Young Woman Biting her Thumb Even by Ethiopian standards, the Mursi tribes are remote; even by OmoValley standards, they are considered fierce.
If I had to choose one word to describe the Mursi people of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, I’d have to say “proud”.
There are roughly 7,500 pastoralist Nilo-Saharan Mursi living across approximately 1900 square kilometres of semi-arid land in an isolated corner of southwestern Ethiopia, close to the border with South Sudan. A tall, good-looking people, they are linguistically and culturally related to the more-populous Suri. The Mursi are a proud group with a rather aggressive reputation. Other tribes fear them, and tourists approach them with caution. They are prepared to have their pictures made – but it will cost you!
I was indeed visiting to make pictures.
I was travelling on a Piper Mackayphotographic tour under the direction of photographer Ben McRae. My six fellow-travellers and I had got into our Grand Holidays Ethiopia Tours & Travelvehicles early – very early – to drive from Jinka, across Mago National Park, and into Mursi lands, arriving at our designated village before the sun – or the villagers – were up.
The Mursi measure their riches in cattle and are considered among the wealthiest groups in the Omo Valley. Virtually every important life-event is marked by the exchange of cattle.
But, tourists – especially photographic groups – are the real cash-cow! For many years, all the Omo Valley tribes have operated a “pay-per-click” tourism business, and the Mursi are experts at it. They are also in demand because of their remarkable headdresses, and because their women are among the few groups who still wear lip-plugs. They will face the camera: fierce and magnificent. They won’t necessarily engage with the photographer. Or smile.
I’ve talked before about the dilemmas of pay-for-click tourism, and have posted some of the pictures I “bought” in this Mursi village (see: The Mursi and Mursi Men). One of the biggest problems I had was the transactional nature of the exchanges, and the fact that it encourages “model shoots” rather than fostering any real cross-cultural understanding.
But, I had only a few hours and a lot of Ethiopianbirr in small notes; it was not my place to completely change the socio-cultural dynamic. When the black back-drop, the off-camera flashes, and the soft-boxes came out, I took my turn in the queue.
Even so, I tried to interact with people, instead of just seeing them as photo-subjects – or worse: objects to be photographed. I’m not entirely happy with my pictures, but I am pleased that I tried to honour the people, rather than just trying to mould them into stylised shapes for the sake of “pretty” pictures.
This post – my last from this village – includes a few of the people I met and photographed, and hopefully captures a little of their mighty attitude!
Mursi Village Morning Mornings in the village get off to a slow start. The fires outside the simple huts are small, the utensils are few, and the treasured water bottles are reused many times. In full face- and body-paint, women grind grain for the staple sorghum porridge or fruit for the local fermented drink.
Baby, No Lip-Plate I haven’t yet found a definitive explanation of lip-plate wearing, but among Mursi women it is said to be an expression of maturity. Although inserting the plate is not compulsory, women are thought to be more “graceful” if they do.
Beads, No Lip-Plate Even women who have cut and stretched their lips and ears for plates do not wear them all the time. The skin hangs loose when the plates or rings are not in. I found this woman – with her beaded fringe and steely expression – transfixing.
Old Woman Eye problems, dental problems, and a sagging lip: ageing is no fun anywhere, and I have to wonder about the additional difficulties faced in these remote communities with inadequate access to health services.
Woman in a Headdress The women wear some extraordinary headdresses, constructed from some unlikely materials.
Woman in a Metal Headdress Each headdress is more fantastic than the last! This one of metal, fruit, and horns was a winner.
Woman with a Lip Plate The woman wearing it demonstrates how she puts her lip plate in.
Young Women These young women were determined to show off their scarification – and to earn double pay-per-click!
Woman in a Beaded Headdress So many people have red eyes! Probably from the smoke and dust in the environment.
Stretched Earlobes There is a simple elegance in these faces; …
Fruit and Horn Headdress They hardly need the elaborate headdresses to highlight their beauty!
Woman in a Doorway The low doors to the huts are small; the lip plates are large. I can’t help but wonder how people get in and out of their houses!
