FLIGHT is a multi-genre music showcase presented by The Boite featuring graduates of The Boite’s Portfolio Project – a professional development program designed to empower and give creative and networking opportunities, resources, skills and assets for emerging culturally diverse musicians in Melbourne.
Audiences will be treated to multi-genre performances on Sunday 28th July at The Evelyn Hotel featuring live-looping, neo-soul, folk-pop, psych-funk, soul, Latin rhythms, and cultural instruments such as the Persian kamancheh as well as Eritrean and Ethiopian stringed instruments from special headline act Chikachika.
Featured acts include ukulele folk/pop artist Lauren Sheree, soul/RnB and jazz vocalist Itunu and Jad Pinnone, who blends alternative ambient blues, folk and soulful R&B-infused maqam chants with Moroccan folklore and spiritual Gnawa music.
Rising TikTok creator, Urlik Mageza creates soul, RnB, alternative, indie, hip hop and Afro-fusion, whilst kamancheh artist Sanaz Saadatfar will present her unique take on Persian world music. Member of the Halo Vocal Ensemble, Chantelle Afastasi will perform her soulful acoustic tracks, and 11:10 (Ten Past Eleven) will showcase his psychedelic funk/soul/Latin and jazz production.
Rounding out the night will be a headline performance from Chikachika, featuring renowned Oromo singer-songwriter Muluu Baqqalaa with Tigrinya vocalists Anbessa Gebrehiwot and Haftu Reda. Accompanied by traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian stringed instruments, the krar and masinko, Chikchika weave important stories of culture, love and peace into percussion-heavy and up-tempo tunes.
The Portfolio Project is in its fourth year and has so far supported over 30 artists from BI&POC, LGBTQIA+, neuro-diverse, culturally and linguistically diverse, and refugee and migrant backgrounds.
In the past 2 years, FLIGHT has been the final showcase to celebrate the achievements of the program and to offer artists a performance opportunity to be a part of City of Yarra’s annual flagship music festival, Leaps and Bounds Music Festival. This opportunity also allows artists to add this to their Portfolio and biographies as a standout performance in their emerging music careers.
2024 participant Itunu reflects on her experience in the project, “To me, the biggest barrier that someone faces when trying to face their dreams is whether they feel supported or not. In general, life is so much easier when you feel like there are people in your corner. The Boite, through the Portfolio Project, does an excellent job of turning your dreams into tangible steps,” said Itunu.
“The Portfolio Project has given me confidence, facilitated my first gig, helped me market myself and given me a wealth of knowledge and connections that I couldn’t even imagine before.”
“I find myself thinking what do they gain from this, as their consistency, sincerity and help to me trumps the value that I add. The Portfolio Project has been my favourite thing that I’m doing this year and I couldn’t speak more highly of it,” said Itunu.
Delivered in partnerships with City of Yarra, Inner North Foundation, Melbourne Polytechnic and Music Victoria, The Boite’s Portfolio Project is committed to breaking down barriers for culturally and linguistically marginalized communities and helping them enter the broader Australian music ecosystem.
FLIGHT is presented by Leaps and Bounds Music Festival, and takes place on Sunday 28 July at The Evelyn Hotel. For more information and full program, visit: www.lbmf.com.au for details.
Image: 11.10 (Ten Past Eleven) – photo by Tope Adesina