Canberra National Multicultural Festival 2015

A kaleidoscope of colours, sounds, sights, flavors  transform Canberra from a quiet and rather sedate town to an exciting and vibrant  City when the National Multicultural Festival unfolds in the city centre . With daily Entertainment over six stages ,representation from over 60 Embassies & Consulates , food stalls from hundreds of regions of the world, handcrafts and presentations from many cultures melting together in the city center. 

I had flown up to Canberra on friday afternoon to meet the Inka Marka guys who were performing at the festival . They had driven up from Melbourne earlier in the week , to rehearse and meet up with Andy the singer from Los Chavos, to organize a spectacular opening for the festival on Saturday evening on Stage 1, the main stage for Entertainment at this years Multicultural festival. 

The performance was great. Inka Marka & Los Chavos opened the night with a traditional tune called Sariri Paya Video  Click the link to see the video . Los Chavos are a very talented Ska, Reggae,Folk, Big Ban fronted by Bolivian singer songwriter Andy Jaregui .

The Inka Marka guys  were set up on a small side stage area just before the famous Justice Crew and warmed up the crowd with a few tunes.

The evening started off with some Samoan dancers. They were as exotic as they were talented. 

Next came a group made up from people from many Pacific nations, Including New Zealand, Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, to name but a few. 

The New Zealanders were not to be out done. They greeted the crowd with a fierceness that was both scary and intriguing.

The next day, the Inka marka guys who were invited back to perform at the festival , were set up on a small stage area near the carousel, a popular meeting point in Canberra's city center. Who should we see but our Ecuadorean friend Eduarado who lives in Bathurst, but was down to add support to the small Ecuadorean community in the ACT. We spied him in the crowd of people who were being entertained by Inka Marka. 

After a few hours of music, shopping, and catching up with friends, it was time for lunch.
The trouble was that there was way too much to choose from. The Paella looked amazing, but a little awkward to eat as I wandered around the city center taking in the sights and smells.

The Turkish Gozleme was also inviting. The long windy queue was a testament to its popularity. This young man was cutting them up as fast as they came off the grill. I decided that the spinach & fetta cheese was just too good to resist. This stall had their own secret touch. They crisped the dough on one side, and then on the softer side they drizzled olive all and a few basil leaves. 

Not sure if these ladies were this guys mum aunties, and sister. They certainly seemed to enjoy their cooking session.


This certainly seemed to be a family affair. 

I was so hungry that the Gozleme  didn't even hit the sides.

The next culture that caught my eyes, and my taste buds was the Peruvians cafes.

There were several. What to choose?                             

There were spicy chicken wings, Anticuchos, and more...

In the end I settled for a Pork Chicharon roll with Spicy rocotto sauce, and Pilsner chaser. 

It was delicious. 

Enjoying my roll and beer in the park with my friend Aline whilst watching some African dancers .

The next thing we spied was a Dragon , He decided to do a bit of a dance to the Andean tunes.!

More Pennang Lah..... heritage disctrict continued

More Pennang Lah..... heritage disctrict continued 

Just to finish of the Pennang 2013 trip, some more random pics taken from around the heritage district. Th shrine above was on the verandah of an old shop house, still very much lived in, yet the shophouse must have been over 200 year old, and really looked like nothing had been done, including maintenance, painting, gardening for that time !

Trying out some special affects on the  Iphone camera, this is the picture of the house row, where the above shrine pic was taken.
This part of the heritage area is very much a living and breathing community , people live here, and more than once or twice we were caught peering in the front door to see a family of multi-generation

sitting and talking around a low table on the floor, or someone snoozing on a rattan mat. Once karen sneakily took a shot and the whirr of her camera lens alerted the resident to our covert photo taking!

This pic on the left shows you what happens when old meets new, many of the up-market delis' restaurants, bake houses, and even backpackers are old shop-houses that have been renovated to a high spec, and suddenly the tone of the area goes from heritage to yuppie. Urban regeneration happens all over the world, and if it's the only way to preserve the rich architectural heritage of a location, then so be it.

