Kavisha Mazzella - Official website

Tell me about some of your other work as a composer.

KM: “For a start, I don’t write music down, I do everything by ear, and I’m very slow at reading music, so don’t use it when I work.  I tend to work by memory, and I tend to work with big groups of people who don’t read music anyway, so that’s very useful.  We just do everything by memory, and I don’t even carry tapes around with me, because I find that gets in the way (chuckles).  I probably should, I would have a much more organized life.  But I really am a great fan of the whole oral tradition, in that when you get people to sing things and they have to remember it, they have to remember it in their bodies, not just a head thing.  So when I work with people in singing in choirs or whatever, I get them to move their bodies a lot, like dance with the music.  And it could be swaying or whatever, because I feel that when the music connects with the whole body, it connects with your whole memory.  It’s not so much of an intellectual thing.  I respect people who can write, and work in that idiom, and of course it is a lot quicker, because when you don’t know people you can hand them a sheet of music that they can read and then play.  But there is a certain distance, so for me I love the whole thing about hearing everything by ear, and working from the instinct, and working from memory, that’s the way I like to work.  So when I do pieces for theatre groups for instance, everyone remembers it together, or forgets it together (laughs), whichever way it goes.  I just feel like it’s a much more organic, more whole approach to music making.”

For the past decade you have taken part in most of the major folk festivals around the country.  How would you describe the general atmosphere of these happenings?

KM: “Each festival has it’s own personality, but generally speaking, the festivals are just so exciting to go to because there’s usually such a diverse group of people.  All huddling to be in the same property, and there for the same intent, which is that they love music.  And at the grass roots level, the folk movement’s very exciting.  It’s just a shame that not more of mainstream society seems to know about it.  But it’s very, very exciting, and it makes me feel optimistic about Australia, that there’s a place for diversity, where diversity is celebrated and people are curious about it.  I have to say that the festival that is the most advanced in their point of view about the nature of this country, and the nature of its culture on the grass roots level is the Woodford Folk Festival, which is run by the Queensland Folk Federation.  And also, they’ve embraced Aboriginal and Islander music into their festival, so we really get a lovely depth to the quality of everything that’s going on, because there’s the acknowledgement.  First of all, when the people come to the festival, there’s an acknowledgement of the traditional owners of the land.  So there’s a big influence of Aboriginal and Islander music in that festival.

“And there can always be more of that in this country, because I feel that in terms of Australia’s culture, it shouldn’t be just an Olympic style treatment of Aboriginal culture, where you just go, ‘Oh, we’ll have your boomerang thanks!’ and ‘We’ll have you guys at the opening ceremony thanks!  But actually we’re not really interested in you.’  I think the Kooree culture, the Aboriginal culture for me in lots of ways has inspired my own work, discovering my own traditional roots.  You know, people like Archie Roach, Kev Carmody, Lou Bennett and Ruby Hunter have done a lot for me personally in acknowledging that I have these roots.  And it’s ironic that it’s coming from the Kooree.  Their attitude to culture is so rich and fantastic that I think that the festivals can always do with more of it.  We are lucky enough to be living in a country with the oldest surviving living culture in the world, and that says a lot about their ability to survive.  And I think looking into your own culture gives you a chance to really respect what’s going on there, and treat it with the respect it deserves, not just as a souvenir type attitude.  You know, ‘This is Australian culture mate!’  That really upsets me, that whole Olympics attitude, it’s shocking.”

What are your dreams and aspirations for the future?

KM: “I guess the whole thing of access, to be able to play with great musicians, to play with people that inspire you.  I would like to be able to travel and meet musicians, and just keep working, keep continuing to make music.  And hopefully continue to get enough work out of it as well.  To make a living as a musician in this country is a miracle really, and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do that, but I think it’s because I do a few diverse things.  So hopefully I’ll be able to just keep doing it.”

Do you have any interesting events pencilled into your diary at present?

KM: “Well, we’ve got a little north coast tour coming up, then we’re going to Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and playing there.  Hopefully also at a festival in Italy, and Calgary Folk Festival and Canmore Folk Festival in Canada, and I’ll spend a month in Ireland.  Someone’s given me the bodhran player from Anam.  Amy Leonard has given me a handmade beating stick, like a drumstick that her father had made for the bodhran.  So I want to go to learn to be a bodhran player in Ireland.”

“Fisherman’s Daughter” distributed by ABC Music and EMI.  For further information contact DdR Management, 201 Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath, NSW 2785.  Tel: (02) 4787 6338, Fax: (02) 4787 6348.

ANDRIÁN PERTOUT

The first part of this interview was published in Mixdown Monthly issue #50, June 1998.  In this article she discussed her beginnings and multi-culturalism in Australia.

'Mixdown' Monthly ~ Issue #51, July 1, 1998

BEAT MAGAZINE PTY LTD

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Unauthorized reproduction and copying of this page is prohibited by law. Copyright © 1998 by Andrián Pertout.