22 May 2014
Huge hip-hop and R&B double act in Australia Week concert
The Australian High Commission today announced PNG’s number one DJ Akay47 (Allen Kedea) and rising vocalist Samantha Clark will join Melbourne hip-hop star Phrase and special guest R&B/jazz vocal sensation Jade Macrae in a huge collaborative line up at this year’s Australia Week live concert.
Tickets are now on sale for the concert which is being held the Lamana Hotel’s Gold Club on Thursday 29 May. The cover price has been halved from previous years to K25 to encourage young Papua New Guineans to experience the unique musical collaboration.
Australia Week highlights modern Australian culture and forges connections between young Papua New Guineans and Australians to support emerging leadership, discussion, creative partnerships and links between the nations.
This year’s performers will not only be collaborating on stage on the night, but will also be sharing their talents and years of experience in the music industry with youth from around Port Moresby. Phrase and Jade McCrae are making their first visit to PNG, and will join Kedea and Clark to host a music workshop for youth at Vabukori Village in the Central Province. The artists will provide lessons on singing, dancing, song writing and collaboration.
Kedea said he and his team are looking forward to collaborating with Jade and Phrase.
“I'm especially excited about taking the Australian musicians to a local village to share with the youth on music and what positive impacts it's had on their lives in Australia. My grandfather was a carrier (better known as a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel) during WWII so it's always a pleasure keeping the camaraderie with Australia alive, especially through arts, culture and music. It will be a fun filled week for sure!" Kedea said.
Kedea has worked with some of PNG’s biggest acts throughout his career, as well as composing for documentaries, national and international events and advertising campaigns. His hit songs include “South Pacific Beauty”, “Soseksi” and “Kudougu”. Kedea has held club residencies as a longstanding DJ in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and West End and performed in Fiji, Australia, PNG, Solomon Islands and Myanmar.
The Australian headliner duo Phrase (Harley Webster) and Jade MacRae will heat up the stage with their fierce musical finesse and deliciously lyrical mix of R&B hip hop. Phrase’s first album, Talk with Force, was a hit on the Australian hip hop scene. His subsequent albums have produced a more rock and pop influenced sound featuring many great Australian vocalists.
Jade Macrae, an Australian R&B/soul singer, is an accomplished performer and gifted songwriter. Her debut album cemented her as a star on the rise in the Australian music scene, producing three top 40 singles and winning the Urban Music Award for Best Female Artist twice, with the debut nominated for ARIA, MTV & APRA awards.
Soulful, bluesy, fresh and exciting, Samantha Clark is a self-taught musician from the Trobriand Islands. Her fresh take on old classics as well as a growing collection of original material is seeing her win fans in Australia and PNG. The collaboration between Clarke and Macrae in particular, will be something special.
Concert tickets can be purchased from the Australian High Commission or the Lamana Hotel. Tickets will also be sold at The Gold Club gate on the night.