    




There were so many photo opportunities, and   as I have previously mentioned, Thank you GOD for digital photography . This was another old shop house just around the corner for Chulia street, that caught my eye. Its regeneration had just started, and the old tree that had been growing inside the building for several years was slated to be removed.

  

Again Love Lane, where this temple has stood since the mid 1800's. I don't think anything has changed except for the plastic chairs and car now sitting in the front yard.












   
Georgetown_(Malaysia) Is an interesting city in that it offers an insight into Chinese immigration, the Colonial indentured Indian labor migration, and of course the local Malay culture.
One thing that I have not mentioned is the Peranakan Culture distinctly Malay, and a subtle blend of Chinese, Malay and other influences that are distinctly of this region.

The British were not the only wealthy people living in Pennang, nor did they really control the political and social life of the majority of the population of this time. The one place I recommend that anyone visiting Pennang goes to is the Peranakan Museum
also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world, especially in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.

     The early Tile work can be still seen in pathways and pasages between the early shop houses, and on the floors of many of the old Chinese temples . I've taken the pic with a sepia tinge to add some age and character to the shot.  The tiles are usually a soft pastel shade, often incorporating pale pinks, greens and blues. 

The wealthy  Peranakan  lived a well to do lifestyle, often a cross between Chinese and western influences. Their homes contained all the latest accruements of modern living, gas Lamps, Early ice box refrigerators, Luxury cars, and fashions from Europe were the signs that they were well to do. In private however, many traditional Chinese customs were strictly adhered to, thus often leaving the younger generations confused about where they stood in these years in society. 

Penang World Music Festival 2013

Pennang World Music Festival 2013 

Inka Marka on the main stage Pennang Botanical gardens stage

You know that you've made it as a musician when see you see your photo on an advertising street banner with a phone number to book tickets for your gig!  The Pennang World Music festival is one of the large music events on the Malaysian Events calender. After a hiatus of several years, the music festival recommenced with a bang and flurry of publicity. 

The Pennang World music festival was first held in 2007, and run by the team from the Rainforest World Music festival events management out of Kuching Borneo, The artist director Jun Lin Yeoh, and the team from the Sarawak tourism board brought across many of the artists and backstage crew who had the weekend before had successfully held the 10 year anniversary of the this event in Santatubong Rainforest event. 

The 2013 event was run by a different team, with many of the same backstage staff, sound and staging teams,  and volunteers from Kuching, coming across to make this event a success.



This picture was taken of Karen & Enrique back stage at the Pennang Botanical gardens stage ,before they went on stage to perform.  Enrique had taken a break from touring with Inka Marka for several years, and the band as well. The many fans in Malaysia were extremely happy to see him back with the band, and were very vocal about cheering when he appeared on stage. Enrique's golden voice is one of the signature sounds of Inka Marka, and to have him back for this event was great. After a quick rehearsal, and sound check, a look around to make sure that the small monkeys in the park didn't come down on stage and steal anything important.. It was time to hit the stage.

The Khoo Kongsi Chinese Clan House .

Khoo Kongsi Pennang with Inka Marka on stage Opening night preview for Press and Dignitaries

http://www.khookongsi.com.my/

This is one of the most important pictures on the page , The Sista's or the Artist Liaison officers as they are officially known. With many years of experience under their belt at herding, shepherding, cajoling, insisting, and finally castigating errant musicians , sound crew and band managers. These girls get the show on the road. Without these volunteers, these amazing music festivals and events would never occur. They volunteer their time, out of pocket expenses, travel and love, to these major International events. Over the passed ten years or aso, Ive gotten to know them VERY well. They have become our life long friends, and their generosity and wonderful spirit have been an in inspiration to Inka Marka.

Colin Wei the chief engineer and Sound man 
 taking a well earned break from sound checks, band set  ups .
  The stage was set up in The Botanical gardens which unfortunately for us, had a tribe of small monkeys living in the trees right behind the main stage. it was a constant battle for all of us with them as they were constantly steeling anything that  wasn't tied down.

Johan the stage manager in action, trying to round up lost musicians

Karen & Michel tuning up for a sound check !

Michel & Alex on stage

Jose & Michel deciding what to do whilst hosting a winds workshop 

Pennang Lah !

