Multi-award winning world music favourites MZAZA present their new show 'The Birth And Death Of Stars'.
Based on the award-nominated album of the same name, 'The Birth And Death Of Stars' draws inspiration from history's philosophers and astronomers, leading the audience on surreal voyage through the ether to explore what links us to each other and the world around us.Sitting comfortably between music and theatre, the show is a powerful collaboration of creative minds featuring director Benjamin Knapton, Finnish animator Laura Matikainen and writer Pauline Maudy (2023 Australian Folk Music Awards Artist Of The Year).
Take a step away from the everyday and contemplate our place in the universe to the sounds of some of Australia's most uniquely diverse musicians, storytellers and composers who hail from diverse corners of the globe.
Brace yourself for an exquisite fusion of vocal harmonies, accordion, violin, shah kaman, percussion, double bass, and guitar.
"MZAZA started in 2004 in Brisbane's West End," Pauline says. "I was asked to put together an act for Valley Fiesta (an annual festival that takes place in Brisbane).
"I wanted to create something that was reminiscent of some of the French, Spanish and North African sounds I grew up with, so I walked around to local cafes asking if they knew anyone who could play that kind of music.
"A few hours later Greta (who plays violin and shah kaman and still breathes energy into everything we do) walked past, picked up my number. . . and the rest is history!
"Since then we have collaborated with so many people and our sound has grown and evolved, embodying our take on contemporary folk peppered with references from French chanson, Balkan music and sometimes a bit of punk energy."
'The Birth And Death Of Stars' tour will travel across Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory during a two-and-a-half-month run spanning August to October 2024.
The six-piece ensemble will visit over 19 major venues and arts festivals, including Darwin Festival, New Annual Festival in Newcastle, and the North Australian Festival of Arts in Townsville. While on tour, MZAZA will also conduct free community workshops for local musicians and singers of any age and skill level.
"The making of 'The Birth And Death Of Stars' has been an incredible odyssey, starting with the album, which we recorded in Athens in late 2018 during a European tour," adds Pauline. "In 2020 we were supposed to tour the album in Europe and start touring it in Australia, but the pandemic happened.
"I had started harnessing my studies in theatre to write text around the songs and had found this awesome collage animator, Laura Matikinen. Then we met director Benjamin Knapton and, together, we created this moving dream of music, visuals and lights that takes us on a surreal journey into the cosmos every time we step onto the stage."
Adds James Lees of Brisbane Powerhouse: "MZAZA's stunning show, 'The Birth And Death Of Stars', reminded me of two things – the profound value of music and art to take us out of our daily lives, and also to remember to look UP and away from our screens and pressing demands.
"Above us is the sky, the stars and the cosmos unfolding in an aeon's old story that we are just a tiny part of. This beautiful perspective was playfully and elegantly conveyed in the show which combined virtuoso playing, stunning vocals and gorgeously atmospheric visuals and lighting. We are all stardust indeed!"
Tickets are on sale.
MZAZA's The Birth And Death Of Stars 2024 Tour Dates
Fri 2 Aug - Redland Performing Arts Centre (Brisbane)Fri 9 Aug - Senior Citizens Centre (Gympie)
Fri 16 Aug - Araluen Arts Centre (Alice Springs)
Sun 18 Aug - Darwin Festival
Sat 24 Aug - Tastes of the World Festival (Rockhampton)
Sun 25 Aug - Yeppoon Town Hall
Sat 31 Aug - Blue Mountains Theatre
Fri 6 Sep - Bondi Pavilion Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 7 Sep - Bondi Pavilion Theatre (Sydney)
Sun 8 Sep - Riverside Theatres (Parramatta)
Sat 14 Sep - Jetty Memorial Theatre (Coffs Harbour)
Sun 15 Sep - Brunswick Picture House (Northern Rivers)
Thu 19 Sep - New England Regional Art Museum
Fri 20 Sep - Capitol Theatre (Tamworth)
Thu 26 Sep - North Australian Festival of Arts (Townsville)
Sat 28 Sep - New Annual Festival (Newcastle)
Thu 3 Oct - The Wedge Performing Arts Centre (Gippsland)
Sat 5 Oct - Clocktower Centre (Melbourne)
Sat 12 Oct - Stanthorpe Civic Centre
