‘French up’ your experience of the 2013 Sydney Festival
Rokia Traore, Mali
If you want to ‘French up’ your experience of the 2013 Sydney Festival, from January 5th to 27th, here are a few suggestions:
- Eraritjaritjaka – January 9-13
Heiner Goebbels’ spellbinding reverie about the potency of language and the imagination has been awarded the Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival and Best Foreign Performance in the Parisian Grand Prix de la Critique.
At the production’s beating heart is French actor André Wilms, who relishes every word and brings an extraordinary intensity to the poetic images. Amsterdam’s acclaimed Mondriaan String Quartet performs Bach, Shostakovich, Ravel, Bryars, Goebbels and Crumb while Belgian filmmaker Bruno Deville’s live videos enable the richly-speculative work to weave an emotionally powerful spell.
In Eraritjaritjaka director Goebbels harnesses music, voice, movement, design and video to create a semi-surreal world, inspired by the musings of Nobel Laureate Elias Canetti.
It’s a feast for the senses that is not restricted by the confines of the physical theatre space.
Performed in French with English surtitles. More information.
- Othello c’est qui – January 11-14
Of all the roles for black actors in the western world, Othello is by far the most powerful and legendary. Yet Shakespeare’s famous Moor is barely known in Africa. Across this cultural divide, French-speaking, Ivory Coast-born performer Franck Edmond Yao and German actress Cornelia Dörr unite to interrogate the confrontational world of Othello and Desdemona. Sharp, political and sensual, Othello c’est qui (Othello who’s that) is a liberating exploration of cultural clichés and boundaries. More information.
- Rokia Traoré – January 13, 18, 19, 20
Mali’s Rokia Traoré is one of Africa’s most adventurous singer/songwriters. Her music is exquisite and her voice golden as she traverses blues, African rock, folk and even dance across her diverse repertoire. She will present three specially-curated events, Sing – Dance – Dream (Donguili – Donke – Damou), each performed in a different venue with a distinct repertoire and musical backing.
In Sing, Traoré straps on her vintage Gretsch guitar and joins a supergroup of UK and European musicians, together with emerging African artists, to collaborate on repertoire developed at the music institute she founded in Mali.
In Dance Traoré leads a stellar band in a potent celebration of African rock, blues and dance based around songs from her forthcoming John Parish-produced album.
Dream is an intimate and acoustic evening in music and traditional storytelling featuring kora
- Orchestre National de Jazz – January 15
Around Robert Wyatt
France’s national jazz orchestra pays homage to the venerable sage of British art rock, Robert Wyatt, with a live rendition of the acclaimed 2009 album, Around Robert Wyatt.
Wyatt’s music is possessed of a spellbinding melancholy, yet is avowedly humanistic and politically charged. For its Australian premiere, the Grammy-nominated 10-piece ensemble explores the subtleties of Wyatt’s intriguing songbook with joyous music that defies genre definitions, including renditions of ‘Shipbuilding’, ‘PLA’, and ‘Alifib’ from 1974’s masterful Rock Bottom.
Filmmaker Antoine Carlier completes the performance with projections that act as a poetic backdrop to this orchestral journey. More information.
- So Frenchy So Chic: Melanie Pain and Nadeah – Paradiso at Town Hall – January 21
So Frenchy So Chic returns, with a live showcase proving why the label is renowned for presenting France’s eclectic music scene at its vibrant and distinctive best.
Hailing from Southern France, Mélanie Pain practiced her English as a lead vocalist with Nouvelle Vague, covering indie anthems with flirtatious irreverence and breathy panache. Lately she’s added programmed beats and vintage synths to her folk-tinged retro-pop.
Australia’s own Nadéah calls Paris home and has also had stints with Nouvelle Vague and the loveGods. A captivating performer, she enchants audiences with her diverse range and warm, velvety voice. A night of ultra sassy French chic. More information.