Sector: Arts and Culture
Country location: Australia
Grantee: OzAsia Festival

Project Description

This new collaborative work brings together two of the most distinctive and expressive vocal practices in the world: Yolngu manikay (song) tradition from north east Arnhem Land, and Korean p'ansori 'street opera'. It also features two of these traditions' most eminent exponents, Daniel Wilfred (Arnhem Land) and Bae Il Dong (Seoul).

The p'ansori tradition involves years of isolated practice in the mountains of Korea with dedicated performers singing into waterfalls to develop volume and intensity. Yolgnu manikay is one of the oldest continuously practised music traditions in the world and consists of a series of songs, passed down through generations from the ancestral beings that originally shaped and named the Yolngu homelands in Arnhem Land. While manikay and p'ansori embody very different approaches to human voice and sound there is also much that links these approaches: stories, improvisation, a focus on extreme refinement of vocal techniques, and repetitive/hypnotic rhythmic elements, along with a sense of voice that rises from the earth.

Bae Il Dong and Daniel Wilfred will be joined by a dynamic constellation of Australian Art Orchestra musicians including Peter Knight (trumpet), Simon Barker (drums) and Jenny Barnes (voice) for the world premiere performance at OzAsia Festival 2017.

Key dates:

• Launch of 2017 OzAsia Festival program, 25 July 2017 to 09 August 2017
• Artists undertake music residency and development, Melbourne, 04-15 September 2017
• Artists to finalise performance preparations, Adelaide, 25-29 September 2017
• World premiere season of 'From Seoul to Arnhem Land' at OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, 30 September 2017 to 01 October 2017

Social media: www.ozasiafestival.com.au, www.facebook.com/ozasiafestival/, www.instagram.com/ozasiafestival, #OzAsia, @OzAsiaFestival

Australia-Korea Foundation grant offer: $11,000.00