Each month at Soul Food we feature some of Australia's most highly acclaimed musicians. These artists come from diverse backgrounds, share a wide range of genres and deliver performances that inspire, provoke and enlighten.
You can learn a bit more about them here.
Megan Kenny on flute, and Michael Johnson on harp August 2009 Megan Kenny has been a professional flautist for the past 20 years and has toured in the UK, Europe and Asia. She has performed with acclaimed orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony and Opera Orchestra of South Australia, and has performed with recognised artists such as Margaret Urlich and Kate Ceberano.
Michael Johnson has been performing around Australia for nearly thirty years and is currently the resident harpist for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. He has played alongside a diverse range of performers such as Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Christine Sullivan, Suzanne Johnston and The Australian and Victorian Welsh Male choirs. Visit Michael Johnson's site
Liz Frencham – Double-bassist and vocalist July 2009 Liz studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has been a professional musician for over ten years. She is an experienced session double-bassist and vocalist who has worked with some of the best in the industry, both locally and abroad, including The Waifs, English songwriting team Chris While & Julie Matthews, Jigzag, award winning songwriter Fred Smith, Dev’lish Mary, iconic vaudeville showman Mic Conway and guitarist Robbie Long. Visit Liz Frenchman's site
Kavisha Mazzella June 2009 Born to an Italian father and Anglo-Burmese mother, Kavisha is an ARIA Award winning musician and singer who creates poetic and passionate pieces infused with the energy of Italian folk traditions, Country, Celtic, Mediterranean and Gypsy influences.
As well as leading the Kavisha Mazzella Trio (with Irine Vela and Peter Vadiveloo), she collaborates in theatre projects, teaches workshops in voice in Italy and Australia and has run choirs such as Melbourne based "La Voce Della Luna" Italian Womens choir of which she is the current Musical Director.
Merging musical boundaries and blending ethnic and social lines to promote harmony, Kavisha's performances promise to leave an enduring impression. Visit Kavisha Mazzella's site
Jenny M Thomas – The Fiddle May 2009 Jenny is a notable fiddle player and vocalist specializing in contemporary, folk and traditional Australian music. She has previously performed as a soloist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and as a performer and teacher in various folk festivals in Australia, Europe and the UK. Bold, inventive and original, she has composed for television and feature documentaries and together with her world music band 'Akin' received an ARIA nomination for ‘Best World Music Album’. Her 2006 album ‘Farewell To Old England Forever’ won a prestigious Golden Fiddle Award, and was chosen as one of the four best CD's of the year by ABC Radio National’s ‘The Music Show’. Visit Jenny M Thomas' site
Juan Martinez & Peter Vadiveloo - Guitar & Percussion April 2009 Juan Martinez was born in Madrid and was introduced to flamenco at a young age. His virtuoso guitar playing has taken him to Australia’s largest festivals and regularly to Japan – the world’s second largest flamenco audience after Spain. He has appeared on television, produces his own albums, and has recorded and toured with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel. Visit Juan Martinez's site
Peter Vadiveloo has been performing nationally and internationally for over 20 years. He has studied, composed and performed in a wide range of world music styles including African, Middle Eastern, Latin and flamenco. He regularly plays with numerous Grammy and ARIA award winners, and his work can be heard on over 20 commercially available recordings. Visit Peter Vadiveloo's site
Lloyd Spiegel - Guitar & Vocalist March 2009With 15 years experience, 6 albums and a numerous accolades to his name, Lloyd Spiegel is one of the most experienced young blues artists in Australia.
He has performed in Australia's premier music venues as well as headlining two sellout shows at the world renowned Melbourne Concert Hall. Between writing and recording, he has toured to Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. He has performed at some of the world's best blues venues and festivals - sharing the line-up with legendary artists including Buddy Guy, Etta James and Ray Charles. Visit Lloyd Spiegel's site
Phil Carroll - Piano accordion & Vocalist February 2009A talented performer on the piano accordion, Ney, Mey, and vocalist. Phil has been a professional musician for twenty years. His passion for the Eastern sound deepened during his travels in 1998 to the Middle-East with The Breezes Of Anatolia Turkish Ensemble and subsequent studies in Egypt, Turkey and Morocco where he collected and studied the Ney "oriental flute" and oriental music. He has worked as a musician in ceremonies and events in Istanbul, and has co-written and produced CDs for the groups Yalla!, Klezmeritis, Bohemian Nights and Dark Waters Tango Ensemble. Visit Phil Carroll's site
Doug de Vries - Guitar November 2008Doug currently plays with the critically acclaimed Diana Clark Trio and the Odeon Guitar Trio. He is a gifted performer across many genres spanning jazz, swing, tango, choro and bossa nova, and is a leading exponent of the Brazilian guitar repertoire. His accompaniments have earned him an Australian Critics Award for best guitarist and a Grammy award nomination. He has toured and recorded with major artists from Australia and abroad including: Andrew Pendlebury, Christine Sullivan, Kate Ceberano, Paul Grabowsky, Andy Bey, Yamandu Costa and Lula Galvao. Visit Doug de Vries' Site
AJ Missaghi - Persian SantourOctober 2008 AJ Missaghi has played the Persian (Iranian) Santour since childhood. With his unique approach and gentle phrasing, AJ has performed at numerous festivals and events around Victoria. He is also a founding member of the Persian traditional music group, Seven Valleys.
