Saltwater, Sugar | Melbourne International Jazz Festival
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Saltwater, Sugar is an epic new work from Papuan-Australian composer and Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, Aaron Choulai.
It is a story he tells from within the communities who carry it, touching on the interconnectedness of Chinese, Papua New Guinean and Indigenous people during the time of the Gold Rush in Victoria and Blackbirding in North Queensland.
Composed for the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) as a 16-piece ensemble alongside Australian music luminaries Ngaiire and Joelistics, this hour-long musical work is built around themes of racial injustice, survival, friendship and often overlooked pockets of resistance during Australia’s colonial past.
A scored fictional narrative that draws on historical events, Saltwater, Sugar is set in the sound world of Duke Ellington, through the distinct voice of the Australian Art Orchestra. Performed in English and Tok Pisin, the piece moves between spoken dialogue, sung melodies and adventurous improvisation from some of Australia’s most important instrumental artists today.
An ambitious musical composition of scale, Saltwater, Sugar traces the friendships and resistance that formed across the very divisions colonial Australia depended on.
Content warning: Performance contains subject matter referencing historical instances of slavery.
Dates
Wednesday 21 October 2026
7.30 pm - 9.00 pm
Tickets
Adult $25.00
Concession* $20.00
Child 16 years and under $15.00
Mob Tickets** $10.00
Presented in partnership with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Australian Art Orchestra.
It is a story he tells from within the communities who carry it, touching on the interconnectedness of Chinese, Papua New Guinean and Indigenous people during the time of the Gold Rush in Victoria and Blackbirding in North Queensland.
Composed for the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) as a 16-piece ensemble alongside Australian music luminaries Ngaiire and Joelistics, this hour-long musical work is built around themes of racial injustice, survival, friendship and often overlooked pockets of resistance during Australia’s colonial past.
A scored fictional narrative that draws on historical events, Saltwater, Sugar is set in the sound world of Duke Ellington, through the distinct voice of the Australian Art Orchestra. Performed in English and Tok Pisin, the piece moves between spoken dialogue, sung melodies and adventurous improvisation from some of Australia’s most important instrumental artists today.
An ambitious musical composition of scale, Saltwater, Sugar traces the friendships and resistance that formed across the very divisions colonial Australia depended on.
Content warning: Performance contains subject matter referencing historical instances of slavery.
Dates
Wednesday 21 October 2026
7.30 pm - 9.00 pm
Tickets
Adult $25.00
Concession* $20.00
Child 16 years and under $15.00
Mob Tickets** $10.00
Presented in partnership with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Australian Art Orchestra.
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Where is it happening?
2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren, Narre Warren, VIC, Australia, Victoria 3805
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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