Sydney Festival will take place across Sydney from 6 to 28 January. There’s less than 3 weeks til it starts!
Below are the 4 shows you must see!
1. BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA
One of the shows you must see at Sydney Festival is Bassekou Kouyaté and his group Ngoni Ba, who are one of the big names in Malian music. The ngoni, an ancient form of the lute, is their instrument and ‘Ba’ has the meaning of both ‘group’ but also ‘strong’.
Even if their instrument may be ancient, their music certainly is not. It is more rock and blues (with the addition of some electric guitar). This is modern Malian music.
Bassekou Kouyaté himself is known as the world’s best ngoni-player.
It’s a husband and wife duo on stage accompanied by other members of the group Ngoni Ba, who play different sized and sounding ngonis. They have played festivals around the world including WOMADelaide. Go and see them at Sydney Festival on 16 and 17 January.
2. GOTYE PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO JEAN-JACQUES PERREY
With his ondioline orchestra, Gotye presents a tribute to Jean-Jacques Perrey, French composer from the 40s. Gotye refers to Jean-Jacques Perrey as his “spirirtual grandfather” and his influences can be heard in Gotye’s music.
Gotye led a group who painstakingly restored ondiolines and they with Gotye will play songs by Jean-Jacques Perrey at these special Sydney Festival shows on 16 and 17 January 2018.
3.MEOW MEOW’S PANDEMONIUM
Always a favourite at the Sydney Festival, cabaret performer and innovator, Meow Meow will lead us into her chaotic, subversive and sublime world.
In this new show, that Meow Meow has just done with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Meow Meow will this time be accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Iain Grandage.
This show promises to be an unforgettable evening of music and mayhem. Showing us her wide talents, you can expect to hear everything from Piazzolla tangos, to Weill, Brecht, Brel, and even some Radiohead! But as always, Meow Meow doesn’t just sing, she writes and performs her own songs.
You can be a part of Meow Meow’s Pandemonium at the Sydney Festival on 22 and 23 January.
4. THE DAISY THEATRE
The Daisy Theatre comes from Canadian’s reputed puppeteer’s own “théâtre de marionettes“. The Ronnie Burkett Theatre of marionettes will perform with more than 40 marionettes in this Sydney Festival show. Even more impressive is that the show is completely improvised based on the news events of the day. No two shows are the same so you can see it several times during the Sydney Festival and not see the same thing twice.
This isn’t a puppet show for children though. This is a puppet show which is most definitely for adults.
All of the characters created and brought to life by Ronnie Burkett will perform in a cabaret/musical style. Expect burlesque marionettes, parodies of well-known songs from opera, French cabaret and the Las Vegas strip.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes. The Daisy Theatre is its 13th show.
You can see The Daisy Theatre at the Sydney Festival nightly (except for Mondays) from 13 to 26 January.
What shows are you going to see during the Sydney Festival?