Family Tableau In and outside the village compound, people just seem to drape themselves into groups in the glaringly-bright morning light.
Youngster with Cow Horns Fierce attitude against a searing sky – there is nothing tame about the Mursi people! The popular nilla headdress of warthog tusks joined with iron fittings to a leather and rope headpiece is worn by men and women, and even made to decorate cattle. In this instance, the look is embellished with cow horns.
The Look The proud gaze, framed by the nilla headdress, meets the camera head-on.
Beads, Bangles, and a Baby Sister Everywhere, you see young children in charge of their younger siblings. Even the very young know how to collect the requisite photo money: this little one has it rolled up and tucked into his arm bangles.
Mursi Scarification : Natural Light As the light grew more harsh, I made use of it to highlight the keloid scars. (ISO200 110 mm 1/400sec at f/11 -3EV Bright natural light)
Mursi Scarification : Natural Light Traditionally, only girls had kitchoga on their stomach and on their backs. If the young women decide it is too painful a process, the full designs may be left unfinished. (ISO200 200 mm 1/400sec at f/18 -3EV Bright natural light)
Mursi Man and his Weapon I’ve posted this shot before (see: Mursi Men): it is such a prototypical portrait of a Mursi warrior with his automatic weapon. (ISO200 63 mm 1/125sec at f/7.1 + Off-Camera Flash)
Young Mursi Mother It is not quite noon, but the day is already unremittingly hot and bright. We run out of time to “pose” everyone in front of the black cloth – this young mum was happy to be photographed where she sat against the greenery of the surrounding bush.
Ethiopian Mountains And so, with our last portraits made, we piled into our vehicles to drive back to Jinka, and from there, to catch a flight back to Adis Ababa.
It was ironic that only after that Mursi village visit – the last tribal visit of our whole Omo Valley trip – while we were lunching in Jinka, we found a little book that explained a little about the customs of each of the Southern Ethiopian groups: Omo Valley: a Guide to the Ethnic Groups by Minalu Adem.
Of course, nothing in that booklet, or in the reading I have done on line, gives any kind of clue as to how these remarkable and unique tribal people will travel into a future of state-sponsored development and global capitalism with their cattle and their AK47s, and with their cultural traditions and animist practices that have changed little over hundreds of years.
Face in Powder Holi – known as the ‘festival of colours’ or the ‘festival of love’ – is a joyful occasion.
Today is Holi: the much-loved Hindu ‘festival of colours’.
In India and Nepal, Holi is celebrated for a night and a day: starting on the full-moon evening of the month of Phalguna or Phalgun on the Hindu calendar. This usually falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March, according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, Holi is on March 21; two years ago – when I was in Nepal as part of a photographic group with travel photographer Gavin Gough and photojournalist Jack Kurtz – it was observed on March 12.
The first written mention of Holi dates to a poem from the 4th century. Then, it was a celebration of the start of Spring, and a thanks for fertile soils and a good early harvest. Today, it also celebrates the victory of good over evil: one story is that it is a symbolic representation of a legend from Hindu mythology, with full-moon bonfires commemorating the victory of Prince Prahlada, a worshiper of Lord Vishnu, over his resentful demon-king father and demon-aunt who tried to murder him by fire.
Holi is the time to rid oneself of flaws, to end conflicts with others, and to forgive debts and grievances. But, mostly, the day is for partying and pure fun. Armed with water guns and coloured powder, people (especially – though not exclusively – young people) roam the streets in groups, covering everyone they see in colour. Many groups carry drums and other musical instruments as they sing and dance from place to place. In Nepal, Holiis a public holiday, so the streets and city squares are full of revellers.
Out doors, everyone is fair game, and it pays to wear clothing one is not attached to! The colours are meant to be water-based (traditionally, natural dyes from turmeric, neem, dhak, and kumkum; today, more commonly commercial pigments); in practice, they are messy. I had plastic covers taped over my cameras, and was wearing light-coloured clothing that I was willing to leave behind, an old scarf to protect my hair, and goggles over my glasses.
I was prepared for almost anything as we headed into the ancient Newar city-state of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, just a short drive from our hotel in Kathmandu.
