CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS
Sunday, February 2, 2014, 8pm Zellerbach Hall
Barefoot Divas e l o C
i d n i B
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Originally co-commissioned and produced by Sydney Festival and New Zealand International Arts Festival in association with Vicki Gordon Music Productions , this project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts fund ing and advisory body, and Creative New Zealand, the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa.
Cal Performances’ – season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.
CAL PERFORMANCES CAST
Barefoot Divas
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
CAST
Whirimako Black vocals Emma Donovan vocals Merenia Gillies vocals Ngaire vocals Maisey Rika vocals Ursula Yovich vocals
Vicki Gordon producer, co-director
Alana Valentine writer, co-director
Adam Ventoura music director, bass, vocals, cavaquinho Steve Marin percussion, vocals, charengo, guitarrón, zampoña, quena Daniel Pliner keyboards Percy Robinson guitar, vocals
Artist Representative Karen A. Fischer, Pasifika Artists Network
Artist Management Vicki Gordon Music Productions PTY LTD
PLAYBILL PROGRAM NOTES
ALK A MILE IN MY SHOES is a shared cele - The Divas’ original compositions, songs in Wbration of culture, country, spiritual Aboriginal languages and a fusion of English connection, and language by extraordinary and Māori (Te Reo), come alive via the ensem - indigenous women. ble’s six-part harmonies and soaring voices. Six women. Six distinct life stories tied to Swinging between acoustic roots (the rousing the complex history of Australia, New “Te Matapiko”), jazz, R &B (“Ngarraanga”), and Zealand, and Papua New Guinea’s indigenous Latin-infused soul (“Fortuna”), Walk a Mile in peoples. Six strikingly fresh voices that move My Shoes reflects the diverse and life-affirming this history down a new and compelling path. experiences of contemporary indigenous Ursula Yovich (Aborigine Burarra/Serbia) women. Echoing their profound heritage, the and Emma Donovan (Aborigine Gumbaynggirr/ Divas’ outspoken, moving pieces resonate with New South Wales) join Whirimako Black anyone interested in authentic, deeply felt vocal (Māori), Maisey Rika (Māori), Merenia performance, contemporary song writing, and (Māori/Romani), and Ngaiire (Papua New intense musical expression. Guinea) for this powerful, symbolic musical Walk a Mile in My Shoes also highlights the collaboration. Walk a Mile in My Shoes was pre - work of some of Australia and New Zealand’s mièred at the 2012 Sydney Festival—one of most accomplished multiethnic musicians: Australia’s largest and most pioneering arts bassist and music director Adam Ventoura, events—and recorded live for the remarkable drummer and percussionist Steve Marin, key - album of the same name, released in the United boardist Daniel Pliner, and New Zealand State s on July 16, 2013. Māori guitarist and vocalist Percy Robinson. Visit www.barefootdivas.com.au.
CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS
BAREFOOT DIVAS the Royal Concert Hall in London, Musée de Quai Branli in Paris, the Benaki Museum in New Zealand’s soul Athens, Tjibaou Cultural Centre in New diva Whirimako Black Caledonia, Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau, has built up a loyal Treaty Grounds of Waitangi in New Zealand, jazz, blues, and Māori the Sydney Opera House, and the Winter fan base with her sub - Olympics in Vancouver. lime Te Reo Māori and English songs. She is, Merenia Gillies is a undoubte dly, one of multitalented, beat- New Zealand’s finest musicians. In 2006 she throwing musician was Awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit who sings in five lan - for services to Māori music, and in 2008 she guages and is a power - picked up the New Zealand Music Tui award house performer on for best jazz album. Ms. Black has performed stage with the m ost in - throughout New Zealand, Europe, and stinctive vocal talents Australia over the past decade. She creates a of her generation. Born in Rotorua, New truly unique, intimate presence in her perform - Zealand, Ms. Gillies was signed to Pagan ances with a sublime and exceptionally expres - Records at age 16. With her heritage a mixture sive voice that has been described as “pure of Māori, Romany, and Welsh, she embraces velvet.” Her distinctive sound, her use of tradi - and indulges in an eclectic array of musical in - tional Māori musical forms and Te Reo Māori fluences using the traditional styles of her an - make her a unique and powerful voice for New cestry as a platform for layering hypnotic beats Zealand. In 2012, Ms. Black appeared in h er and sultry, soaring vocals. She is one of début acting role as the lead in the New Zealand Australia’s most inimitable popular recording feature film White Lies , produced by South artists and live performers in the soul, club, Pacific Pictures and directed by Dana Rotberg and Latin genres. Often described as a soulful, with Producer Chris Hampson. She is currently Latin-infused Sharon Jones, Ms. Gillies works nominated for Best Actress in the Asia Pacific extensively as a live performer and studio mu - Screen Awards and in the MOA New Zealand sician performing across Australia, in Asia, Film Awards for her performance. and touring on the international stage.
