From District41 and Oceanik Village comes 'Siva Mai Club' at this year's Brisbane Festival – a fusion of music and dance brought by Pasifika excellence.
It's all in the name, 'Siva Mai' meaning 'come dance'. This event will transform South Bank Piazza into an oceanic village, where all are invited, to gather and party.
'Siva Mai Club' is a fun show for all to witness and enjoy, but it comes with a message – and is a much-needed opportunity for the Pasifika community to take centre stage and showcase their talents and their stories.
The space will be lit up by performers in a melting pot of traditional, cultural, pop-contemporary live music and dance. Suave moves, a dash of island humour, drama, a lot of competition and a whole bunch of surprises – it's safe to say 'Siva Mai Club' is getting ready for some delightful pandemonium for Brisbane Festival.
Here, one of the event's curators Ella Ganza (Mother Of The House Of Alexander), tells us a bit more about what to expect at 'Siva Mai Club'.
Tell us about ‘Siva Mai Club’?
'Siva Mai Club' is a journey exploring the many facets of what it means to be a Pasifika Islander and an Indigenous child of the Moana. A journey of self-discovery, cultural connections, modern expression and the intersection of being Pasifika living on stolen lands governed by the white patriarchy.
What is your favourite element of the performance?
My favourite element of the performance is the cultural acts, the reason being is because we get to connect to culture and our ancestors in a way that we can’t in our everyday life.
What does it mean to you to have an event like this feature as part of Brisbane Festival?
This opportunity is not only wanted but needed, it is crucial for our people to be visible, to be heard, to be represented. We as visitors to this land and the product of immigration are rarely given the chance to not only showcase our Pasifika community, but to share with the world the stories of the best voyages ever lived.
Why do you think it's the perfect event for the festival?
This event is perfect for the festival because of two reasons. One, so often the space is predominately taken up by white people. Two, Pasifika voices, let alone POC voices, are rarely amplified or simply given the space to be the centre of their own narrative. This show will indefinably speak life to our people. However, I hope it delivers a greater message to allies on the importance of parking your privilege and to allow others to activate space.
Where did it begin when it comes to this event being a platform in the festival?
It began in a conversation of the importance of showcasing our people.
You’re one of the event's lead curators?
I’m responsible for creative direction such as choreography, music arrangement, curating the performances, liaising with the ensemble, the dancers, the band, and finding a rhythm that is cohesive of our stories.
What has been your biggest challenge as a curator?
The biggest challenge has been liaising and adapting with everyone’s busy schedules and executing the performances to ensure a dynamic experience.
'Siva Mai Club' is the kind of show for audiences that love ______ . . .?
This show is for everyone! Not only does it speak to the matters that pertain to Pasifika people, but it aligns to the narrative of what it means to be unseen and unheard; a story of triumph, which everyone can relate too.
Is there one message you’d like the audience to take home for 'Siva Mai Club'?
The importance of discovering, connecting and living in the truth of your identity. Collating all aspects of your truth from language, music, dance, storytelling, humour, disconnection, trauma, oppression, racism, profiling and coming to an understanding that these aspects are part of your experience. It's knowing how to navigate the complexities of triumph and failure that will spiritually connect you to your sole purpose and ultimately your identity.
'Siva Mai Club' plays South Bank Piazza (Brisbane Festival) 13-16 September.
