Twelve-piece feminine percussion project, Meninas Da Lua will be performing in Brisbane as part of BEMAC’s Singout Sista Series.
The Singout Sista Series is a performance dedicated to showcasing female world music run by BEMAC. As part of this series, Meninas Da Lua will showcase their high-spirited celebration of Afro, Brazilian and folkloric sounds. Meninas Da Lua are a vocal and dance collective based in Byron Bay.
Mariana, one of the percussionists in the group, says that Meninas Da Lua translates to Moon Girls, which has a special significance to them. “The moon in many ancestral cultures is the feminine energy.
"It’s the energy of the mother, the energy that looks after us, the caring energy that protects nature and protects the waters and the lives. It’s the creator of life. We are a group that aims to honour the feminine energy,” Mariana says.
Aside from singing and dancing, Meninas Da Lua have a bigger social and cultural purpose in their performance to promote unity and mixed cultures. “We have a very strong, spiritualised idea of culture.
"We believe culture comes to gather people together. To make us grow as a society and to make us stronger through social transformation. So our group is related to that. It’s not only music; it’s music for a bigger purpose,” Mariana explains.
With them on this journey, Meninas Da Lua bring the instruments and sounds of Northern Brazil. “We have many kinds of drums… Drums that come straight from Brazil to here.
"There’s a very big connection with the African-Brazilian roots and indigenous roots as well, so our performance is based on that. It’s about bringing from Brazil the indigenous rhythms that aren’t usually seen… These rhythms are more present in the north of Brazil because we have more African colonisation and lots of indigenous [peoples].”
Meninas Da Lua only formed a year ago, but have had the opportunity to share their performance and represent their culture here in Australia with the help of organisations like BEMAC. “We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to do this and represent our culture in Australia.
"Australia has been so good to us. All the doors seem to be open for us to do this. So we are very happy to be able to represent our culture here,” Mariana says.
“We think that showing these different cultures and all this diversity that the world has, and Australia has, is very important in bringing cultures to people and showing diversity and how we should really value all different cultures.
“BEMAC has been bringing this opportunity where people see the diversity and they understand that they are a part of it and they can make their culture, whatever it is, and be valued for it. I really think that’s very special.”
Meninas Da Lua have prepared an energetic and colourful show for Singout Sista. “What people say about our performance is that they can tell we are not there only to play for them, that we are there giving more.
"We come with something else that they don’t really know but they can see and they feel it,” Mariana says.
BEMAC presents Singout Sista: Meninas Da Lua on 10 December at the Queensland Multicultural Centre (Brisbane).
