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World Music Sweethearts ‘The Jammin Divas’ first Australian Tour.

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Heading down under for their first ever Australian tour, international sweethearts The Jammin’ Divas bring an eclectic mix of music harking from the US, Ireland and even a bit of inspiration from Australia. The group – featuring Aoife Clancy (Ireland), Nicole Zuraitis (USA), Kath Buckell (Australia) and Hadar Noiberg (Israel) – formed three years ago and have already earned a considerable following throughout America and Canada, and are rapidly gaining an ever-growing fan base across the world. Their music is a sharing of cultures and in true world music fashion it features a blend of blues, traditional folk, jazz and contemporary influences. Now, they’re performing a string of headline tour dates around Australia in February and March, as well as joining the coveted line-up of the 2014 Port Fairy Folk Festival.

Australian member Kath Buckell can’t wait to share the group’s music with Aussie audiences. “I am incredibly excited to play on my home turf and the girls are as well,” she says. “Aoife performed in Australia 20 years ago at Port Fairy Folk Festival, so this is a full circle for her in her career. Aussies are so down to earth and are a lot of fun, so we are looking forward to sharing our music with them and meeting a lot of wonderful folks and sharing their stories.”

The Jammin’ Divas share their music via stunning three part harmonies, soaring melodic flute solos and funky grooves on the double bass. The show features each individual artist performing a set, complemented by the harmonies of her other group members. The songs have been arranged so that each artist gets to showcase their own material, bringing in their own musical style and language.

Kath says even though the group’s style is a fusion of roots and world music, there is no one genre that defines them. “Even though we draw on the roots of traditional music, we don’t consider ourselves a traditional group,” she says. “We really have made all the traditional arrangements very contemporary and we also have original material as well. There is a lot of storytelling, laughter and a very strong educational component of how each of these cultures influenced each other through music.”

Aoife Clancy has strong musical roots. Harking from Ireland, she is the daughter and niece of the famous Clancy Brothers. As an internationally recognised artist herself, she is a Grammy nominee and from the mid-90’s was part of the acclaimed group ‘Cherish the Ladies’. Throughout her career, she’s toured with artists such as Christy Moore, The Clancy Brothers, The Paddy Noonan Show and many more. Aoife performs her own versions of traditional songs that she has reworked to give a modern context, as well as selection of songs written by her family.

Nicole Zuraitis is an American artist who has been turning heads with her huge voice and catchy melodies. She’s well-reputed for bridging the gap between genres, lending her vocals to styles such as R&B, pop and jazz to name a few. In 2013 she was a finalist in the Songdoor International Songwriting Contest and was also part of the 2013 New York City Battle of the Boroughs Competition. She’s performed with some of the world’s most iconic artists, including support slots with Dave Brubeck and The Platters, to name a few. Nicole’s set includes her original material, as well as classic American songs such as I Know You Rider and People Get Ready. 

Kath Buckell is an Australian who now lives and works in the US. Considered a rising folk-rock artist, she recently won honorable mention for her song Orphaned by the Colour of My Skin in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. She’s toured extensively, performing to packed houses in Israel, Europe and throughout the States. She is currently working on a project close to her heart – Faces Do Not Change – which aims to preserve traditional Australian poetry put to her original music. Poems such as those penned by Henry Lawson, Andrew Barton Patterson and Dame Mary Gilmore find their way into her set, as well as her original compositions.

Joining Aoife, Nicole and Kath onstage is revered flautist, arranger and composer Hadar Noiberg from Israel. She is a major force in the Cuban, jazz and world music scenes and seamlessly fuses her Middle Eastern roots into her instrumentation. The Jammin’ Divas knew instantly that Hadar would perfectly complement the show and she now writes all the musical arrangements that help create the group’s dynamic mix of cultures that results in an eclectic world music sound.

Describing elements of the show, Kath says the group are all close friends. “We have a lot of respect for one another, so when we come together to perform there is always this magical chemistry that lights up between us,” she says. “I feel that this only enhances the energy of the show and we really love to engage the audience that way as well through our authentic characters and personalities.”

The Jammin’ Divas recently recorded a new long player November Winds. It features a combination of original material and some covers of songs such as The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and Galway City. Australia is the first place the album is being released in the world and audiences will have a chance to grab their copy at the Aussie shows. Tickets are on sale now for The Jammin’ Divas first ever Australian tour – don’t miss this tour, it’s guaranteed to be unforgettable.

While each of these talented women is individually recognised as an accomplished player and vocalist, it is their combined artistry that creates an unparalleled musical dynamic – The Standard Times NY [2011]

The Jammin’ Divas are a ‘must see and hear’… with rich textures of passionately played instruments combined with stunning harmonies and moving stories – Mia Dyson [2013]

Adelaide Show:

Saturday 15th February 2014 

Trinity Sessions [The Church of Trinity], Clarence Park, ADELAIDE SA 

www.myspace.com/trinitysessions

For more information, please visit www.thejammindivas.com

 

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