Published Sunday, 07 September, 2008 at 08:00 AM

Minister for Communities, Disability Services, ATSIP, Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Youth
The Honourable Lindy Nelson-Carr

The ‘Queen’ gets into rhythm

World music will fill Queen Street Mall when performers from Burundi, Ethiopia, Samoa and Afghanistan celebrate multiculturalism and share their rhythms with fellow Queenslanders.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said the Engage! – Multicultural Music Performance in Brisbane would be one of six events lighting up the State from Cairns to Surfers Paradise during September, with Bligh Government funding of more than $47,000.

“Engage! is a series of performances that showcase the skills, talents, stories and ideas of diverse communities from the Logan and Brisbane areas,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

“This month, the multicultural performance will focus on the unique cultural traditions of the Burundi, Ethiopian, Samoan and Afghan communities,” she said.

“There will be Burundian traditional drumming, unique and diverse sounds of Ethiopian string instruments, the traditional Samoan dance – the Siva, and rich Afghan music which has long been suppressed in its country.”

Ms Nelson-Carr said the month’s events were supported by the Bligh Government’s Multicultural Assistance Program.

"This program supports a wide range of activities that highlight each community’s cultural diversity while fostering wider community understanding and harmony,” she said.

“The Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre received $7,000 to produce Engage! which not only entertains but creates a greater awareness of different world cultures.

“These performers are popular and have received rave reviews from audiences,” said the Minister.

The next Engage! public performance will be held between 12pm and 2.20pm in the Queen Street Mall, Brisbane on Saturday, September 20.

Other funded multicultural events taking place this month include:
• Global Grooves in the Garden, September 7, Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens;
• Polish Multicultural Festival, September 7, Polish Ex-Servicemen's Association, 44-54 Holland Cres, Capalaba;
• Tropical Wave Festival, September 15, Fogarty Park, Cnr Esplanade and Spence St, Cairns;
• Japan and Friends Day, September 27, Gold Coast Arts Centre;
• The 2008 Embracing Diversity; Symposium: The Practice of Inclusion, September 29, Logan Entertainment Centre.

“I encourage everyone to come along to these events to experience cultural diversity in their community,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

For more information on these events or to find out more about the Multicultural Assistance Program visit: www.multicultural.qld.gov.au

Media Contact: Alexia Deegan 0400 767 490