Australasian World Music Expo 2011 Review

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AWME is a 4-day collection of artists, labels, publishers, bookers, and industry representatives designed to foster the joys of Australiasian music upon the rest of the world. Now in its fourth year and boasting some pretty high profile local and international roots artists, deals are done, ideas debated and above all music is consumed with a giddy, slightly hysterical abandon.

World music ceased to be useful as a descriptive term a long time ago, and is now almost a term of derision. Nicholas Concklin, media and PR director of Cumbancha records prefers “International Contemporary Music,’ but even that leaves a strange taste in the mouth. In a lively panel discussion with representatives from France, Reunion Island and Australia on Releasing Music Internationally they make it clear that the dollars lie in touring, and in signing truly international artists for all markets – particularly ones with a great back story. Bandcamp, and Facebook are tools, vinyl is growing again, but we’re in an uncertain transitional period wondering where the dollars are going to come from.

Some of the elder statesmen, like reggae legends The Congos and Stranger Cole have a different perspective. “In the midst of darkness there is a light,” offers Cole in a discussion on Reggae’ Global Reach, “when a person of my young age can get dragged around the world.” These guys are still happy just playing. “It wasn’ about the money,” offers one of the Congos stroking his grey beard, “the surface stuff will come and go but reggae music needs to be underground.”

Aaron Choulai

Pianist Aaron Choulai has really developed his We don’ Dance for No Reason project over the last few years, the focus has altered significantly away from arty improv jazz flourishes and onto the incredible 20 strong New Guinea choir. Interspersed with contextual video, the performance is moving, the choirs spirituals life affirming, the jazz most often supporting the singing. They end with New Orleans via PNG all dancing together like a street party; further demonstrating Choulai’ desire to create music that moves you. This is the way fusion should be.

Charles Walker is a funky soul machine from back in the day, with his shiny suit and killer moves. “Funk it low,” he screams to a sweaty Hi Fi bar and we all sway down on our knees. The Dynamites are a hype machine for Walker, all swagger and showmanship, funk renegades from Nashville, moving from urgent taut 60′ funk to deep soul with ease. “I love you, I love you, and I love you, offers Walker pointing indiscriminately into the crowd.” You believe him.

Remixes, sampling and mash ups are considered adaptations of the original. Not only do we need permission from the composer and publisher but have a moral obligation to attribute the source and not to denigrate its original intention. It’s into this murky territory we stride in The Remix Culture and Copyright Reform with France’ DJ Click, Mushroom’ director and some industry reps. They talk of Yothu Yindi, Girl Talk and of course Deep Forest, a French record label now vilified for sourcing archived field recordings, adding a beat, selling millions and angering the traditional cultures they are exploiting. The moral of the workshop? If your tune makes money, you better get a lawyer son.

Mulatu Astatke

Afghan Khalil Gudaz offered some intricate sitar playing with a little call and response with the tabla, playing multiple runs of mesmerising notes over the steady hypnotic drone of the Tanbur. Later Reunion Island sistas Simangavole delivered an avalanche of percussion and dancing in a high energy set where the voice was the only melodic instrument. Finally Ethiopian legend Mulatu Astatke made a welcome return with locals the Black Jesus Experience. Playing all his hits, he moved from vibraphone to congas, to keys and then to a favourite position banging a cowbell. The set highlighted electric guitar much more than his previous visits, with some very tasteful ultra funky wah wah, yet two separate guitar solos that really pushed the goodwill. The Black Jesus Experience really excel with Mulatu, some of the horn playing in particular was incredible, though Mulatu doesn’ really need to be tarnished by conscious rapping. Mulatu’ music is so incredible, such a gift that you can overlook anything and his set ended with a standing ovation.

Simangavole

Can Music Fight Tyranny? Not sure? Perhaps you should ask Fela or Bob Marley suggests Blue King Brown’ Natalie Pa’apa’a in an entertaining John Safron helmed panel. For all the theories and ideas, it was West Papuan musician Ronnie Kareni, who brought it back home, as his own father had been seriously assaulted by the military a week prior for assisting to smuggle people out of the country, yet he still came to AWME to deliver the message. “It can be the voice of the voiceless he offers,” in fact he continues to play the songs of Arnold Ap, the musician that the Indonesian military assassinated. Charlie Hill Smith’ film on the struggle, Strange Bird in Paradise is screening on SBS on the 3rd of Jan.

Richard Mogu

PNG musician Richard Mogu’ sound is surprisingly robust, melding the traditional with more contemporary sounds. His ingredients ranged from traditional percussion, bamboo flutes to some incredible brass and he himself plays electric bass.

Iwantja

“Grog made changes, emails made changes,” offers the lead singer of Indigenous rockers Iwantja shaking his head ruefully, “if you go to the bush there’ peace and quiet.” It’s particularly pertinent to his bands music which verges from desert reggae, to Gurrimal style croons to infectious over the top Van Halenesque rock outs. The way they put their music together is incredible, almost inappropriate where heartfelt soulful wails can be attacked by Satriani style guitar god solos. Yet it doesn’ diminish the music at all, on the contrary, you get the sense that their remoteness served to have their influences delivered to them in a very unique way. In any effect their earnestness is endearing. It’s impossible not to love these guys.

Mercan Dede

Three quarters of Melbourne’ Turkish population were at the Arts Centre for Sufi electronic artist Mercan Dede. With the most incredible hand percussionist you will ever see, traditional fiddle and another stringed instrument alongside electronic DJ gestures. Their set is incredible, with subtle flourishes of electronics and dance culture alongside the traditional music. Heavily improvised the group look at each other at the end of each song as they have no idea what is coming next. Equally adept at ambient drones and banging eastern tinged techno, this is a band of incredible musicians. However something changes when a sole whirling dervish takes to the stage. There is nothing like it. For all the bands artistry, there’ something about the careful ritualistic solemnity of the way the Dervish slowly strides across the stage before laying down his coat and beginning to spin. It’s at this moment you realise you are in the presence of something special, something old, something much more than amazing musicianship or even a great live show.

After the hilarity of their panel discussions a couple of days earlier, legendary Jamaican vocal group the Congos played a sweaty packed slightly hysterical Hi Fi Bar and absolutely blew it apart. With Jake Savona’ backing band they tore through their seminal Heart of the Congos LP from 1977, these hyperactive geriatrics bouncing around madly having the time of their lives. Whilst they began a little off key, they recovered quickly and delivered their smooth, almost do wop inspired vocal melodies and it was the sound of the past coming back to life. These are the kinds of shows that you never in your wildest dreams expect to see and Melbourne’ reggae diehards were out in force.

AWME is only in its fourth year and it’s building. It’s all about networking, deals are done, music is bought, sold, promoted and exchanged, all against the backdrop a very diverse range of local and international showcase performances. People wander in and out, the keyboardist of the Melbourne ska orchestra, a guy who runs an inner city studio, the presenter of the Global Village on PBS, label managers, musicians and all manner of movers and shakers within the “International Contemporary Music’ scene. Whilst not all the artists presented were to this writer’s taste, there’ enough going on at multiple venues to create your own bill if you’re prepared to walk a bit, and if you do you’re always going to see something unexpected.

Bob Baker Fish

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Bob is the features editor of Cyclic Defrost. He is also evil. You should not trust the opinions of evil people.

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