Easter 2013 and I was off to Pennang again, accompanied by the Inka marka guys, as it was a work trip this time, to perform at the  Pennang World music festival  at the Botanical gardens.
Inka marka @ Pennang 2013 (press the letters & follow the link to hear to  see the video )
How much better could a trip to one of my favorite places be, accompanied by one of my best friends Karen, and the Inka marka guys. The festival was run by the crew from Kuching so the artist liaison officers and back stage crew were all well known to us , and some of them close friends from previous visits there. Anita, Angela, Sunita, Azahar, Jo Han, Gracie, Pein Li  to name a few were all there as volunteers or in official capacity. So good to see these friends again.  This was Karen's first trip to Pennang, and we weren't going to waste a minute of it hanging around the hotel. Whenever we weren't rostered for press, soundcheck or rehearsals, we were out and about, literally walking the length and breadth of Georgetown. These are a couple of pic staken of the Street art that Pennang is famous for.
As soon as we had a spare moment, we gathered up the "sisters" Anita, Angle & Sunita,( our friends from Borneo who were volunteering at this event)  and headed off to explore the Georgetown.
First place we headed to was Dharmikarama Burmese Temple  just a short walk from our hotel.
This temple is a juxtaposition of styles, and across the road is another temple Wat Chaiya Mangkalaram .Thousand of pics were taken, and all I can say is thank god for digital photography. The reclining budha is Fanous but I cold only manage to get the toe in shot !

China town & Chulia street were a must stop location. We wandered down Chulia street till the end, turned left and were confronted with the biggest Joss sticks I have ever seen. The temple although not large, was well maintained with several small shops surrounding the entrance. 

After Chinatown, we continued ahead for half a block till we came to Little India.
There is no Asian city complete without a "little India" and as soon as we entered the precinct, all that could be heard were the screaming speakers of the Bollywood classics of the day blaring out in competition with each other. Little India is in the center of the Pennang Heritage zone, covering three streets, Chulia Street, Queen Street and Jalan Pasar . Along this street or Market street as it is known in English are many brightly colored Indian Clothing stores, selling everything Indian, Saree's Wedding dresses, Beautifully embroidered fabrics and many beautifully embroidered shirts and cotton kurtas.

I had an unfortunate interlude here with and Indian shop owner who just didn't seem to want us foreigners in her shop. Shopping in Asia is very different than shopping in Australia. In Australia, we like to be left alone until we make a decision, then we either try the garment on, or just pay for it and go.  In Little India, you are stalked, cajoled, harassed and finally sweated into buying something. After being followed around the shop for 10 minutes, ( I had every intention of buying something) I finally found a beautifully embroidered shirt I was interested in. The shirt was not expensive by Australian standards, but I think it may have been for Malaysia. I asked to try the garment on. I was given a firm no. The owner of the store finally stepped into the negotiations after I had politely asked her assistants to step back and let me browse, as I cant buy something if I cant see what I want, or find the right size. They must have been working on commission because "step back" to them was interpreted as lets push harder to see if we can make a sale as she is obviously interested in something !  The shirt I was interested in was around $60 Australian , not expensive for a beautifully crafted silk Kurta shirt with a full embroidered front and tiny silver buttons, which would have sold in a trendy boutique in Oz for several times that amount , on sale! When i finally found one in a size and color that I found attractive, the Owner promptly said to me, You too FAT! This Not fit you, Go.. leave my shop! I was stunned to say the least. What had happened in the mean time  as I was browsing, a large Indian wedding party had stepped into the already cramped space, and the owner was already counting the money in her head that she would make form this sizable sale should she manage to snaffle them. She just wanted the two foreigners out of the shop as quickly as possible to make space for the many Aunties and cousins already looking to park their backsides on a plastic stool or rickety chair. I have to say, I was quite shocked, and taken aback...but decided I would not spend my hard earned cash in a place like this..
We wandered several shops down the same street and came across a similar shop with an older man sitting on the step going down onto the footpath. "Apah kabar" I said to him, trying out my less than perfect Malay on him. We struck up a pleasant conversation, the man obviously seemed bored, it was a slow day, very hot afternoon and he probably thought that these foreigners wouldn't be spending money on his beautiful embroidered fabrics, so he would pass a few moments chatting to us about Australia, and asked us "did we know his cousin who lived in Sydney? " I had to laugh because wherever you travel to in the world, some one always has a relative that lives in Sydney ! After some more polite social chit chat, and he  laughing heartily at my poor attempts to speak in malay to him, he finally asked.. "well Ladies, are you interested in buying anything? " He was such a nice man, that we entered his shop and I promptly saw the same shirt that I had wanted to buy in the previous one for more than half price. I asked, Him is this correct price? He responded with Yes, but I can give you a discount! Needless to say, the purchase was made, we had spent a pleasant half hour , and everyone was happy. I have been back to Pennnang several times since this incident, but I will never go back into this Rude woman's shop. I wish I could remember the name as I would post it so that everyone knew how rude she was... or maybe this is just the way Business is done in Little India. She would not last 5 minutes in Australia treating customers and clients like that.

