By Lucy Waldron
Brace yourselves for an exhilarating musical journey as Australia’s acclaimed folk/world music sensation, MZAZA, returns to Stanthorpe on Saturday, 12 October. Following a memorable performance to 400 people at Harrigans Lane (The Piano Mill) in 2023, the six-piece ensemble is back to captivate local audiences once again.
MZAZA’s lead vocalist, Pauline Maudy, shared her excitement about returning to the region after such a positive experience last year. “Returning was a no-brainer,” Pauline said.
“When the community shows up for us, we always make the effort to come back. It will be fantastic to invite audience members into a different setting this time.”
“I love Stanthorpe. The culture around local produce reminds me of growing up in France, and I love the landscapes,” she added.
The performance is part of MZAZA’s national tour, which spans from August to October 2024. Over two and a half months, the band will visit more than 19 major venues and arts festivals across Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory. Highlights of the tour include performances at Darwin Festival, New Annual Festival in Newcastle, and the North Australian Festival of Arts in Townsville.
Attendees of the Stanthorpe concert can expect MZAZA’s unique fusion of sounds inspired by Balkan, French, and Mediterranean music.
“We write original songs incorporating these influences, and our lyrics are usually in French or English,” Pauline said.
“Our music features vocal harmonies, accordion, violin, shah kaman (Persian violin), percussion, drum kit, double bass, and guitar.”
With Pauline leading the group as the 2023 Australian Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year, the band’s recent accolades include their third Queensland Music Award for their mesmerising music. Their latest studio album, ‘The Birth & Death of Stars’, recorded in Athens and inspired by astronomy and mythology, has been hailed by Songlines Magazine as “a supernova of an album.”
MZAZA’s musical aesthetic evokes comparisons to Lhasa de Sela and the France-based collective Lo’Jo, blending Gypsy music with jazz, French chanson, and North African rhythms. This eclectic blend of influences promises to take Stanthorpe residents on an unforgettable, uplifting musical journey.
In addition to their concert, MZAZA will offer free workshops for local musicians and singers of all ages and skill levels. These workshops will introduce participants to French, Ladino, and Balkan music, giving them the chance to learn a song and, if they choose, perform it on stage with the band.
“We will share some of the music that inspires us and impart what we’ve learned from 20 years of playing and studying music in Australia and overseas,” Pauline explained.
“I love working with singers and getting them to sing in Ladino—the language of my Spanish Sephardic ancestors—or French!”
Pauline is also excited to visit Vintage Roads in Stanthorpe, a personal favourite stop.
“I love to look at objects that hold many stories,” she said.
As MZAZA wraps up their 22-date national tour with this final performance in Stanthorpe, Pauline promises the show will be unforgettable. “We will absolutely give it our all and it will be bittersweet for us,” she said.
“At the end of a big tour, we’re always happy to return to our own beds, but we also miss the road, each other, and the privilege of connecting with new and inspiring people everywhere we go.”
For more information visit mzaza.com/ and for tickets visit events.humanitix.com/mzaza-in-concert-stanthorpe
