MEDIA RELEASE. 12 February 2016

Transcription

1 MEDIA RELEASE 12 February 2016 Aboriginal Traditional Custodian, Kevin Duncan, is to lead a cleansing ceremony at Mt Penang Gardens, the first in thirteen years, to acknowledge country and to prepare for the inaugural Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ. The Mount Penang Garden Parklands has not had an Aboriginal Cleansing Ceremony since the gardens opening in The beautiful Gardens and the surrounding parklands is home to numerous Aboriginal businesses, is rich in heritage places and it is central to an area that has been used for ceremony for thousands of years. Aboriginal ceremony is used to acknowledge country and connect with mother earth. A Smoking ceremony is a way of cleansing the area, remembering the past, and so for all who use, live and visit the parklands can benefit into the future. Aboriginal Traditional Custodian Kevin Duncan, will lead a moving and spiritual Smoking Ceremony, with his soul stirring didgeridoo and cultural songs, on country. In Aboriginal culture we use ceremony so we can pay respect to the land and it s people. For an event, we use ceremony to make the area culturally & spiritually safe, and to say that we come with respect. Says Kevin Duncan. The inaugural Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ, named after the nearby waterfalls, and quite befittingly is Aboriginal for a place of Meeting of the waters i.e. Muddy Water, will be held within the Gardens on the 5 th March by Xabc Entertainment. Apart from the music it will have a strong Aboriginal content, with indigenous bands including Aboriginal BB King, Buddy Knox and the 2015 "The Voice" finalist Gail Page; Welcome to Country Ceremony; and Women s activities. Festival Director of Xabc Entertainment, Bruce Johnson, say s The Central Coast is one of most indigenous rich areas of Australia. I think it is important to pay to respect to our indigenous brothers and sisters, so we can create a terrific energy, not only for the festival, but all who use, work and study here. The Ceremony will take place with the Bottle Tree Section of the Gardens at am.

2 PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WHEN: WHERE: WHAT: Saturday 27 th February 10-11am. Bottle Tree Section of Mt Penang Gardens Parklands Road, Mt Penang Parklands, Kariong, NSW Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony, Didgeridoo and song, with Kevin Duncan, followed with a song from Aboriginal Blues Musician Buddy Knox. WHO: Aboriginal Elder Kevin Duncan - Barabarang, Aboriginal Blues Musician Buddy Knox, Festival Director Bruce Johnson. Deborah Swan - Mirring Aboriginal Corporation TBA: Girrakool Blues Festival Artists, Market Stall-holders, Representatives from sponsor 2GO. Naomi Neilson Central Coast Regional Development Corporation. Central Coast Tourism & Naisda. MEDIA ENQUIRIES Bruce Johnson Festival Director Girrakool Blues Festival for Xabc Entertainment Pty Ltd bruce@xabc.com.au Mobile: MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 5 th of March 2016 is shaping up to be a very special day at the Mt Penang Gardens on the Central Coast for the Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ. With the announcement of the 11-band line up, across 2 stages, there is something for everyone. It s guaranteed to be not only a great event full of fantastic music, but also a way of immersing ourselves in aboriginal heritage and culture, while feasting on soul food from our Slowcooked Texan Style BBQ s. Mississippi, 4-time winner Blues Music Award s Drummer of the Year Cedric Burnside will headline the Festival. Australian Festival Favourites, The Backsliders, will provide the blues not roots of the festival. Adding to the New Orleans theme is keyboardist, Clayton Doley with his 10-piece big band Clayton Doley s Bayou Billabong. This years the Voice Finalist Gail Page will belt out some powerful soul drenched blues, while Multi-award winning Aboriginal BB King, Buddy Knox and Sultry singer Kate Lush will take to the Girrakool Stage, under the big Oak Tree in the Amphitheatre section of the Gardens. Set among the Wondabyne Sculptures, rock away with the Dai Pritchard Blues Band. Feel the heat of the dueling Organs with Carolyn Pinecone Packer & Alison Penny. Get your wings flapping for Chicken Train Skifflers, see winners of 2015 Bluesfest Busking Comp Grizzlee Train, and sing along with local alternate-country Star Jessica Belle. Host, and comedic genius that is George Smilovici will tie all these blistering acts together. In the same vain as Bill Murray hosted Eric Clapton s Crossroads Festivals, there s bound to be a few well-hidden adults laughs in-between acts. "I am over the moon about being asked and able to MC this new and exciting festival of Blues. Say s George, Not only will our audience experience an incredible national and international lineup of artists and Bands but they'll also get me, Australia's most genuinely funny and outspoken proponent of the comic arts. Really, I'm the Ant's pants of standup comedy. To me, laughing, like music, it s what makes us human so come and celebrate your humanity at the Girrakool Blues Festival and BBQ, I insist!

3 Set among the beautiful surrounds of the Gardens at the Mt Penang Parklands, Kariong, patrons will also be able to feast on Texan slow cooked BBQ, and other soul food stalls, immerse themselves in Aboriginal Culture, and view the talents of our local arts community. Festival Director and Xabc Entertainment owner, Bruce Johnson say s I feel the Central Coast is crying out for an event like this. And since it will be held in the stunning Garden Parklands it will be easily accessible and cater to everyone from all walks of life. Original and Unique, Girrakool Blues Festival will cater from the very young to the young at heart. Males, females, families, lovers, music lovers, and event stalkers (socialites); from the struggling to the affluent, from the artistic to the intellectuals, everyone will enjoy the Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ. With the official opening starting at 11am and going through to 7.30pm in the daylight savings time evening, ticket prices will include all 11 International, National and Local Australian Blues and Roots Artists, across the 2 stages, Aboriginal Welcome to Country, Aboriginal Women s activities, a roving Jazz Band AND the comedic legend, George Smilovici. Good music and good food is good for the soul, says Bruce Johnson it s what makes people feel good. This is why we ve incorporated all the elements, music, food, great surrounds it has all the positives and can only be enriching for the soul. In a rare combination of Music, Culture, Food and now comedy, Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ is set to be the event not to miss on the 5 March For tickets and more information go the website: or give us a call at General Admission Tickets include: Family Tickets $195 (+BF) - 2 Adults (over 15 yrs.) and 2 Children (between 5-15years) Buddy Tickets $250 (+BF) 4 Adults (over 15 yrs.) Single Adults $70 (+BF) - (over 15 yrs.) Children 5-15 $35 (+BF) Children under 5 are free MORE ABOUT XABC ENTERTAINMENT Alissa and Bruce Johnson, are a husband and wife team, and make up the Xabc Entertainment directors. They have successfully run the business, firstly the partnership as Xabc Productions, since 2002, and then as an incorporated entity from 2011 until the present day. Xabc started as a production company and as the name suggests, are made up of Ex- ABC TV Production Crew, working on many high profile television programs during their time there. As a production company Xabc have produced Documentaries, Corporate Video s, Music Videos and Commercials. Some of our clients are: Gosford City Council, Naisda, National Parks & Wildlife NSW, Darkinjung Land Council, 5 Lands Walk INC. After Bruce had a car accident he turned to music in his rehabilitation. He had always loved listening and playing music, but now he truly understood the power of it s healing. So he decided to turn to music promoting and Xabc Entertainment was born. Past tours include the legendary artists Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Louis Walker and John Hammond. Noticing there was a hole in the festival market in his hometown of the Central Coast, and with the garden parklands offering the perfect venue, Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ seemed a natural progression.

4 OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS MEDIA ENQUIRIES Bruce Johnson Festival Director Girrakool Blues Festival for Xabc Entertainment Pty Ltd Mobile:

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