This Garland seller in Little India had the most amazing things and I would have loved to have purchased one

We headed down Love lane to see the lovely old shop houses , many that had been converted into expensive Boutique hotels, were only a few years earlier this had been the brothel district of Georgtown.How quickly things change when real estate is involved. In   Chulia street you could purchase all types of food and drink, with many Backpacker hotels as well as Reggae bars, street stalls, and a small night-market that has the most delicious satay in the whole of Pennang. If you stay in the district, the is a tea seller that has been there since the end of WW2. While he is pouring you Tea Tarick , his elderly wife is making French toast about 2 inches thick. I've heard that he has recently retired in his late 80's, as on my last visit in 2014 I tried to find him but to no avail. He was a Chulia street legend, having worked from the same corner for most of his life. The stall opened at dawn, and was gone by 10am, reverting back to a street corner. 

As it was Karen's first trip to Malaysia and Pennang presents so many diverse and interesting places to see, we tried to pack in as many sights as we could in the little amount of free time that we had. it didn't help that Pennang was sweltering though a heat wave, and I was so very unfit! We must have walked about 10 kms that day,starting from the Temple zone, heading towards the old Cathederal and into China town proper. We stopped continuously along the way to take photos, and look up the Lonely Planet guide to Pennang lonelyplanetmalaysia to find out info about where we were. Pennang has an amazing history, being founded by Colonel Light in On 11 August 1786, who landed on Penang at what is later called Fort Cornwallis and took formal possession of the island "in the name of His Britannic Majesty, King George III and the Honourable East India Company", Pennang had already been discovered but not to the English it seems. This is a whole other tale, so I won't go there right now. We wandered around the many distinct "districts" of the heritage listed parts of Georgetown, taking out time, taking many photos, and discovering many things about the history of Pennang that are not in guidebooks by talking to locals, and asking questions.  There is a very big "artist" community living in Pennang, and the local council has been very prominent in promoting both street art, theatre, Formal exhibitions etc. Pennang street art locations Download the pdf guide for a quick tour. In the 40 degree heat with almost 100 % humidity, Karen "dragged" me back and forth from street to street expounding the benefits of exercise, keeping hydrated, and the Amazing photo opportunities presented to us. By this stage, I had lost all interest in anything except staying "alive" as I was convinced that I was about to have a heart attack, or perish on a backstreet of heritage listed Georgetown of thirst and hunger (well maybe a bit exaggerated) but I was certainly not in the same physical condition as Karen!. Even the locals were not out, the streets were deserted at that time of day, We had the walking tour guide to Heritage listed Pennang, and we made sure that we visited and photographed almost every site.

Included in our tour, was the heritage listed "Arab" quarter as its known, where people of Middle eastern and Muslim descent still live and work . Here are the gold and pearl merchants, shops with elderly Indian Sikh men holding Blunderbuss rifles somewhat older & more antique than themselves "guarding " the many stores. 
For everything you need to know about Pennnag go to http://wikitravel.org/en/Penang
Next blog will be more about Pennang and the Inka Marka band's appearance at the 2013 Pennang world music festival held at the Botanical gardens, until then, I bid adieu. Linda