Face-Powder in the Crowd The town square is crowded with young Nepali looking to apply colour to anyone they find, but the mood is friendly and respectful: …
Model in the Crowd … a model in traditional costume (who is in the square for a formal photo-shoot) passes through the crowd untouched. This is in stark contrast with stories I have heard out of India, of visitors being roughly handled while being covered in powder.
Into the Streets of Bhaktapur Laughing and singing, the group moves off into the old city.
Powders on the Pavers Traditional colour are made from medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors, and are thought to prevent Spring fevers and colds. They are sold in the weeks before Holi – …
Colours for Sal … but there are plenty available on the day.
Boy with Colour on his Nose Most of the colour I see is cheerful, …
Old Newari Woman … but some of it is more traditional vermillion tilaka.
Wearing Colour Groups of young people are all around, …
Pasting Colour … happily plastering each other …
Young Woman with Face Powder … with cheerful Holi colours.
Smile in Powder The broad smiles are as warm as the sunny morning.
Powder Selfie Just like young people the world over, the friends in the square pose for selfies.
Group on a Lion Holi is a time for friends: they gather in groups around the earthquake-damaged relics in the city, …
‘Colour Gang’ in the Street … and roam the narrow, cobbled roads; …
Like Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ … some of them singing and dancing, accompanied by drums, flutes, and tambourines.
Friends in the Sun Everywhere, groups of friends are giggling and laughing as they fill the streets with colour.
Powdering Faces Holi gives young people the opportunity to test out relationships.
Blue Man
Water Spray from Above At an intersection, people at a window high up pour water onto the group of revellers gathered below.
Face Powder and Frivolity
Crowds in the Square
Face Powder Flying The powder goes everywhere; …
Exchanging Face Powder … some of it even lands on its target.
‘One of Us’ Visitors to Bhaktapur are having almost as much fun as the locals.
Unlike other Hindus festivals, there are no religious requirements around Holi; people can simply relax, celebrate, and have fun. This is probably part of what makes it one of the favourite local holidays.
Chef Orlando Lardi Making Pizzoccheri Wherever you go in Europe, you find al fresco dining and unique regional cuisines. In Val Poschiavo – a valley in the Italian-speaking corner of Switzerland – buckwheat, or what the locals call ‘Saracen wheat’, is a dietary staple. Pizzoccheri, a tagliatelle made from buckwheat, wheat flour, and a range of vegetables, is a much-loved local speciality.
I loveEurope!
I love the history in the stones and buildings. I love the food and wine. I love how every place is so different from its neighbour. I love how accessible those places (generally) are by rail, and how train journeys are (usually) clean, safe and efficient.
Of course, we were travelling the easy way: we were in Switzerland, and train trips there are as clean, safe and efficient as they come. And, we had the added advantage of touring with Swiss friends who knew the region well.
The first part of this particular trip had taken us – by train – from Pfäffikon in the canton of Zürich, and through the magnificent Bernina Pass to Alp Grüm, before dropping into the Val Poschiavo (see: Railway Dreaming). Our travel companions had family working in the town of Poschiavo, so we broke our rail trip south for an overnight stop before picking the train up again the next day.
Poschiavo is a town of just over 3,500 people, situated in the southernmost corner of Switzerland. The Bernina Pass is the town’s only direct connection to the majority of the canton of Grisons or Graubünden, and the remainder of the country. The official language in the surrounding valley is Italian – although the canton as a whole recognises Swiss German and Romansh as well – and it is easier to get into Italy than back to the rest of Switzerland.
We were looking forward to being on solid ground after a morning on the train – and to taste-testing the unique local foods.
Village in a Valley Our train has transported us south through a magnificent mountainous landscape before dropping into the Val Poschiavo (see: Railway Dreaming). Our travelling companions have family in the town of Poschiavo, so we broke our rail trip south on the UNESCO-listedBernina Express to meet them for lunch. (iPhone6)
Chef Orlando Lardi The best short-cut to good dining is local knowledge. We follow our friends into town, and find Orlando Lardi, one of the general managers of Hostaria del Borgo, outside his restaurant making the local speciality: pizzoccheri. Also known as pizzoccheri alla valtellinese, this hearty alpine dish is popular throughout this valley that runs along the Swiss border and into Italy.
