BIOGRAPHY
Carolina Moon heads this innovative ensemble performing music infused with the sounds and
textures of their personal journeys through rivers of inspired Indian time, flamenco Spain, Europe, The Americas, Australia, Aotearoa, and the folklore and legends of England.
Carolina spent her formative years on the London Jazz and world music scene where she performed widely across both genres. Her move to Sydney in 1995 further set her artistic benchmark and provided opportunity to collaborate with many leading world music artists - Global Routes, Epizo Bangoura, Justo Diaz, Wei Zen Ho, Anatloie Torjinsky, Bobby Singh, Kim Cunio, Heather Lee and Mark Isaacs with whom she first performed the Sephardic repertoire now curated into Mother Tongue.
Carolina's debut CD The Shaman's Kiss was nominated for Best Vocal Album at the Australian Jazz Awards 2003 followed by an Asialink scholarship to study Indian vocal in Mumbai. Carolina has studied both Eastern and Western vocal styles in London, Sydney and Mumbai and has performed extensively throughout the UK, Australia, India, China and the Pacific.
Performances: Carnivale Multicultural Arts Festival 02,01,00, The Great Synagogue Sydney 02 (with Mark Isaacs), SIMA, Jazzgroove, Sydney - 00-03 , Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival 03, School of Music, University of Auckland - July 09 'In Rehearsal' at Auckland Art Gallery - July 09, Creative Jazz Club, Auckand, Nov 09
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dETAILED BIOGRAPHY
Awarded a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music in London, Carolina studied and performed with leading international musicians: John Taylor, Norma Winstone, Jean Toussaint, Ian Carr, also touring as a soloist with the award winning Guildhall Big Band - Scotland, London and at venues such as the Barbican Centre, Royal Festival Hall and Bass Clef.
Carolina explored the London/UK scene widely, working across the genres of jazz, big band, folk, acapella, world music and the experimental scene with artists such as Tristan Harris, John Piper, Dill Katz, Les Booth, Paul Malsom, Roland Perrin, Lazar der Gregorian, John Bartram, James Longworth and Steve McKenna. She performed extensively in venues including: The Jazz Cafe, Vortex Jazz Bar, 33 Arts Centre, Soho Pizza Express, Royal Festival Hall Foyer and festivals which include: South Hill Park, Canterbury, Windsor International Guitar Festival, City of London, Slough.
Moving to Sydney facilitated Carolina’s exploration of aspects of world music tradition. Studies in medieval music (Sydney University) and Indian raga (Ashok Roy, Ketke Dongre) found fruit in an invitation to JIVI (Jazz India Vocal Institute) Mumbai, where she studied raga and Indian vocal techniques with guru Dhanshree Pandit Rai. Working with Indian jazz musicians, Carolina performed around India including the Australian High Commission.
Returning from India, Carolina released her debut CD of original music The Shaman's Kiss -shortlisted for Best Vocal Album in the 2003 Australian Jazz Awards. Gaining strong national press reviews it has established her individual style and voice.
In 2001 she collaborated with Australian pianist Mark Isaacs on a collection of traditional Spanish and Sephardic songs. Described as ‘utterly beguiling’ by the Sydney Morning Herald, their portrayal of these haunting melodies was presented at The Basement for multicultural arts festival Carnivale, and at an unique concert at The Great Synagogue, Sydney with early music specialists Kim Cunio and Heather Lee.
Carolina has also collaborated with Argentinian guitarist Justo Diaz on a series of Spanish and latin songs, and with the extraordinary Russian cellist and guitarist Anatolie Torjinski and Yuri Terletski (Double T) for whom she features on their CD Ad Infinitum’ with Bobby Singh. She has also worked with harpist Robyn Sutherland in Incantata, on a set of spell binding medieval repertoire.
Carolina and partner Roger Manins settled in New Zealand in 2004. Her first NZ recording East of the Sun was released in 2007 receiving excellent media reviews. Carolina is currently working on a recording of beautiful Spanish and Sephardic songs from medieval and traditional sources accompanied by the stunning guitar work of Nigel Gavin, and also featuring Roger Manins - clarinets and flute, and Kevin Field - piano. Entitled 'Mother Tongue', the CD is scheduled for release early 2010.
Also an active voice teacher, Carolina currently teaches jazz and contemporary voice at the University of Auckland and MAINZ. Her credits include vocal coach for the New Zealand School of Music, Wellington, Sydney Conservatorium, Australian Institute of Music, University of Western Sydney, The Musician's Institute, and Community Music, London.
RECENT PERFORMANCES
Creative Jazz Club 09, Nelson Jazz Festival 09, Christchurch International Jazz & Blues Fest 08, Titirangi Fest 08., Montana Jazz Festival,Tauranga 07,06,05, Auckland University Jazz Festival 08, 07, Auckland Jazz Festival 05, ‘In Performance’ at Auckland Art Gallery, Music in Parks, Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival 03, Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, SIMA, The Great Synagogue, The Basement, Carnivale Multicultural Arts Festival 02,01,00 Jazzgroove, The Women’s Festival, CJW - Shanghai, The Oberoi - New Delhi, Picasso Exhibition – New Delhi Taj President – Mumbai, Marriot’s – Mumbai
with: Roger Manins, Kevin Field, Nigel Gavin, Ron Samsom, Andy Atwill, Rick Robertson, Mark Isaacs, Chris Cody (FRA), Tony Lewis, Steve Elphick, Dave Goodman, Mike Nock, Brett Hirst, Fabian Hevia, Aykho Akhrif, Blair Greenburg, Andrea Keller, Sean Wayland, Brendan Clarke, Mat McMahon, Justo Diaz, Paul Malsom (UK), George Chisholm (UK/NZ), Owen Kneebone, Frank Gibson, Reuben Bradley, Anita Van Dijk (NZ), Anatolie Torjinski, Yuri Terletski, Epizo Bangoura, Bobby Singh, Peter Schaeffer, Xavier Fernandez (India), Robyn Sutherland (NZ), |
