Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
What were the hightlights, where do I start…..the atmosphere; 600-1000 people visiting during the day & night.
Looking over the lawn area; seeing it filled with groups of people, happily chatting, & eating the food from various
countries; listening to the buskers; watching happy children as they rode the Merry-Go-Round; a constant flow of
people, listening to the stories of World Renown Authors; large audiences of adults & children, alike, gathering
around the clowns’ magic shows. Looking into the large shed, the audience was packed. What a wonderful
thing, the community sharing cultural diversity and seeing how it can be a great thing, when people grasp it with a
positive attitude.
All sorts of people became involved: School children, teachers, clubs, individuals. We did target from Whyalla to
Port Lincoln, but groups & individuals came from as far as Adelaide.
A positive aspect of the day, was that the performers went away happy. Not only happy with having performed;
but they were, personally, having fun; getting into the spirit of the day. If you find that hard to believe, just ask
them.
Sam Oshodi, Master African Drummer, said ‘You discovered them’. I don’t know about â
€˜discovering’ anyone, it is amazing what is around you, if you only look. I met Acclina in Hungry Jacks,
Whyalla, of all places. I saw this African lady ordering food. I asked her for her phone number, after explaining
what we were trying to do. This lady, I found out later, worked for Uni SA, had a degree in Zimbabwean
Culture, and was willing to contribute to our fair. Days later, Munya rang, a Zimbabwean, who also said he was a
musician (If you are appreciative of people’s efforts & trust people’s abilities, it is amazing what they
come up with). Munya & Acclina got together with some sceptical friends from Whyalla’s pub bands â
€˜Bad Bad Boys’& ‘Fig Jam’, to play bass, keyboard, drums, guitars & sing, with 3 female backup
singers – the result was a 9 piece African band called ‘The Children of Zambezi’. They produced an
awesome modern African sound, needless to say that the dance floor was full. They said that performing for
Stinky Creek World Food & Music Fair had opened up a complete new world for them.
They are still practicing, building up their song list & looking forward to their next performances, now aware of the
great opportunities in the Folk Circuit.
Personally, working with the performers, was of personal satisfaction, a culmination a years’ work.
There was those who were commenting on how organised everything was (even the big acts from Adelaide). If
only they knew what a small band of organizers, we were.
We would like to thank the small ‘merry band of volunteers’ who were on the organizing committee; or
helped out, prior, during and after the day. We ,also, would like to thank the public, who helped make the day,
the success it was. Also, thank the performers, who’s hours of practice, organisation, dedication, attitude,
travel and reliability, made the Fair, a wonderful place to be, and a memory, to stay with us, for a long time.
Submitted by Lisa Webster
Program Organizer of Stinky Creek World Food & Music Fair 2009
What were the hightlights, where do I start…..the atmosphere; 600-1000 people visiting during the day & night.
Looking over the lawn area; seeing it filled with groups of people, happily chatting, & eating the food from various
countries; listening to the buskers; watching happy children as they rode the Merry-Go-Round; a constant flow of
people, listening to the stories of World Renown Authors; large audiences of adults & children, alike, gathering
around the clowns’ magic shows. Looking into the large shed, the audience was packed. What a wonderful
thing, the community sharing cultural diversity and seeing how it can be a great thing, when people grasp it with a
positive attitude.
All sorts of people became involved: School children, teachers, clubs, individuals. We did target from Whyalla to
Port Lincoln, but groups & individuals came from as far as Adelaide.
A positive aspect of the day, was that the performers went away happy. Not only happy with having performed;
but they were, personally, having fun; getting into the spirit of the day. If you find that hard to believe, just ask
them.
Sam Oshodi, Master African Drummer, said ‘You discovered them’. I don’t know about â
€˜discovering’ anyone, it is amazing what is around you, if you only look. I met Acclina in Hungry Jacks,
Whyalla, of all places. I saw this African lady ordering food. I asked her for her phone number, after explaining
what we were trying to do. This lady, I found out later, worked for Uni SA, had a degree in Zimbabwean
Culture, and was willing to contribute to our fair. Days later, Munya rang, a Zimbabwean, who also said he was a
musician (If you are appreciative of people’s efforts & trust people’s abilities, it is amazing what they
come up with). Munya & Acclina got together with some sceptical friends from Whyalla’s pub bands â
€˜Bad Bad Boys’& ‘Fig Jam’, to play bass, keyboard, drums, guitars & sing, with 3 female backup
singers – the result was a 9 piece African band called ‘The Children of Zambezi’. They produced an
awesome modern African sound, needless to say that the dance floor was full. They said that performing for
Stinky Creek World Food & Music Fair had opened up a complete new world for them.
They are still practicing, building up their song list & looking forward to their next performances, now aware of the
great opportunities in the Folk Circuit.
Personally, working with the performers, was of personal satisfaction, a culmination a years’ work.
There was those who were commenting on how organised everything was (even the big acts from Adelaide). If
only they knew what a small band of organizers, we were.
We would like to thank the small ‘merry band of volunteers’ who were on the organizing committee; or
helped out, prior, during and after the day. We ,also, would like to thank the public, who helped make the day,
the success it was. Also, thank the performers, who’s hours of practice, organisation, dedication, attitude,
travel and reliability, made the Fair, a wonderful place to be, and a memory, to stay with us, for a long time.
Submitted by Lisa Webster
Program Organizer of Stinky Creek World Food & Music Fair 2009
Stinky Creek World Food & Music Fair