Pizzoccheri on the Boil Like any other pasta, the trick is fresh ingredients: combined with love and kept on the boil until al dente. The vegetables – most commonly chunks of potato, cabbage, and Swiss chard – are put in the pot first, and the pasta is added once they are partially cooked.
Ingredients In addition to the basic tagliatelle ingredients of eggs and flour (buckwheat and plain wheat), pizzoccheri rely on the extra staples of garlic, potato, cabbage, Swiss chard, butter, cheese, sage, and mountain herbs.
Plating up the Buckwheat Noodles Chef Orli dishes up an order of pizzoccheri. No one is quite sure where the name comes from: some say it is from piz, meaning a ‘little bit’ in the local dialect. Others think it comes from the Italian pinzare, ‘to pinch’; others claim it’s from the dialect word bizzo, meaning ‘a mouthful’.
Cheesing the Noodles The dish is rich enough for cold winter weather: full of sage-and-garlic infused butter, bitto (a semi-soft Alpine cheese), and freshly grated Parmesan.
Pizzoccheri Noodles Of course, the main ingredient is a love of food and cooking; we enjoyed every mouthful.
The West Portal Once we could move again after our hearty meal, we set off to explore the small town. Our first stop was at the medieval collegiate church of San Vittore il Moro, with its west door carved in Baroque style. The building is listed as a Swiss Heritage site of national significance.
Inside the Collegiate Church of San Vittore il Moro It is an elaborate church for a small town – and it isn’t the only one! The populace of Switzerland is predominantly Christian, dating back to the Roman era. According to the 2014-2016 census, members of the Catholic Church (37.2%) outnumber those in the Swiss Reformed Church (25.0%), with other Protestants adding only a small percentage (2.9%). That is especially true in this area, in the mountainous canton of Grisons or Graubünden, where the practice of Protestantism was forbidden for a time by a treaty in 1622, following battles between competing factions wanting control over the alpine passes. Here in Poschiavo, 86% of residents are Roman Catholic.
Piazza Comunale The late-summer weather is beautiful, and the restaurants spill outside into the piazza.
Sausages in the Square It is market day – or maybe every day is market day?
Bone Edelweiss The outdoor market includes tourist trinkets and carved handicrafts. Naturally, renderings of the country’s national symbol are on offer.
Budding Photographer A young visitor to the market …
“Smile!” … and I take pictures of each other.
Mountains Overhead Our sunny afternoon is framed by glorious mountains…
Another Plaza … and elegant 19th century Renaissance architecture. The market stalls line several streets in the borgo (village).
Casa Comunale la Tor (1712) Flags, geraniums and bicycles: what could be more Swiss?
Reformed Church Built in 1649, the Reformed Church of Poschiavo …
Reformed Church Interior … is much simpler inside than its Roman Catholic counterpart.
Geraniums Every where is tidy – and embellished with flowers.
Skulls in the Chapel The tiny Oratorio Sant’Anna has/is an ossuary, and has countless skulls arranged on shelves: the oratory operates as a mortuary chapel.
Oratorio Sant’Anna … especially when contrasted with the ornate altar, dating to about 1740.
Ossuary – Oratorio Sant’Anna Chalk drawings depicting the cult of the dead, surrounded by skulls, are an eerie sight, …
Between the Skulls A porthole in the ossuary looks out over a garden full of new life.
Skull Although the Oratorio Sant’Anna dates back to 1439, and the railings on the portico leading into it date to 1732, it has only been used as an ossuary since 1902-1903.
Crossing into Italy Later that evening, our hosts drove us across the border and into the Italian hills, where we ate at a wonderful little family restaurant in what used-to-be a mountain-raider’s hide out. (iPhone6)
That’s what I love about Europe: you can be in Switzerland for lunch, wander through history all afternoon, and still drive to Italy for dinner.
