October must be Polynesian month!
On 8 October all day and into the night Logan Brothers Leagues Club will play host to PolyFest 2011 - a celebration of Polynesian culture, food and most of all music with a huge line up of some of the world's biggest and best exponents of Poly-Reggae including Katchafire, 1814 and Nesian Mystic. The Logan gig is one of 4 taking place this month with the festival being repeated in Melbourne, Sydney and Rotarua. Tickets and more information are available at www.polyfest.com.au
Heaps of Loganites would be familiar with the young enigmatic Polynesian Community Leader - Heimana Tahiata. On 22 October at the Logan Entertainment Centre, Heimana's excellent Heilani Polynesian School of Arts proudly presents 'Polynesian Paradise' when over 100 students from the ages of three to adulthood, will showcase the wonderful art of 'Polynesian Dance' - an exuberant and vibrant dance style set to beautiful island music and unique Polynesian drum rhythms. Come and celebrate the beautiful cultures of the South Pacific Island through drama, song and dance. For a sample of what is in store, check out the Heilani Polynesian School of Arts You Tube clip. Tickets can be purchased online at the Logan Entertainment Centre website.
A few days later you can head straight back to the Entertainment Centre for the Marsden State High School "Past, Present, Future" Arts Showcase and be entertained by over 100 enthusiastic dancers performing 25 dances across 8 different musical styles. Marsden High is overflowing with talent, and is one of Logan's most culturally diverse schools with a particularly large Polynesian mix. So don't miss out! It's your last chance to see the Bring it On' hip hop crew perform their fantastic moves. If you missed them at the heats, the finals, Remix or the Ekka, see them now and hold on for the ride.Tickets can also be purchased online at the Entertainment Centre.
Marsden State High was the birthplace of Logan Drumline and RecLink may just be the birthplace of the next big Logan drum band. The crew at RecLink always have heaps of wonderful free activities on the go including soccer, yoga, sewing, tai-chi and arts and crafts. However particularly exciting are the Carribean Steelband Workshops that are scheduled to commence on the 18 October and continue from 1 to 2:30pm every Tuesday for 8 weeks. Participants are asked to commit to all 8 workshops, however instruction, equipment and materials will be provided free! Not only will participants learn to play in a steel drum band they will also take part in a group performance. So come and join the fun! For more info contact Leo Duffy by email at leo.duffy@reclink.org.
Of course, Logan is far more than Queensland's "Little Polynesia". We have over 180 cultures enriching our city and many memebers of our diverse cultural groups choose to participate in programs such as POWERtalk - a not for profit organisation that coaches its members in effective public speaking. POWERtalk members are men and women who are part of a world-wide association of 400 clubs. Founded as International Toastmistress Clubs in 1938, the organization has been regularly renewed and updated to meet the needs of its members of all ages and cultures. Whether you’re an experienced public speaker or a nervous novice, you will find quality training at a level suited to your needs – from practical personal coaching to professional resource materials. The Brisbane South POWERtalk Club actually meets in Logan on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday night in the meeting room of Alpha First Aid at 28 Smallwood St Underwood.You will find a lot more information about POWERtalk at www.powertalkinternational.com and the local contact is Janeen Vosper who can be contacted by email at shiftingvisions@hotmail.com
Until next month remember our culture makes us who we are!
