The atmosphere at The Boite is informal and non-commercial. We try to counteract the tokenistic way in which ethnic cultures are presented in the media and festivals. We have been the first group to insist that musicians are paid award rates for their performance:- apart from the practical benefits to musicians this is a way of influencing standards for both audience and musicians. It is not uncommon to find musicians who gear their performance and presentation to ‘please’ an anglo-saxon audience – we see this as part of the commercialisation of ethnic music and a manifestation of cultural imperialism.
We have taken the name from “les Boites de nuit” or “La Boite” which were coffee houses in Europe where artists and the public could exchange ideas (at night).
In the near future we hope to set up a permanent venue probably a coffee shop, which will also house the first collection of tapes and books on local multicultural music and poetry.
In 1978 we organised concerts on a fortnightly basis. The programmes have included Italian, Greek, Ukranian, Latin, American, Black American, Irish, Turkish, Arabic, Indian and Aboriginal music.
Other events have included poetry nights with works by local poets; Australia’s first performance of locally produced shadow puppet theatre (Koragiozi), and a highly successful art exhibition by George Mihale Mihalekakis – a melbourne-based Greek artist.
We believe that the music of migrants can become one of the most potent forces in expressing the demands and history not only of migrants but of all peoples in Australia. This is not because it is migrant or ethnic but, because of its strong oral tradition, it can become one of the most viable alternative means of communication.
This is why it is just as important to have performances of Irish and Anglo-Australian folk music as of Greek, Italian etc. Through music one can learn of people’s history, language and struggle in a way which you cannot read in books or watch on TV. The encouragement of migrant artists to perform and develop their music will have wide repercussions.
For decades migrants have had little time and even less encouragement to maintain or develop any cultural expression (including their language). The cultural stagnation of migrants may not be much higher than that in general, but we now have an opportunity to give a new direction to the cultural life in this country.
Apart from regular concerts, The Boite also holds performances for community activities e.g. Greek Resistance Week in Melbourne (Oct. 1978); Anniversary of Polytechnic (Nov. 1978) and Boite Dance in support of community language conference (April 7th 1979). This year The Boite is organising performances in schools in both Sydney and Melbourne as part of an interdisciplinary pilot scheme.
Peter Carantinos, Co-ordinator of The Boite was given a Schools Commission grant to organise these performances as well as a set of pilot tapes. In future articles we hope to give an outline of certain types of music (e.g. Rembetika, troubadour music) as well as a description of some of the instruments used.
For more information you can contact us c/- Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, 343 King St., Newtown. Ph. 516-4755, or 89-1 153. If you want to be kept up-to-date with performances, you should subscribe to the mailing list – $3. Don’t forget The Boite comes to UNSW on Friday May 25th. Organised together with Migrant Action and Research Group.