Grace Barbe
Program: 9.00 Grace Barbe

WAMI (Western Australian Music Industry) award-winner for ‘Best World Act’, Grace Barbé, is a Perth-based singer, songwriter and musician with roots in the tiny Indian Ocean Creole nation of Seychelles; home to a unique culture that fuses Africa, Europe and Asia.

Grace’s music, like her mixed heritage, reflects and celebrates the diverse influences of kreol culture; a colourful combination of Indian Ocean styles, reggae, afro and funk, laced with a modern pop sensibility. The cross-over with pop while still retaining the authenticity of Grace’s Kreol roots, takes you on a musical journey through the modern-day African Diaspora, creating a fresh and distinctive sound in world music fusion.

Grace Barbé (pronounced Bar-bay), was raised in both Australia and Seychelles. At the age of 19, she was teaching herself bass guitar and developing her song writing skills. She was soon singing, writing and performing in the Seychelles community in, with local bands, and touring Australia’s remote communities facilitating educational, music workshops for the Indigenous communities. On this journey, Grace gained skills and confidence as a songwriter and performer. In 2003, she teamed up with co-writer and producer, James Searle to start work on her album.

Grace then took up University, while still pursuing music. Studies took a back seat in 2007 as Grace exploded on to the Australian music scene with the release of her debut single “Mon Arive”. The song achieved significant local and national airplay, reaching the number one spot on Triple J Unearthed Roots chart. The song was also nominated for WAM (Western Australian Music) ‘Song of the Year’ award 2008, in the world/folk category.

An experienced performer with a strong stage presence and a gift for song writing, Grace and collaborator/producer Jamie Searle, won the 2006 WAMI ‘Song of the Year’ award in the world and folk category for the song “Mon Ankor Anmoure”.

In her home state of Western Australia, Grace has attracted considerable attention and earned her a loyal following on the strength of her live shows, igniting the stage with her vibrant presence. This has given her the opportunity to share the stage with artists such as Tony Allen, Cat Empire, Ben Lee, The Wailers, UB40, Ernest Ranglin, Bomba, The Black Seeds, Mad Professor, and Ba Cissoko. She has also performed at Australia’s prestigious festivals such as Woodford Folk Festival, Perth International Festival, Fairbridge Festival and Southbound Festival.

The Creole chanteuse has had a great year following the release of her debut album “Kreol Daughter’’ in December 2008. The band kicked off 2009 with performances at the mighty Woodford Folk festival in Queensland, and in May were voted “Best World Music Act” at the West Australian Music Industry Awards. A successful trip to Melbourne also took place in May, and Grace was invited to perform the South African National Anthem at Subiaco Oval in Perth before the Australia vs South Africa rugby match, a performance that was broadcasted on Foxtel to an audience of thousands worldwide. Throughout the year Grace has continued to solidify her position as one of the leading live acts in Western Australia, fronting the 13 piece Askari Afrobeat Orchestra as well as her own 4 piece unit.

Grace’s album was recorded with UK mixer/producer, Jeremy Allom, best known for mixing Massive Attack‘s first famous album, ‘Blue Lines‘ and working with artists such as Bjork, David Bowie, Freddy McGregor, Sly & Robbie, Maxie Priest.

Grace and her band embarked on a national tour throughout October, November and December 2009, funded by the Department of Culture and the Arts WA to promote her album. The tour included performances at the Australasian World Music Expo, Bellingen Global Carnival and the Queenscliff Music Festival, alongside artists such as Blue King Brown, Archie Roach and Hugh Masekela. The band toured Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, as well as Grace’s home state of Western Australia.

Great things can be expected from this rising star of the Seychelles as she brings Kreol to world stages!

Kreol Daughter is now available at most record stores in Australia and distributed nationally through MGM Distribution.

A lot has happened since singer/songwriter Ange Takats left Australia back in 2000. She joined a folk rock band in Thailand, chased love all the way to Canada, took up knitting, met an Irish nudist and she has a song for every tale on her debut album Aniseed Tea.

The former Sydney Songstress has been gathering a steady following in folk festival circles over the past two years but her audience expanded by a million listeners when Fran Kelly's top rating Breakfast Show on ABC Radio National decided to feature Aniseed Tea as 'Album of the Week'.

Ange took home a prestigious Q Song Award in 2009 and won the National Folk Festival Award for Vocal Excellence in 2008. She will be performing at the Nectar Festival - celebrating International Women’s Day - on March 7 at the Fremantle Arts Centre.

Strangely enough, most of Takats' Americana music influences came from the Thai musicians she performed with in Bangkok who owned old hippie records left by US-soldiers following the Vietnam War.

“I moved to Bangkok to work as a foreign correspondent but somehow landed in a folk rock band. It was a pretty amazing time in my life – to be spending my days on the road with a TV crew and my nights singing hippie songs in a bar,” Ange said.

 “I was lucky enough to hook up with a bunch of very talented musicians who introduced me to the music of Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, The Grateful Dead, The Allman  Brothers and The Band. I never would have imagined that a couple of Thai guys would be responsible for my entire western musical education,” she said.

Ange has performed at music festivals across the country including Woodford (Qld), The National (ACT), Cygnet (Tas), Burke & Wills (Vic), Tamar Valley (Tas), Dorrigo (NSW), Maldon (Vic), Majors Creek (NSW), Wintermoon (Qld) and Palm Creek (Qld).

She will be performing at the 2010 Nannup Music Festival as part of her WA tour which is being supported by a Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) grant from Arts Queensland and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

www.myspace.com/angetakats

Sheik to Sheik

Fremantle's Premier Bellydancing School performing throughout the night.

PROGRAM:
8.00 Sheik to Sheik

Organik Dance

Organikdance styles traditional African dance and contemporary choreography to create delightful and colourful performances that exude high energy and reflect our instinctive love of dance

Organikdance offers a welcoming, supportive and creative atmosphere in which to dance. We invite dancers young and old, with or without previous dance experience from throughout the community to join us. Have fun and keep fit - you too could be part of this creative collaborative group. Over time Organikdance will support you to become the confident performer you may have dreamed of being!

PROGRAM:
8.35 Organik Dance