And of course, in both countries, the food was fresh and wonderful.
[…] to visit with friends and family and to enjoy the sights in this small Italian-speaking town (see: Switzerland for Lunch). We were up early the following morning to take the next leg of the journey: across the Italian […]ReplyCancel
[…] the Bernina circuit, travelling with Swiss friends (See: Railway Dreaming; Spirals from Poschiavo; Switzerland for Lunch; and The Crossroads of the Passes). We had arrived in Lugano on the red Bernina Express Bus […]ReplyCancel
Looking over the Mountains of Central Province It takes a lot of steps to climb to the top of Sigiriya – the 200 metre monolith in Sri Lanka’s Central Province – but even on a rainy day, the view from the top is well worth the effort.
Sometimes, it would be nice to have a tour guide.
Someone, for example, who speaks English and the local language, and who knows where the ticket-office is. Someone who can give you an idea of what to expect, and can tell you a bit about what you are seeing.
If I had been willing to pay the inflated prices quoted for visits to local attractions by the resort that I was staying at, I suppose I would have had all that and an air-conditioned car. But, when prices in Asia are listed in US dollars, you know you will be paying well-over market value!
I was travelling solo on a trip that had been originally planned for two, and had been dropped at a property in North Central Province, Sri Lanka: in the middle of rice paddies – in the middle of nowhere. And, it was raining. A lot.
To say I was feeling a bit isolated and trapped would be an understatement: especially when I read the fees for transport options in my compendium!
So, I took advantage of a break in the weather, google-mapped the route to the nearest town, and set off on a bicycle to negotiate day-trips with a local tuk-tuk driver. With a lot of sign-language and the help of half the neighbourhood, I arranged to have him take me to Sigiriya, the UNESCO-heritage listed ruins of an ancient stronghold about an hour south of me.
Sigiriya (Sinhagiri– සීගිරිය), or Lion Rock, is an ancient palace and fortress complex, built between 477 and 485 CE by King Kashyapa I (reigned 473–495), high upon the monolithic remains of a magma plug from a long-eroded volcano.
My driver was lovely – or seemed so, considering we had no language in common. I’d coordinated the final details with the help of a reception clerk, and I was confident we’d be fine. I packed an umbrella and a raincoat, and the tuk-tuk had roll-down plastic windows; we set off into the rain and hoped for better weather.
When we finally arrived in the Sigiriya parking lot, it was not clear where I needed to go to buy tickets – nothing was signposted, and naturally none of the guys hanging around smoking spoke English any better than my driver. Somehow, I managed to wend my way through the endless corridors of some sort of featureless administration building, find a counter with a person at it, and purchase an entry ticket. Clearly, most visitors have guides who do this for them.
Once I’d retraced my steps back to my tuk-tuk driver, I discovered that a “local guide” had latched himself onto us: for a price, he’d take me into the site. It wasn’t clear to me whether I had to use his services or not, so it seemed easiest to agree.
And it was still raining …
Rain in the Rice Patties The rain-flooded countryside is quite beautiful as we chug along in our three-wheeled tuk tuk. (iPhone6)
Entrance to Sigiriya The rock-fortress of Sigiriya is considered one of the most important examples of urban planning from the first millennium, and sits amid one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Visitor entry to the city-complex is through these gardens.
Rain over the Rock The gardens are divided into three forms: the first of which are the water gardens. Lion Rock (Sigiriya or Sinhagiri) rises up through the rain clouds in the background.
People on the Steps Umbrellas are everywhere as the rains continue and we climb from the outer water gardens towards the cave and boulder gardens.
Deraniyagala Cave This whole area is dotted with caves, many of which were occupied by Buddhist monks and ascetics from as early as the 3rd century BCE.
People on the Steps Paths and steps wind up (and down) through a combination of bricked terraces …
Boulder Arch No 1 … and natural rock. Caves either side of this boulder archway have been used since before the days of King Kashyapa I.
Monkey on the Steps Watch your belongings! Anywhere tourists gather in Sri Lanka, the endemic toque macaques (Macaca sinica) will try to take advantage.
