09/12/18 AAO Meeting Points with Shoeb Ahmad
Melbourne Arts Centre Fairfax studio foyer
$28 or $60 for three concerts in the Meeting Points Series
A staple of the Canberra underground music scene, Shoeb proudly identifies as a person of Bangladeshi heritage and a transgender woman. Her music is known for exploring deeply personal experiences and vulnerabilities, in an evocative mix of acoustic and electronic indie pop. Her latest project im/modesty will premiere as a live performance work with contemporary music ensemble, Australian Art Orchestra. Originally developed as a multi-speaker installation during a residency in Kerala, Southern India, this work is inspired by the cultural barriers people from the Indian sub-continent face when exploring their sexuality. This ground-breaking work features text spoken by three voices in different stages of life – interspersed with electronic music and atmospheric recordings from the streets of India. The talented multi-instrumentalist emerged back in the mid-2000s when she released a string of exceptional bedroom recordings. Since then she hasn’t stopped creating, releasing the intricate and moving new album ‘quiver’ earlier this year. Shoeb’s music beautifully navigates the intersections of their identity, from coming out to being a parent.
Shoeb Ahmad – Guitar, harmonium, voice & percussion, Sunny Kim – Voice, electronics & percussion, Peter Knight – Trumpet & electronics, percussion & voice, Aviva Endean – Clarinets & percussion, Tilman Robinson – Tape machine & percussion, Maria Moles – Drum kit