FEATURING: SUN RISING – AMANDOU SUSO – HAVEN CITY – WHIZBANG

Sun Rising

Born from their passion of early rock and roll and blues music, Sun Rising -  The Songs That Made Memphis, is the brainchild of Melbourne musicians, Damon Smith and David Cosma.   Sun Rising pays homage to the greatest recording studio in the history of music, Sun Records in Memphis  and celebrates the songs and stories that pay tribute to the early music of Sun Records. Sun Rising features incredible musical performances, a brilliant narrative and stunning renditions of some of the world’s most loved music.   

Amadou Suso

Master Kora player Amadou Jaly Suso and Friends at always bringing a playful energy to the stage. The Gambian musician Amadou Suso, who plays a stringed instrument called the Kora. 

Suso is a direct descendant of the man said to be the first Kora player, Korea Musa Suso, who lived 760 years ago. 

Amdaou say, “Kora is in my gene from both my parent’s sides, who are born and raised as griots. We the Griots/Jali are traditional historians, genealogists, and storytellers who pass their skills on to their descendants. The instrument is played in Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and The Gambia.” 

Haven City

Forged amid snap lock downs and toilet paper shortages, Ballarat based duo Haven City is the collaborative triumph of BJ Humphrey (guitar/vocals) and Sarah Spaven (vocals/guitar).

BJ, a guitar teacher with multiple projects currently in the works, met Sarah, a budding lyricist, when she began learning guitar from him. When the last ten minutes of a regular lesson turned into a song writing session, the duo quickly realised the synergy of their musical and lyrical abilities. The more time they spent together, the music spilling out of them, the more certain they became that they had something special together. Their trust and respect for each other made the decision easy and in a few short weeks Sarah and BJ became Haven City.

Whizbang

Whizbang is a 16-piece original big band comprising brass, woodwind, a rhythm section and vocalists, based at Ballarat High School. The band has been in existence since 2000 and in that time has released 9 studio albums and performed at festivals, community events, school concerts and touring shows. All repertoire is student generated across a variety of genres from latin to pop to jazz and prides itself on the variety of original compositions.  

The band is presently working on album number 10 which will be released in 2023 on vinyl.  

FOODIES

Boost Juice – Deja Brew Xpresso – Garden Bar – Kitchen Chameleon – Luigi’s Gelato – The Paella Guy – Mr Squidgy – Round the Way – Tim’s Toasties