Posing on the Lion Steps Nothing quite prepares you for this massive monolith rising up out of the plateau at the top of the terraced gardens. There was once a sculpted lion’s head over the entrance, but it has long since collapsed.
Lion Paws The massive carved feet that flank the stairway give some idea of the animal’s size. There are 1200 steps leading up the lion’s sides: through the frescos and mirror wall, and to the top of the rock.
Buddha in the Distance The rains have stopped, but clouds still hang over the surrounding jungle and mountains.
Dog on a Wall A local dog keeps an eye on me as I take in the view.
Heavenly Maidens No photos of the wall paintings decorating the western face of the rock are allowed, so I’ll share a postcard with you. These frescos date back to the 5th century CE .
Looking Down Looking back down over the lion’s paws, the people on the plateau look very small, and it is easy to imaging the jungle reclaiming the rocky outcrop.
South Palace Complex The outlines of the old fortress at the top of the rock are amazing. The palace was in use until King Kashyapa was defeated by the rightful heir to the throne, his half-brother Moggallana in 495 CE. Moggallana converted Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex.
The Ruins The footings of the old citadel are extensive and – with the recent rains – full of water like swimming pools.
People at the Top of Sigiriya
Over the Mountains The views over the countryside extend in all directions.
Rice Fields of the Central Province It is easy to see why the patricidal usurper of the throne, Kashyapa I, chose this site over the less-secure capital of Anuradhapura.
The Broken Lion When I climb back down from lion, the plateau is less crowded, allowing me to get a better view of the front.
Walking Down Walking down from the plateau, we follow a different path through the layers of gardens.
Audience Hall The wooden walls and roof are long gone, but the polished “floor” on this boulder – now split in two – was the base of the Audience Hall where King Kashyapa conducted affairs of state.
Asana Guhawa Cave Another cave, showing giant traces of the paintings that once decorated it, sits under …
Cobra Hood Rock … the strange outcrop known as Cobra Hood Rock. Personally, I think it looks more like an elephant trunk.
As soon as my “local guide” received his payment at the bottom of the hill, he disappeared. I’m still not sure if I was required to have one; nor am I sure that he actually added any value, as it turns out, the site is much better marked than the ticket office!
Still, I enjoyed exploring –
and I knew that the tuk tuk driver I had organised myself would get me home in time for dinner.
[…] After making it back to the resort safely, my driver and I were both enboldened, and with the help of a translator, we agreed arrangements for a trip further afield the next day (see: Sigiriya). […]ReplyCancel
Sunrise on the Ramshead Range It was cold – bitterly cold and windy – as we waited for the sun to rise over the Australian Alps in Thredbo, Kosciuszko National Park. Cold – but worth the wait.
Mountains are the home of my soul.
Wherever I have lived, aside from a brief stint in the flat, endless oasis that is the CanadianPrairies, my eyes have been pulled to the nearby hills and mountains. Whenever I need healing time, or the space to just “be”, those mountains have attracted me.
Any regular visitor to these pages knows that I often visit the Snowy Mountains of Australia for some quiet contemplation, especially as one year slips into the next. I find these sojourns in nature restorative.
After an intensely difficult year last year, I needed more time-out than usual. So it was fortuitous that an ad for the first-ever Yoga & Wellness Mountain Retreat at the Thredbo Alpine Village in Kosciuszko National Park crossed my path. I didn’t have to think about it for long: it seemed to be exactly what I required. I had been wanting to expand my yoga practice for some time, and I was going to be in the mountains anyway for my usual New Year’s break. I had been planning to stay through for the annual Thredbo Blues Festival: the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!
And perfect it was.
I spent three weeks tucked into my Jindabyne nest, with regular visits to Thredbo for walks, yoga, and music.
Join me for a few of the highlights.
Walking on the Ramshead Naturally, our Yoga & Wellness Mountain Retreat included regular yoga sessions. But, it also included a couple of lovely guided walks. The first was following the Dead Horse Gap track, down the Ramshead.
Silver Snow Daisies I’m always cheered up by the sight of silver snow daisies …
Billy Buttons … and sunny yellow billy buttons, both of which are only found in Australia’s southeastern mountains.
