Cotton Tree Park will be transformed into a welcoming and vibrant global village for the Voices of Harmony event on March 23 where multicultural groups will connect with the community through song, story, dance, food, traditional games and activities from 10am to 3pm.
Community Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said people are encouraged to wear orange to the Voices of Harmony event which is jam-packed with a diverse range of multicultural performers originating from Fiji, Africa, Indonesia, Africa, Iran, India, Romania and the South Pacific to name a few.
“To commence the celebration, Kabi Kabi community leader Brianna Hanson will perform the Welcome to Country and talk about connecting to country and caring for traditions,” Cr McKay said.
“This will be followed by the Inspiration Choir who will perform a beautiful Acknowledgement of Country and invite the community to warm up their vocal chords for the day.
“Well known Sunshine Coast based singer-song writer Andrea Kirwin, with Fijian heritage, will entertain the crowd with her feel good island style blend of folk, funk, roots and reggae on the main stage at 10.45am.
“Some people may have seen Samoko perform at the Woodford Folk Festival where he connected the community through a fusion of ancient traditional African and modern Afro grooves and now he will be joining us on the main stage at noon.
“There will be a special performance from the USC School of Music students at 12.40pm who will perform their original anthem written for Harmony Day entitled We Sing One Song.”
Cr McKay said attending the Voices of Harmony day will be like travelling around the world experiencing different cultures at one colourful event.
“Throughout the day people will have the opportunity to sing along to a wide range of world music from Hot Ginger Chorus, New World Rhythm and Cool Harmonies and enjoy a range of cultural dance performances,” Cr McKay said.
“Besides the main stage acts, there will be all-day activities including traditional games, weaving, storytelling, children’s activities, art and crafts, a Global Hub Fashion Parade and display of unique traditional outfits and so much more.
“All this entertainment will certainly create a healthy appetite and we have that covered as well with an array of multicultural cuisines taking people on a cultural feast.
“There is no doubt our diversity helps makes the Sunshine Coast a great place to live and we invite people to visit the Harmony Day ‘Everyone Belongs on the Sunshine Coast’ photo booth to celebrate our region’s cultural diversity.”
Sunshine Coast Voices of Harmony community event
10am – 3pm on Saturday, March 23
Join in the Voices of Harmony celebrations – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Sunshine Coast and Australia home. Wear orange to show your support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.
Join in the conversation on council’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by sharing images and the hashtag #harmonyday.
Image caption: Sunshine Coast based singer-song writer Andrea Kirwin will entertain the crowd with her feel good island style blend of folk, funk, roots and reggae.
