Playing in vibrant diversity

The Age

Wednesday December 9, 2009

Jessica Nicholas

MUSIC DELI LIVE Melbourne Recital Centre December 6 Jessica Nicholas Reviewer KIMONOS and koras, ancient traditions and freshly composed melodies came together at the Recital Centre for Music Deli Live: a vibrant mini-festival celebrating the diversity of cultures in Melbourne's music community. The four-hour event �� featuring seven acts in three areas of the Recital Centre �� marked the venue's debut as a partner in the much-loved Music Deli concert series.Solo artists played traditional instruments in the Salon; contemporary world music ensembles performed in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall; and choral groups (La Voce Della Luna and Brothers in Christ) provided free entertainment in the foyer.The superb acoustics of the main hall were especially valuable for Fine Blue Thread, a trio whose music relies on subtle interactions among its members (singer Ria Soemardjo, cellist Helen Mountfort and percussionist Sam Evans). Soemardjo's pure, Indonesian-inspired vocals created an air of meditative calm, while Mountfort and Evans either underlined the tranquil mood or ruffled its edges with more rhythmically charged textures.By contrast, the formality of the auditorium may have worked against Zulya and the Children of the Underground, who struggled to generate the energy that typically animates their live shows. Still, there were some enchanting moments in Sunday's set �� especially on the Tatar songs Ramai and At My Father's, where Zulya's voice ached with vulnerability and yearning.For me, though, the most memorable performances of the afternoon were the solo sets in the Salon. In just one hour, we were offered vivid glimpses into three entirely different cultures, courtesy of Aboriginal elder Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie (on didgeridoo), Jali Buba Kuyateh (West African kora) and Noriko Tadano (Japanese shamisen). All three performers embraced the intimacy of the setting, chatting to the audience between songs and revealing �� via their deeply felt connection to their instruments �� that playing music is not just what they do, but an intrinsic part of who they are.