Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

MR 080314 WDDFNR

Media release

14 March 2008

For immediate release

We Don’t Dance For No Reason show opens in PNG

 

The sensational musical show, We Don’t Dance For No Reason, opened at the Moresby Arts Theatre in Port Moresby yesterday as part of Australia Week 2008.

Around 150 invited guests saw the spectacular performance at a special opening night event hosted by the Australian High Commission.

The show, which includes musicians and singers from both Australia and PNG, included a number of beautiful pieces and culminated in an encore song from the magnificent 16-voice Tatana Village Choir from PNG.

We Don’t Dance For No Reason, or Ai Na Asi A Mavaru Kavamu in Motuan, combines the tradition of Peroveta Anedia, or Prophet Songs, and modern jazz.

The group features the choir from Tatana Village, the Australian jazz outfit and the extraordinary talent, Aaron Choulai, who was raised in PNG, trained in Melbourne and New York and named Australia’s Young Jazz Artist of the Year in 2006.

The Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Mr Chris Moraitis, told the audience he was very proud to introduce the show because it represented what Australia Week was all about.

“Australia Week is about celebrating Australia and Papua New Guinea together – the people to people links, the history, the geography – and there’s nothing that signifies this so beautifully as this show,” he said.

“We Don’t Dance For No Reason is a living example of the great things we can achieve when Australians and Papua New Guineans work together.”

The two public shows at the Moresby Arts Theatre on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 March and both shows have already sold out. This follows sell-out seasons at the Queensland Music Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival in 2007.

Australia Week, which runs from 10-16 March, involves numerous events designed to highlight the strength of the relationship between Australia and PNG.

The concerts are proudly supported by the Australian Government, the Australian High Commission Port Moresby, Arts Victoria, the City of Melbourne, Casella Wines, Airlines PNG and Total Event Company (PNG).

Notes to editor

Aaron Choulai was born to a Motuan mother and an Australian father. The 25-year-old Albino/Papuan/Chinese/Polish/Jewish/ Australian lived in PNG until the age of 14. He trained in Melbourne and New York and was signed by prestigious New York record label Sunnyside Records at the age of just 21.

Aaron was named 2006 Young Jazz Artist of the Year at the Australian Jazz Awards and has performed at major jazz festivals worldwide.

He divides his time between Melbourne, New York, Tokyo and his home, Port Moresby.

Aaron and his Melbourne-based jazz band, VADA, have been developing this project since 2006, visiting PNG to spend time with the Tatana Village and explore the musical collaboration. The Tatana Village Choir has also spent time in Melbourne.

We Don’t Dance For No Reason was performed to over 5000 people in Brisbane and Melbourne as part of two major Australian arts festivals.

The Tatana Village Choir, from Tatana Village, Central Province, was created for this project. The members of choir are from the Tatana Church and wider Tatana village community. They are proud representatives of Motuan culture and the traditions of Peroveta Anedia.

A CD of We Don’t Dance For No Reason will be released in 2008 by Sunnyside Records, New York.

 

Media contacts: Leigh Arnold, Public Diplomacy Manager, Tel: (675) 325 9333 ext. 275, Mob: (675) 683 9811, Email: [email protected]