, Italian and other languages, she will take you on an uplifting journey of well-crafted stories and songs that will strike a resounding chord within. She is currently Director of the Lingua Madre Italian Folk Choir in Melbourne. In 2011 she was awarded an Australia Day Honour for services to music and community and the 2023 Lifetime Contribution Award from Folk Alliance Australia.

Charles Maimarosia - vocals, guitar, panpipe. Genevieve Fry on harp, Joe McDonald drums+percussion, Jimi Nare • guitar, Jerome Warakea • bass
Charles Maimarosia is a unique and extraordinary Solomon Islands singer and musician, raised in the remote Pipisu village of Malaita. He is renowned for being a singer of important custom knowledge, drawing equally on traditional and contemporary musical styles. Recent single Haiamasina, (English translation: ‘Loving’), is an expansive and strident love poem that illustrates 'Are’Are customs and traditions. The song was produced by Andrew Robinson, with Maimarosia’s bold vocals backed by the drumming of Bougainville legend Emmanuel Hakalitz, and backing vocals from Ambrym, Vanuatu artist Tio.

Charles, Jimi, Jerome — Charles, Jimi and Jerome at recent concert at The Coolroom

Presented as part of the 2024 World Music Series at The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel