Saray Iluminado and Kavisha Mazzella in Castlemaine

Saray Iluminado’s first full-length album “Nightingales in the Rose Garden” explores the musical traditions of Sevdah and Sephardic music and delves into the alchemy of the Balkan soul. The sounds of Saray Iluminado are a musical mirror revealing the four reflections of the Balkan spirit: the Slavic, the Ottoman, the Mediterranean and the Jewish.
Nela’ Trifkovics wailing vocals intertwine with Ernie Gruners soaring violin and mandolin sounds. William'Thompson’s distinctive and deft rhythmic patterns on oud create an intimate dialogue with the mournful sounds of Kelly Dowall’s ney flute. This album is the continuation of Saray Iluminado’s recent musical journey: its repertoire celebrates the rich traditions of the cosmopolitan artistic Balkan cities such as Sarajevo and Mostar.

Aria award winner, songbird and folkloric explorer Kavisha's original song's lyrical ingredients include humour, poetry, social justice and the spiritual. Combine this prowess with the voice of an angel and you have the experience of a Kavisha concert. Singing in English , Italian and other languages, she will take you on an uplifting boundary riding journey of well-crafted stories and songs ringing with echoes of Celtic, Fado and Gypsy influences that will strike a resounding chord within.

Passioniate about social justice,she was awarded an Order Of Australia in 2011 for her services to singing songwriting and reflecting the experiences of aboriginal,refugee and multicultural communities through her performances.Based in Melbourne, Australia,she continues to perform her original songs and share her love of italian folk music at numerous national and international music and arts festivals . All kavisha's music published by Mazzella Music.