Bob Sedergreen - KeyboardSeptember 2008 Bob's high regard and position in Australian music is unquestionable. His impact and influence in performance, composition and education has secured his place as a national treasure. Bob has been associated with some of most recognised talents both in Australia and internationally – the likes of Jimmy Witherspoon, Nat Adderley and Dizzy Gillespie, to name but a few.
From the traditional to the most contemporary, he infuses his music with authority, creative expression and wit. He has recorded over twenty albums and toured extensively both locally and abroad, and in 1990 won the Inaugural Jazz Award for Australia's Best Keyboardist.Visi Bob Sedergreen'ssite
Anthony Field - GuitarAugust 2008 Anthony's performances on the guitar are renowned for displaying colour, maturity and a dynamic energy. Anthony is an award winning musician who has studied under some of the world's most acclaimed guitarists including Manuel Barrueco, John Williams and Leo Brouwer. Amongst his achievements he has toured Australia playing in major guitar festivals, as well as being invited to play in Scotland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic. He has recorded works for Naxos Records with soprano Merlyn Quaife and for composer Michael Atkinson, and has produced a solo CD which was subsequently nominated for an ARIA award.
Ananke Trio (Achilles Yiangoulli, Nick Tsiavos and Anthony Schulz)July 2008 Achilles Yiangoulli, Nick Tsiavos and Anthony Schulz from Ananke. Respectively, a fine singer & bouzouki player, a double bassist whose mastery of the bow reminds you that his instrument is a bass violin, and a virtuoso accordionist.
Ananke’s music is rich in cultural influences and diverse music traditions; from Greek Rebetika to Argentinian Tango, from Crossover Jazz to Ancient Byzantine and Medieval Chant, from cutting edge New Music to free Improvisation. Experience a rare opportunity to see an intimate acoustic performance by three fine musicians. Visit Ananke Trio's site
Invention in Time (Kate Adam and Ariel Valent) - Marimba and VibraphoneJune 2008 Invention in Time are an exciting Melbourne percussion duo featuring marimba and vibraphone and specialising in intricate soundscape compositions. Since forming in 1996 Invention in Time has performed extensively across Australia and in Europe and we are fortunate to have them again at Soul Food. Visit Invention in Time's site
Christine Morris - FlautistMay 2008 Christine is a talented musician who has trained under acclaimed flautists and pedagogues, including Felix Renggli in Switzerland and William Bennett in England. She was a finalist in the Ninth Australian National Flute competition and Hepzibah Menuhin Memorial Award, and has played solo with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, performing Lucas Foss’ Renaissance Concerto. In 2006 Christine was a finalist in the Sydney flute competition and also gave solo performances in Los Angeles and New York.
Kavisha Mazzella, Irini Vela and Peter VadivelooApril 2008 Kavisha has been playing music festivals in Australia and overseas for twenty-one years, and is currently musical director of the Italian Women's Choir in Melbourne - "La Voce Della Luna" (The Voice Of The Moon). She has won many awards, namely an ARIA for "Fisherman's Daughter", produced by iconic Australian singer-songwriter Mick Thomas, and the 'Italia Nel Mondo" award from the Italian Government for her work sharing Italian culture in Australia. Visit Kavisha Mazzella's site
Recently Kavisha, Irini Vela and Peter Vadiveloo have collaborated to play original acoustic music, driven by the desire to say something about the world in which they live. Drenched with beauty, poetry, tragedy and humour, their music comes from a deep folk tradition - their songs and stories entwined by Arabic, Celtic, Italian, Greek and Gypsy influences. Visit Peter Vadiveloo's site
Siki Daha - VocalMarch 2008
You can learn a bit more about them here.
Megan Kenny on flute, and Michael Johnson on harp August 2009 Megan Kenny has been a professional flautist for the past 20 years and has toured in the UK, Europe and Asia. She has performed with acclaimed orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony and Opera Orchestra of South Australia, and has performed with recognised artists such as Margaret Urlich and Kate Ceberano.
