The Boîte presents Kavisha Mazzella AM and Giri Mazzella with Lingua Madre Italian Folk Choir

Kavisha Mazzella AM and brother Giri Mazzella with their friends from Melbourne’s own Lingua Madre Italian Folk Choir bring you a fantastic night of Italian folk and popular songs.

30 years ago Kavisha and Giri’s Commedia d’ell Arte group I Papaveri (The Poppies) and Le Gioie delle Donne (The Joys of the Women Choir) came from Western Australia to Mark St. North Fitzroy. This concert celebrates the anniversary of that exciting event.

Vi Aspettiamo (we await you!)

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ARIA award winner singer songwriter Kavisha Mazzella AM original song's lyrical ingredients include

humour poetry social justice and the spiritual. Kavisha’s rich heritage of Neopolitan Italian/Anglo Burmese roots has influenced her music deeply allowing her to access not only family stories but those of the Italian diaspora creating new songs.

Growing up in Australia in the 70s Kavisha avoided her heritage and suffered shame but then in late 1980 her life changed when she was introduced to the wonders of early Neopolitan Folk music by a friend. In hearing the music of the folk band Nuova Compagnia Di Canto Popolare she felt a soul stirring of belonging beyond understanding. She was propelled into a life of learning these old songs. At the same time she become a songwriter hononuring the lives of the italian choir members she met when she formed her first of her many Italian language choirs “The Joys of the Women choir “ in Fremantle. These original songs as well as the traditional songs can be heard in the award winning documentary film by film director Franco Di Chiera “La Voce Della Luna" shown on the ABC

and world wide.

The next choir La Voce Della Luna (“The voice of the Moon") was born in Melbourne at the Malthouse Theatre in 1996 to accompany the play EMMa Celebrazione! by Graham Pitts and Angela Chaplin and played several successful seasons around the country Kavisha received a Green Room Award for best musical direction. Kavisha led this choir for 17 years performing at Woodford Folk festival Port Fairy and WOMADelaide.

In 2023 Kavisha formed Lingua Madre (Mother Tongue) Choir in Clifton Hill Naarm/Melbourne. She has also taught these beautiful old songs to the wider Australian audiences and school children in singing workshops at festivals and schools around our country. In 2000 Kavisha was awarded an Italia Nel Mondo award by the Italian Government for promoting Italian Culture through Choirs.

Host or Publisher The Boite