Dead Awaken!
The days of the dead are truly a celebration of life. When we gather and dance with caricatures of death, eat skull sugar lollies and learn to respect that life is surely brief. Rising from the Ashes Productions have put together a special night of music and fancy dress to celebrate. With live music by local talents Wild Marmalade, Black Rabbit George, Happy Africa and Doni Raven, it is sure to be a good night to shake off the old skeletons! People will be dressed to impress in traditional skull-candy attire and there will be a face-painting station for those who forget or don’t have the time.
It kicks off at 7pm this Friday at the Byron Bay Brewery. Tickets will be available on the door for $20 until sold out.
Havana Meets Kingston
It’s not every day that music makes history, but Havana Meets Kingston brings together established and emerging Cuban and Jamaican musicians in an album of mostly original songs, as well as covers of classic Cuban material. The main recording sessions took place over 10 days in June 2015 at the famous Egrem Studio in Havana, Cuba.
This project was masterminded by Byron local Jake Savona (aka Mista Savona), Australia’s leading reggae-dancehall producer. Savona brought Jamaican legends Sly & Robbie, Boopee and Bongo Herman to Havana, where they joined Buena Vista Social Club musicians Barbarito Torres and Rolando Luna, alongside Cuba’s most influential percussionist Changuito (Los Van Van) and so many more.
Havana Meets Kingston Soundsystem show featuring Randy Valentine (JA) and Solis (CU) is in Australia bringing this ultimate fusion to life. Solis will be flying directly from Cuba, to join Savona and Valentine onstage and it’s the first time key tracks from the forthcoming album will be performed as a live outfit. It’s going to be a unique and very exciting show!
Miles Cleret will be getting the place jumping from 7.30pm. Miles is a world authority on Caribbean music of all genres and label boss of Soundway Records – Gilles Peterson’s label of the year in 2016. Friday at the Bangalow A&I Hall. 6.30pm. Tickets: $35 + BF presale, $40 on the door available from: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/havana-meets-kingston-tickets-37030308650
Leaf Dance
Have fun and do something good for people a lot less fortunate than you. The African Leaf Dance Party is on at the Billinudgel Hotel on Saturday at 3pm. With DJ Massaganda Sounds of Africa Bay FM. Free entry.
Gunfighter and murder ballads

Do you love a good gunfighter ballad – like Mary Robbin’s El Paso or Gene Pitney’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance? How about a murder ballad – Long Black Veil, Where the Wild Roses Grow? Miss Amber and Stukulele will be presenting two sets full of love gone wrong and fast-draw cowboy songs.
Bring your uke or just sing along with special guests Clelia Adams, Ash Bell and Warren Earl. Club Mullum at the Mullum Ex-Services Club this Thursday from 6.30pm. Entry is $12.50, kids under 16 $2.50. Join the mailing list at ukemullum.com for the monthly songbooks.




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