Michael Johnson has been performing around Australia for nearly thirty years and is currently the resident harpist for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. He has played alongside a diverse range of performers such as Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Christine Sullivan, Suzanne Johnston and The Australian and Victorian Welsh Male choirs. Visit Michael Johnson's site
Liz Frencham – Double-bassist and vocalist July 2009 Liz studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has been a professional musician for over ten years. She is an experienced session double-bassist and vocalist who has worked with some of the best in the industry, both locally and abroad, including The Waifs, English songwriting team Chris While & Julie Matthews, Jigzag, award winning songwriter Fred Smith, Dev’lish Mary, iconic vaudeville showman Mic Conway and guitarist Robbie Long. Visit Liz Frenchman's site
Kavisha Mazzella June 2009 Born to an Italian father and Anglo-Burmese mother, Kavisha is an ARIA Award winning musician and singer who creates poetic and passionate pieces infused with the energy of Italian folk traditions, Country, Celtic, Mediterranean and Gypsy influences.
As well as leading the Kavisha Mazzella Trio (with Irine Vela and Peter Vadiveloo), she collaborates in theatre projects, teaches workshops in voice in Italy and Australia and has run choirs such as Melbourne based "La Voce Della Luna" Italian Womens choir of which she is the current Musical Director.
Merging musical boundaries and blending ethnic and social lines to promote harmony, Kavisha's performances promise to leave an enduring impression. Visit Kavisha Mazzella's site
Jenny M Thomas – The Fiddle May 2009 Jenny is a notable fiddle player and vocalist specializing in contemporary, folk and traditional Australian music. She has previously performed as a soloist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and as a performer and teacher in various folk festivals in Australia, Europe and the UK. Bold, inventive and original, she has composed for television and feature documentaries and together with her world music band 'Akin' received an ARIA nomination for ‘Best World Music Album’. Her 2006 album ‘Farewell To Old England Forever’ won a prestigious Golden Fiddle Award, and was chosen as one of the four best CD's of the year by ABC Radio National’s ‘The Music Show’. Visit Jenny M Thomas' site
Juan Martinez & Peter Vadiveloo - Guitar & Percussion April 2009 Juan Martinez was born in Madrid and was introduced to flamenco at a young age. His virtuoso guitar playing has taken him to Australia’s largest festivals and regularly to Japan – the world’s second largest flamenco audience after Spain. He has appeared on television, produces his own albums, and has recorded and toured with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel. Visit Juan Martinez's site
Peter Vadiveloo has been performing nationally and internationally for over 20 years. He has studied, composed and performed in a wide range of world music styles including African, Middle Eastern, Latin and flamenco. He regularly plays with numerous Grammy and ARIA award winners, and his work can be heard on over 20 commercially available recordings. Visit Peter Vadiveloo's site
Lloyd Spiegel - Guitar & Vocalist March 2009With 15 years experience, 6 albums and a numerous accolades to his name, Lloyd Spiegel is one of the most experienced young blues artists in Australia.
He has performed in Australia's premier music venues as well as headlining two sellout shows at the world renowned Melbourne Concert Hall. Between writing and recording, he has toured to Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. He has performed at some of the world's best blues venues and festivals - sharing the line-up with legendary artists including Buddy Guy, Etta James and Ray Charles. Visit Lloyd Spiegel's site
Phil Carroll - Piano accordion & Vocalist February 2009A talented performer on the piano accordion, Ney, Mey, and vocalist. Phil has been a professional musician for twenty years. His passion for the Eastern sound deepened during his travels in 1998 to the Middle-East with The Breezes Of Anatolia Turkish Ensemble and subsequent studies in Egypt, Turkey and Morocco where he collected and studied the Ney "oriental flute" and oriental music. He has worked as a musician in ceremonies and events in Istanbul, and has co-written and produced CDs for the groups Yalla!, Klezmeritis, Bohemian Nights and Dark Waters Tango Ensemble. Visit Phil Carroll's site
Doug de Vries - Guitar November 2008Doug currently plays with the critically acclaimed Diana Clark Trio and the Odeon Guitar Trio. He is a gifted performer across many genres spanning jazz, swing, tango, choro and bossa nova, and is a leading exponent of the Brazilian guitar repertoire. His accompaniments have earned him an Australian Critics Award for best guitarist and a Grammy award nomination. He has toured and recorded with major artists from Australia and abroad including: Andrew Pendlebury, Christine Sullivan, Kate Ceberano, Paul Grabowsky, Andy Bey, Yamandu Costa and Lula Galvao. Visit Doug de Vries' Site
AJ Missaghi - Persian SantourOctober 2008 AJ Missaghi has played the Persian (Iranian) Santour since childhood. With his unique approach and gentle phrasing, AJ has performed at numerous festivals and events around Victoria. He is also a founding member of the Persian traditional music group, Seven Valleys.