Talking about Wim Hof As part of the retreat, we learned a little about Wim Hof breathing and ice baths from instructor Leah Scott. I’ll spare you the pictures of me turning blue in a mountain stream!
Caterpillars in the Kosciuszko Rose All around us, there are reminders of life’s possibilities.
Yoga Mats Ready Very, very, early the next morning – before the sun was up – we were once again on the Ramshead, ready to practice our Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation.
Sunrise on the Ramshead The cold and wind defeated us, however, and we satisfied ourselves with just watching the sun rise over the ranges.
Mount Kosciuszko Walkway Following a boxed breakfast (out of the wind), we set off on another “guided” walk: …
People on the Walkway … this time, up the hill via the metal walkway that leads to mainland-Australia’s highest “peak”, the top of Mount Kosciuszko.
The New South Trio A week later, I was back at the Alpine Hotel in Thredbo: this time for the annual Thredbo Blues Festival.The highly-regarded New South Trio opened the weekend at The Pub.
Harry (and Aidan) – The New South These accomplished blues, jazz, soul, and funk musicians have wowed audiences at the festival before, but this is the first year that guitarists Harry and Aidan have been old enough to play inside the licensed venues!
Empty Stage I love the delicious anticipation of an empty stage!
Anna Scionti Of course, it is SO much better when the performers take their rightful place. Anna Scionti has a passion for guitars – and for story-telling songs.
Hussy Hicks I didn’t wander around as much this year as I usually do, but I couldn’t resist sneaking upstairs to the Schuss Bar to catch one of my festival-favourites: the folk-roots-rockers, Hussy Hicks.
Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker The soaring vocals of Leesa Gentz, and Julz Parker’s virtuoso guitar, are at once powerful and intimate, drawing the audience into their world of original songs..
Ivor SK By complete contrast, back in the Lounge Bar, gravel-voiced Ivor Simpson Kennedy sings early Mississippi-Delta blues classics.
Fiona Boyes Billed as a blues musician, I think singer-songwriter-guitarist Fiona Boyes absolutely rocks!
Julz Parker and Kane Dennelly One of the high-points of festivals is the collaboration that happens: Hussy Hicks join 19Twenty during their crowded and crowd-pleasing performance in the Keller Bar.
Cameron Fallaw The other beauty of festivals is the breadth of music on offer. Playing country honky-tonk, …
James Cisco … The Excellent Smithers fill The Lounge Bar with sound.
Jordan Thomas Trio On the Saturday morning, I stopped Poolside briefly before heading up the chairlift …
Shane Pacey … to the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant for lunch, and the Shane Pacey Trio, …
The Top of Merritt’s Nature Track Lunch at the Eagle’s Nest gives me the opportunity to walk Merritt’s Nature Track back down to Thredbo Village below.
Mal Eastick with the Cyril B Bunter Band … and guest Mal Eastick. These are stalwarts of the Australian blues scene, …
Dancing Feet … and not music you can sit still to!
Nick Charles & Pete Fidler I love the laid-back atmosphere of the Thredbo Blues, but the tiny, back-lit venues are not always conducive to clear views or good photos.
Pete Fidler on LapSteel Guitar The music, however, is always wonderful!
Hussy Hicks I booked myself into the Burger Bar for dinner and Hussy Hicks; …
Julz and her Shadow … Julz’ passion is unmistakable, …
Leesa Gentz … and Leesa’s joyfulness is infectious.
Russell Morris I finished my night in the Kosciuszko Room: if Russell Morris is playing, I’ll be there!
Dom Turner and the Backsliders The festival organisers made my Sunday easy, …
Backsliders … putting several of my old favourites on at the same place.
Peter Robinson’s Guitar
That Look! Peter Robinson
Jordan Thomas Trio I rounded out my mountain-time with a bitter-sweet dinner-for-one and the lively, youthful accompaniment of the Jordan Thomas Trio.
It was restorative.
I drove off the mountain – still sad, but in command. Mountains, yoga and music make anything manageable.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
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