Tag Archives: performers

India is home to a number of classical dance and drama forms: usually enacting stories from Hindu mythology, and each conforming to an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. Each has its own distinctive regional roots. In Kerala, Kathakali takes its place as a nationally recognised art form, known for its elaborate makeup, stylised […]

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I’m not the first to say it, but music crosses boundaries: the boundaries of time and place. One of the things I always loved about the annual Easter long weekend Byron Bay Bluesfest music festival was the cross-section of ages, styles, and origins, of the performers – and of the audience members. The family-friendly event always […]

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Any visitor to these pages knows I love my music festivals. While small festivals (eg: Thredbo Blues, Thredbo Jazz, and Vancouver Island Music Festival) have their charm, the granddaddy of them all is the annual Easter long-weekend Byron Bay Bluesfest. I first attended back in 1999 when it was a three-day celebration of local and international […]

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It was hot. And dark. And chaotically noisy. And, I loved every minute of it! To a non-Indian, a Kathakali dance performance can best be described as a Punch and Judy show on steroids. One of India’s many forms of regional classical dance, Kathakali is unique to Kerala on India’s southwestern Malabar Coast. After spending a […]

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Fresh air, mountain walks, and music – it doesn’t get much better than January in Thredbo! This year marked the 30th iteration of the Thredbo Blues Festival: three days of quality music in Thredbo Village: Australia’s highest alpine resort (albeit not very high!), known for its skiing in winter and hiking and mountain biking in […]

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