Bob Sedergreen - KeyboardSeptember 2008 Bob's high regard and position in Australian music is unquestionable. His impact and influence in performance, composition and education has secured his place as a national treasure. Bob has been associated with some of most recognised talents both in Australia and internationally – the likes of Jimmy Witherspoon, Nat Adderley and Dizzy Gillespie, to name but a few.
From the traditional to the most contemporary, he infuses his music with authority, creative expression and wit. He has recorded over twenty albums and toured extensively both locally and abroad, and in 1990 won the Inaugural Jazz Award for Australia's Best Keyboardist.Visi Bob Sedergreen'ssite
Anthony Field - GuitarAugust 2008 Anthony's performances on the guitar are renowned for displaying colour, maturity and a dynamic energy. Anthony is an award winning musician who has studied under some of the world's most acclaimed guitarists including Manuel Barrueco, John Williams and Leo Brouwer. Amongst his achievements he has toured Australia playing in major guitar festivals, as well as being invited to play in Scotland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic. He has recorded works for Naxos Records with soprano Merlyn Quaife and for composer Michael Atkinson, and has produced a solo CD which was subsequently nominated for an ARIA award.
Ananke Trio (Achilles Yiangoulli, Nick Tsiavos and Anthony Schulz)July 2008 Achilles Yiangoulli, Nick Tsiavos and Anthony Schulz from Ananke. Respectively, a fine singer & bouzouki player, a double bassist whose mastery of the bow reminds you that his instrument is a bass violin, and a virtuoso accordionist.
Ananke’s music is rich in cultural influences and diverse music traditions; from Greek Rebetika to Argentinian Tango, from Crossover Jazz to Ancient Byzantine and Medieval Chant, from cutting edge New Music to free Improvisation. Experience a rare opportunity to see an intimate acoustic performance by three fine musicians. Visit Ananke Trio's site
Invention in Time (Kate Adam and Ariel Valent) - Marimba and VibraphoneJune 2008 Invention in Time are an exciting Melbourne percussion duo featuring marimba and vibraphone and specialising in intricate soundscape compositions. Since forming in 1996 Invention in Time has performed extensively across Australia and in Europe and we are fortunate to have them again at Soul Food. Visit Invention in Time's site
Christine Morris - FlautistMay 2008 Christine is a talented musician who has trained under acclaimed flautists and pedagogues, including Felix Renggli in Switzerland and William Bennett in England. She was a finalist in the Ninth Australian National Flute competition and Hepzibah Menuhin Memorial Award, and has played solo with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, performing Lucas Foss’ Renaissance Concerto. In 2006 Christine was a finalist in the Sydney flute competition and also gave solo performances in Los Angeles and New York.
Kavisha Mazzella, Irini Vela and Peter VadivelooApril 2008 Kavisha has been playing music festivals in Australia and overseas for twenty-one years, and is currently musical director of the Italian Women's Choir in Melbourne - "La Voce Della Luna" (The Voice Of The Moon). She has won many awards, namely an ARIA for "Fisherman's Daughter", produced by iconic Australian singer-songwriter Mick Thomas, and the 'Italia Nel Mondo" award from the Italian Government for her work sharing Italian culture in Australia. Visit Kavisha Mazzella's site
Recently Kavisha, Irini Vela and Peter Vadiveloo have collaborated to play original acoustic music, driven by the desire to say something about the world in which they live. Drenched with beauty, poetry, tragedy and humour, their music comes from a deep folk tradition - their songs and stories entwined by Arabic, Celtic, Italian, Greek and Gypsy influences. Visit Peter Vadiveloo's site
Siki Daha - VocalMarch 2008
Siki Daha has been singing and performing since the age of ten. Originally from Perth, he has performed at events and festivals across the country including Burswood Dome, Perth Concert Hall, the Governors Ballroom and World Vision Australia. He has worked with accomplished producers and instrumentalist from across the country and recently finished a demo record, containing six original tracks written and produced by various musicians.
Siki is influenced by artists such as Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Otis Redding, and brings his own unique style of soulful music to the stage. Visit Siki Daha's site
Daquqi (Amadis Lacheta and Myfanwy Aldersun)February 2008 The cinematic soundscapes of Daquqi bring immense life and richness to their interpretations of great 20th century contemporary composers. Formed in January 2007 Daquqi has created music for film, theatre, and shadow puppet troupe 'Stories From The Ground's' performances of 'Mr Dupplings Garden', 'The Baron In The Trees', 'Wild Dog' and 'Digging For Fire'. They have recently recorded their first EP 'kite scapes' with guest bass player Paul Binns.
Their music will uplift you, transport you and take you on a rich soundscape journey of incredible breadth, spaciousness, and intensity. Visit Daquqi's site
Study Circles Small informal groups in which to discuss meaningful topics about spirituality, with like-minded people. If you are interested please contact us.
Soul Food is proudly supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission.