Music News - Waitakere Festival Returns For A Community Event Like No Other
22 September 2014 - 0 Comments
Celebrating the best of the West once again; Waitakere Festival is back for 2014 with more reason than ever to get involved. A community event sharing Westie pride with wider Auckland, Waitakere Festival is a genuine experience involving live music, poetry, art, community initiatives and a thriving local marketplace.
Established in 2010, Waitakere Festival has become a yearly fixture in West Auckland’s rich cultural landscape, growing every year in scope and size to actively support future initiatives for the community.
2014 sees Waitakere Festival bigger than ever before. Taking place on 2 November from 11.00am to 6pm, the sprawling historic Corban Estate Arts Centre is a first-time venue for the Festival. The daytime event brings together creative and social facets of West Auckland life together in an engaging hot-plate culture and conversation across several zones: from the main stage musicians, a vibrant local marketplace and curated food alley of Auckland’s most delicious street eats, and the Keep Waitakere Beautiful Action Hub -- which aims to do exactly what it says!
New to Waitakere Festival in 2014 is The Community Zone, showcasing an important part of what’s great about life out West -- the grassroots creativity and activity happening on a daily basis. What you’ll find is a range of community activities and information including talented local performers (acoustic musicians, spoken word performers, dance and gymnastics groups), live artworks, community groups sharing advice (West Auckland surf lifesavers, for example), face painting, henna artists and more.
Over on the main stage you’ll find a foot-tapping (or booty-shaking) range of dynamic performers including Sal Valentine & the Babyshakes, Arthur Ahbez, Ha the Unclear, Mice on Stilts and Ophelia.
Regarded as one of the finest live acts in the country, Sal Valentine & The Babyshakes have twisted the fabric of musical time to deliver you a curated selection of infectious and original rhythm and blues. Frontman and songwriter Sal Valentine is framed by a slick quartet of horns and a polished rhythm section. Alongside the instrumentalists stand the foils to Sal Valentine: accomplished vocalists Chelsea Prastiti and Siobhan Grace. They are collectively named The Babyshakes, and have been declared by Valentine to be 'Auckland's Number 1 Band'.
Arthur Ahbez is usually found around the outskirts of town donning a good pair of roman sandals and a cactus shirt. Inspired by the ethos of Jazz, Folk, and Psychedelic movements of the 1960’s, Arthur found freedom in expressions which reflect his understanding for honest, versatile music. A two year long writing and recording process with an 8-track tape deck resulted in his acid folk debut album, Gold, ranging from sombre folk acoustic tracks to hip swinging jams. As a live band Arthur performs with a four-piece known as Superbird, with which he works to create high energies and emotions, to push open doors and invite people to take part in the moment.
Ha the Unclear create a unique blend of off-kilter pop and vintage songs, “somewhere between the absurdists and the pop melodists,” declares songwriter Michael Cathro. The band came to fruition from a string of Cathro’s bedroom recording sessions. Cathro recruited his brother Paul on bass and Benjamin Sargeant on drums (both from alt-pop outfit Alizarin Lizard) to complete the live experience.
Cinematic doom-folk band Mice on Stilts explore the blooming emotions of life in all their weight; using sound as their medium for expressing their creativity and inviting others to share in their first studio release, An Ocean Held Me. Beginning as an outlet for singer/writer Ben Morley has worked for two years, culturing a live show into an expansive eight-piece incarnation.
A meeting of two distinct musical minds; Ophelia is the brainchild of composer/producer Patrick Shanahan and singer/songwriter Alex Louise. Drawing influence from dubstep, indie/folk and orchestral soundscapes, Ophelia emerged with the debut EP Face the Sea, lead single ‘Not So Frightening’ garnering the duo attention. Ophelia’s second EP Invisible offers a deeper fusion of storytelling and beat-driven production. A strong live show combines intriguing visual elements with Louise’s commanding presence for an intimately moody performance.
A vibrant marketplace includes vintage and upcycled fashion, art, quirky collectables, artisan food products and crafts, included the beautiful Mettaville handmade notebooks. The local food alley will have a collection of awesome treats on offer, including Loukoumades (delicate Greek doughnuts), Spanish Churros and savoury food galore. An open-air Garden Bar will be the perfect place to sit back and sup on a cold Hallertau brew in the late spring sun.
The Keep Waitakere Beautiful Action Hub gives people a taste of what it’s like to be involved in leading community-based environmental initiatives by participating in ‘micro-actions’ like potting up a native plant for stream restoration with Project Twin Streams -- bringing an environmental and future focus to a wider audience, attracting new generations of supporters.
The Waitakere Festival couldn't function without assistance from some generous sponsors who are dedicated to celebrating West Auckland’s diverse and multi-faceted culture. Key sponsors and supporters of Waitakere Festival 2014 include Auckland Council; Henderson-Massey Local Board; Waitakere Rangers Local Board; Keep Waitakere Beautiful (Action Hub sponsor); Hallertau; MPHS Community Initiative; Auckland Zero Waste Alliance; and Corban Estate Arts Centre.
For the first time ever, Waitakere Festival is reaching out to our community to help put on this valuable local event. A crowdfunding campaign is being launched, aiming to raise at least $6000 to ensure this year’s Festival can go ahead. You can support the Waitakere Festival directly by making a contribution here.
This year will see this extraordinary community event grow further than ever before; into an amazing, cross-cultural experience bound to connect people across grassroots, business and local government channels, while celebrating the spirited, invigorating talent and creativity that West Auckland is replete with.
Waitakere Festival
2014
2 November 2014,
11.30 - 6pm
Corban Estate Arts
Centre
426 Great North
Rd, Henderson 0612
11:00am – 6:00pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/waitakerefestival
Website: www.waitakerefestival.com/
Pledge-me campaign page: www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/2636
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