Australia’s Black Arm Band Comes to Kahilu Theatre

Kahilu Theatre in Waimea invites theater-goers to take a musical journey through Australia’s cultural heartland at 7 p.m. Saturday, when the group Black Arm Band presents their performance piece, Dirtsong.

The Black Arm Band is one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies consisting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The nonprofit organization is widely acclaimed in Australia as well as worldwide. Known for their unique sounds and inspiring theater performances, The Black Arm Band is a celebration of indigenous music, culture, language and powerful visual imagery.

“With their ingenious use of multi-media and aboriginal music to convey powerful messages, Dirtsong is sure to inspire the heart and lift the spirit of concert-goers this Saturday night,” said Danny Waddell, marketing manager for Kahilu Theatre.

Dirtsong features original songs performed in 13 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander languages. The performance is set against a dynamic moving backdrop and a jazz ensemble of some of Melbourne’s best jazz musicians.

This large-scale musical production combines traditional perspectives with contemporary songs to ignite the soul and instill a sense of culture. Dirtsong presented to sold-out houses at the 2009 Melbourne Festival and is described as an unforgettable performance to inspire the heart and lift the spirit.

Another essential part of Black Arm Band’s program is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities through their Inspire program. The group presents educational and empowering music workshops and concerts. These communities are generally in remote locations and have limited access to quality performing arts programs and productions. The Inspire program celebrates the arts, language and culture of these communities and encourages all ages to participate in the unique opportunities they offer.

It is also instrumental in communities seeing higher attendance rates at schools, decreased suicide rates, and an increased sense of identity and pride in their culture and the greater community as a whole.

Prepare to be uplifted, inspired, and moved by the groups performance of Dirtsong, and see how they celebrate the past while simultaneously revolutionize the future of indigenous Australia through music.

Doors open at 6 pm for the performance, and there will be beverages and snacks available. Tickets range from $20 to $68 and are available for purchase online at www.kahilutheatre.org, by calling 885-6868, or at the theater’s box office in Waimea.

The Black Arm Band will also perform Dirtsong at UH-Hilo at 7:30 this evening in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the Hilo performance are available at the UH Hilo Box Office at 932-7490 or online at www.artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.