Emma Donovan is one Sydney-based, Papua of Australia’s finest New Guinea-born fu - indigenous singer- ture-soul artist Ngaiire songwriters. She is is building a reputation committed to educat - for herself as one of the ing the global commu - Australia’s most recog - nity about Aboriginal nizable and dynamic culture and spirituality vocalists and perform - with the inclusion of he r traditional language, ers, as well as for her love for flamboyant stage Gum bayngirr, in her music and songs. attire. She released her début album Lam - Seamlessly blending roots, reggae, gospel, and entations in 2013 to much critical acclaim as soul, Ms. Donovan is a passionate singer, song - one of the best Australian releases of the year. writer, and collaborative vocal artist. Today, she Ngaiire spent some time writing songs for her continues to work with such ensembles as the album in an obscure drinking bar in the sub - Black Arm Band and Barefoot Divas, and has urban outskirts of Tokyo with celebrated jazz now embarked in an exciting new collabora - pianist, beat maker, and composer Aaron tion with the Melbourne-based band the Choulai. Her peculiar vocal arrangements and Putbacks. Her vast concert experiences in clude rare sense of soul transcend universal territo -
PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS ries with its electronic soul elements, and grat - the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London to ifies the folk world with her great adoration Carnegie Hall in New York. For her stunning for storytelling and heartfelt laments. She performance in Capricornia she was awarded rounded off a massive year in 2013 opening the 2007 Helpmann Award (Australia’s equiv - for Alicia Keys and John Legend. alent to the Tony Awards), receiving her fourth Helpmann nomination for her role as Māori singer-songwriter the Black Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz . In Maisey Rika has one of 2010 , she was nominated for her fifth Aotearoa’s—i.e., New Helpmann for Best Actress, alongside Cate Zealand’s—most im - Blanchett, for Waltzing the Willara , and Best pressive voices, creat - Cabaret for her one-woman show Magpie ing music that fuses Blues . She has played significant roles in the cultural roots, memo - feature films Jindabyne and Baz Luhrmann’s rable tunes, and honest, Australia , and performed on every major the - sometimes haunting lyrics. Hailing from the ater stage in Australia. In 2012 , she was also small town of Whakatane, Ms. Rika’s power - featured in Pecan Summer , Australia’s first in - ful, majestic voice has captivated audiences digenous opera, and performed a sold-out worldwide. She began singing professionally at season at the Sydney Theatre for Secret River , age 13. Her first recordings brought her to na - directed by Neil Armfield, and in Wesley tional stardom with E Hine , a classic collec tion Enoch’s translation of Bertold Brecht’s Mother of Māori traditional songs, achieving double- Courage at the Queensland Theatre Company. platinum sales and winning Best Māori Language Album at the New Zealand Music CREATIVE TEAM Awards. Ms. Rika was nominated for Best Female Vocalist in 1998 at age 15. In 2010, she Vicki Gordon (Ngati Kahungunu) ( producer, won all four Māori Music Awards for which co-director ) is a New Zealand-born Australian she was nominated, including Best Māori who has worked as a musician, music and fes - Female Artist and Best Māori Songwriter of tival director, record label manager, artist man - the year and she repeated her sweep again in ager and producer. Barefoot Divas is the 2013, winning five Māori Music Aw ards for culmination of her kaupapa (“sacred cause”) to her most recent recording Whitiora , as well as explore her connection to her Māori heritage picking up Best Album at the 2013 Vodafone and combine it with her enduring commitment (Tui) Awards, New Zealand’s music awards. to the importance of showcasing indigenous She has toured Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, women singer-songwriters on the international Indonesia, Hawai’i, and Australia and has per - stage. Ms. Gordon has been honored in the formed at WOMAD Taranaki and Australian Australian music industry with a Human World Music Expo. Rights Award Commendation, a Community Cultural Development and Women in the Arts From humble begin - Fellowship, as well as numerous gold and plat - nings in North West inum record awards in recognition of her suc - Arnhem Land, Ursula cess as an artist manager and record producer. Yovich has defied the She was the first female Australian Recording odds to become one of Industry Association Board member to repre - Australia’s most cele - sent independent artists. Ms. Gordon is the brated performers. founding president of the nonprofit Cicada Recently listed as one International Inc., which presents the esteemed of the top 21 most iconic women of the indigenous music program Nurlu Jalbingan , as Australian stage, page, and screen, she has well as creative producer for Vicki Gordon dazzled audiences all over the world from the Music Productions, which creates music the - concert hall of the Sydney Opera House and ater for festivals and mainstage venues.
CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Alana Valentine (writer, co-director ) is a play - MUSICIANS wright and director who has worked with some of Australia’s most celebrated indigenous Steve Marin is one of Sydney’s most in-demand artists, including Stephen Page at Bangarra musicians, playing drumset and traditional Dance Theatre and Wesley Enoch, Artistic South American string and wind instruments, Director of the Queensland Theatre Company. as well as Latin percussion. He performs with In 2012 , she won the fifth STAGE International his own band Son Veneno, which toured ex - Playwriting Award from UC Santa Barbara for tensively though Europe and the United Ear to the Edge of Time . This prestigio us Kingdom; Merenia and the Way; Sonido; award is given to a play about science or tech - Samba Mundi; and Victor Valdes; and has nology and attracted over 200 entries from 19 played with musicals Dirty Dancing and Smoke countries. Ms. Valentine’s theater-making en - and Mirrors on the West End in London. He is gages with authentic, real-life stories and voices a founding band member of Barefoot Divas. of Australian communities. She combines a humorous and poetic form and has worked Daniel Pliner is a composer and pianist living with professional, youth, and community per - in Sydney. He performs with the instrumental formers. In 2013, she won three Australian hip-hop trio The Asthmatix, which features Writers Guild Awards, including the major turntables and violin, and Dereb the prize for Grounded , a play about Newcastle Ambassador, a Ethiopian-soul group featur - marine pilots. It has been her privilege to work ing legendary Ethiopian singer Dereb with Barefoot Divas to polish their confi - Deselegn. They have performed at the Tokyo dence to communicate as songwriters and Jazz Festival and WOMAD. He currently plays cultural visionaries, through both their keyboards for the highly acclaimed Barefoot music and spoken word. Divas. Mr. Pliner has also been involved in de - velopment of the Sydney alternative-rock Adam Ventoura (music director ) is an estab - scene, as a member of the groups Slimey lished music director, bass player, vocalist, Things and Darth Vegas , and is active in the percussionist, composer, and producer. Latin music scene, performing as a member of Specializing in pop, R &B, soul, and rock Mr. the groups Watussi and Reyes de La Onda. He Ventoura has played, recorded, and toured has also worked with Latin artists Ordequis with an array of world-class artists, including Reve, Bill Summers, and Edwin Bonilla. Al Green, Jon Stevens, and Stan Walker. He has been Mr. Stevens’s music director for the Percy Robinson comes from Gisborne and past two years and co-wrote his current album Rotorua on the East Coast of New Zealand and release. Mr. Ventoura is widely recognized as has been performing, singing, recording, and one of Australia’s top bass players, sharing his touring nationally and internationally in a passion for music in Australia, South America, wide variety of musical contexts for most of his the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, working life. He has sung and played guitar the Middle East, and New Zealand. He is the with the likes of Randy Crawford, Daniel founding music director and a band member Merriweather, Gin Wigmore, Gary Pinto, Sean of Barefoot Divas. Paul, and Guy Sebastian. Mr. Robinson re - cently returned to New Zealand, after many years living in Australia, to pursue his interests in Māori language, Māori musical instruments, and cultural studies at Waikato University. He is a founding band member of Barefoot Divas.
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