World Music Café celebrates its fifth anniversary in style with the southern African guitar-groove of Zukhuta, plus the beautiful pan pipe melodies of local Andean group, Huaira, at the Mt Lawley Bowling Club Function Room on Friday 18 October 2024.

Zukhuta is led by African guitar maestro Mahamudo Selimane, who is joined by multi-Grammy Award winning pedal steel guitarist Lucky Oceans, vocalist Mararo Wangai, and the extraordinary rhythm pocket duo of Michael Boase and John Wilson on drums and bass.

Mahamudo first travelled to Western Australia 20 years ago to perform for the Perth Festival with Mozambique’s major musical export Eyuphuro. Later, after moving to Perth, he played with several accomplished musicians and was a founding member of Soukouss Internationale. He has also performed dramatic roles with playwright Mararo Wangai for his Black Brass theatre show that featured in the Perth Festival and Sydney Festival.

Los Huaira, meaning ‘the wind’ in the ancient Inca language of Quechua, perform traditional music from the Andes region of Chile featuring the pan pipes, quena, charango, guitar, and drum. Founded by Manuel Munoz in 1984, Los Huaira, have been performing traditional Chilean music in Perth for 40 years linking back to the original Ethnic Music Centre in North Perth. Now with inter-generational band members, Los Huaira, play the beautiful melodies and dynamic rhythms of the South American Andes.

The World Music Café ‘Dinner & Show’ experience is enhanced by a delicious South American menu created by Venezuelan caterer, Tamara Rodriguez, and her team.

“We have a fantastic program of quality music for our 5th anniversary celebration and a wonderful banquet of food to share,” said World Music Café producer and facilitator, Jon Cope.

“There are so many good people that have helped World Music Café get started and evolve over the last five years and we are very grateful,” he said.

“World Music Café is a celebration of the diversity of contemporary Australian culture and, aside from the amazing food and music, fulfills an important role of assisting the WMC crew of newly arrived people to our country with local employment experience and social connection,” he said.

World Music Café is a social enterprise created in 2019 that provides economic and social integration for the crew members of new migrant and refugee backgrounds. Described as ‘An Oasis of Integration in Our Country’ by the UWA Centre for Social Impact, World Music Café was a ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ finalist in the Australian 2022 Third Sector Awards.

Given most shows sell out, patrons are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Group Table booking discounts are available.