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Cultures-Png

Soul singer Ngaiire

  • Soul singer  Ngaiire
© Ngaiire
Singer, Guitarist, Composer
Principal country concerned : Column : Music


Born and raised in Papua New Guinea, the Sydney-based musician attributes her unique fusion of soul, jazz and electronica to the diversity of music to which she was introduced on her arrival in Australia as a teen.



"Music is a very integral part of the culture in Papua New Guinea - we use music to celebrate anything or to farewell a loved one through death," Ngaiire says.



"I feel very lucky to have been in Australia at such an impressionable age. Being exposed to so much music, I was like a kid in a candy shop."



While she still feels a tie to PNG, she considers herself more an Australian.



After studying jazz at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Ngaiire honed her passion for a broad range of musical styles for her debut album, Lamentations, released last year.



It was written in Sydney and in a tiny bar on the outskirts of Tokyo, in a blur of potato wine and quaint dance music.



Labelled as one of Triple J's next crop of emerging artists, the soul singer has just completed a national tour supporting American soul superstars John Legend and Alicia Keys in stadium-sized shows. "It was nice to play on such a massive stage, which was so professionally run, with a slightly larger crowd than I'm used to," Ngaiire says.



She will embark on a national tour of the album today, including playing at festivals in the eastern states before landing in South Australia to play at WOMADelaide from March 7 to 10.



With fame at her fingertips, the Sydneysider is keen to shake off any association with being a finalist in Australian Idol.



She describes it as a "bizarre" experience for a budding musician. "I have always tried to shove that in the back of my wardrobe but, at the same time, you have to give credit where credit is due," she says.

Partners

  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Pascoe Promotions

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