A tribute concert to one of the founders of the Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters will be held in Lawson on Saturday, April 14.
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Gail Clifford supported the development of East Timor for 20 years before her death from cancer late last year. In addition to a number of trips to the region, Ms Clifford worked for Australian Volunteers International in East Timor. She was also a founding member of the Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters (BMETS) and her experience contributed greatly to the group establishing strong relationships in Timor.
Ms Clifford’s quiet and unassuming work was well known in East Timor as became clear at her funeral through the messages received from Timorese leaders such as Jose Ramos Horta.
The tribute concert will comprise music from and about East Timor by Ros Dunlop and Ego Lemos in a joyful celebration with multimedia images of our tiny neighbour country and its people.
The popular balladeer Ego Lemos, best known outside Timor for Balibo, the title song for the feature film of the same name, will sing his own and traditional songs. He has interpreted and modernised some of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching traditional Timorese melodies, including some sung now by children and adults throughout the country, and he has also produced a wealth of original songs in the nation's lingua-franca, Tetum.
In a contemporary folk singer style, with guitar in hand, Lemos is an engaging entertainer who often has the audience joining in.
Clarinettist Ros Dunlop will play songs written by the renowned contemporary Australian composer Martin Wesley-Smith. Both Dunlop and Wesley-Smith have long involvements with Timor. The song, Welcome to the Hotel Turismo, marks the central place this establishment had in the recent history of the country.
BMETS is presenting the concert, which will also include a short film of a ritual performance from the Hatubuiliku region. Projects in East Timor are being established in Gail Clifford’s memory and any funds raised will go to the projects.
The concert will be held at the Lawson Mechanics Institute on April 14 at 8pm. For bookings visit www.trybooking.com/UTAH. Tickets adult $30, concession $25, children $15.
