Groove goes to WOMAD this weekend

Groove goes to WOMAD, Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth.
The three day Festival of World Music and Dance kicks off on Friday 12 March with a Powhiri and then the amazing US outfit Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. If you've been listening to the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid over the last month you would have hear them and many other WOMAD artists talking about their work and the upcoming performances.
Groove will be videoing, bloging and doing live crosses from the festival on Saturday and Sunday. Tune in for more.

WIN + WIN + WIN + WIN ON GROOVE 107.7 FM :
If you fancy a free ticket listen out all this week for a chance to win both admission to all three days AND a three day camping pass worth over $250.00!

WOMAD is not to be missed.
As family friendly event, the Coffee Bar kid will be taking everyone in his 'cafe' (family) - including Latte Girl, Moccacino (aka Groovy Bear) and Lil' Fluffy. The event is characterised by people having fun responsibly; there are viewing platforms for the seniors and wheel chair bound; plenty of Space; a dedicated kidspace and Zoo; a world of amzing food stalls; specialist shops and amazing vendors on offer.
Groovesters Dean and Tim (AKA the Coffee Bar Kid) went last year and were blown away by the event.

Tickets are still available. Check the Website for gig times, tickets, prices getting there or just to sample some of the bands: http://www.womad.co.nz/womad_index.html

Newtown Fair this Sunday!

The Wellington festival that tops them all is here!

The festival flagship is The Newtown Street fair this Sunday 9.30am - 4.30pm.

• 6 Performance stages (Main, Community, Wilson St, Green St, DJ Stage, Buskers Pitch.
• 320 Stalls
• Childrens rides
• Classic cars & rides
• Street performers
• 50 000 people
• Groove playing tunes by the classic cars

The lineup includes Iva Lamkum, Sam Manzanza & the Afro beat band Good Laika, Jesse James & the outlaws, Tyson Smith, Mara TK, Olmecha Supreme, Capoiera, Monroe (heard on Groove), dance, choir and a whole heap more!

More info on the website: http://www.newtownfestival.org.nz/

See you there :)

Groovemeister

I'll have a flat white with one. This week with the Kid

This week on the Adventures of the Coffee Bar Kid (Thurs 6PM) :
We are very excited to have Sacha Vee in the house. Sacha has a Dutch West Indian background and has been singing since her early teens. She took out the prestigious Tauranga Jazz Festival 'Best Vocalist Award" at the tender age of 16. She's done her digs with P-Funk Expressway, Departure Lounge, Oval Office and Rare Shot Blue, and now Ladies and Germs, she's launching her own EP. And Joins us after 6Pm to play her favourite tunes and chat with the Kid.
Get a Taste of Vee at:
www.myspace.com/sachavee

Sasha Plays Hope Bro.s form 10PM on 20th Feb ,
and Don't miss out an in Store at Real Groovy from 1PM


Plus, we have Anna Coddington on the Phone - trailblazing pop diva appearing at WOMAD this year, that gig just gets hotter!

Jump online and check Anna at : http://www.annacoddington.com/

The Coffee Bar Kid is in the House!

This week the Kid's been super busy recording interviews with Jenny Morris, whose here for the International Festival of the Arts (Pacific Blue Lounge), Tama Waipara (Who plays the Ruby Lounge on Friday) and Andrew Spraggon of Sola Rosa (Headling One Love Festival on waitangi Day) Also there's new Music and the usual range of caffine based offerings: Get you weekly fix from 6PM every Thursday Night only on Groove 107.7 FM.

Check Out :
Jenny Morris : http://www.jennymorris.com/
International Festival of the Arts : http://www.nzfestival.nzpost.co.nz/
Sola Rosa http://www.solarosa.com/blog/
One Love : http://www.amplifier.co.nz/news/54094/one-love-2010-top-ranking.html

Phew! What Big Adventures!

Groove has been super busy over the last week at the launch of the Fringe Festival, arranging artist interviews with the International Festival team and camping out at the Organic River Festical in Kiberly Reserve, Levin.

Fringe Festival Opening.
On Thursday (28th) Nite hundreds of sweaty punters crammed into Mighty Mighty to witness the opening of the Fringe Festival, now in its 20th year - Happy Birthday Fringe! Highlights were Raybon Khan, who compared, insulted the crowd (in jest) and untertook a one man stand up comedy show all in one! Also The One Night Stands (Cabaret Act), who sung Jazzy Brit Spear's numbers, impressed and (Festival CEO) Zelda's School Mam act, as she demanded the crowd quieten down for the formal side of the proceedings an act to see by it self! On our Flickr page you'll see photos and a brilliant shot of a 'girl' jumping out of a rubber cake - It's the Fringe, had to be done! go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/groove1077fm/ and select the "Fringe" set.

The full Programme is on: http://www.fringe.org.nz/

Organic River Festival.
On Friday night Dean and Pam upped sticks and headed for the Organic River Festival (29-31 January 2010). The camping grounds are now spread over two distinct paddocks areas, a vast improvement from last year as the access and general layout is far more welcoming and flexible. Management of the site improved too with greater security onsite and a zero waste rubbish policy including staff on hand to advise about what is recyclable and what is not.

This 'reporter' hit the Festival on Saturday and was treated to a swim in the local river, and a fantastic day of music and food. Mike's organic Beer was a highlight. Also a number of stalls offered vegan burgers, ice cream and other treats. Despite being a carnivore I was impressed with the quality and value for money of what I ate, almost makes me give up meat - almost! Musically, headliners An emerald City, who'd just flown in from Paris, were a highlight. Their swirling East-European musical offerings were mesmeriing and hypnotic. Medicine Crow, who performed earlier, put up a brave display, despite the earlier slot, and consequential smaller crowd and Jess Chambers won over hearts with her set. Watch out for that girl, she'll go far.

Roy G and the Bivinators played a brilliant set too. Their music is similar to John Butlers, wth plenty of distorted guitars and bluesy bass at the core of each song.

The weekend turned on a stunner. At one point I measured 29 Degrees down by the river, and even after sun down we were still in our tees and shorts. this year's Organic River Festival despite a smaller, lesser known line up of guests and artists was spectacular. With a chilled relaxed family atmosphere, low achol pressense and a good security and management structure, this is a festival on the rise. the Cherry on the top was strolling back to my car, some 50 metres from the event I was offered a lift on the back of the security guards' quad bike so i would,nt have to fumble around in the dark - all class! Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/groove1077fm/ and click on the Organic River Festival Set.

Miho Wada : Interviewed on-air

Japanese Jazz Punk artist Miho Wada (who toured worldwide recently with Ska Cubano including Womad 2009) popped in to chat with the Coffee Bar Kid last night to promote the Pajama Party Concert at Watusi.

She also played inhouse at Real Groovy, PJs optional on that one.

The Return Of the Coffee Bar Kid

Yep, the Kid is back - Every Thursday on Groove from 6.

This week Punk Jazz peformer Miho Wada. Miho will be chatting about her upcoming Gig at the Watusi and playing tunes from her debut album "Postcards to your bed" available from CDbaby.com and amplifier.com .

http://www.mihowada.com/

Karen Hunter also dropped by earler in the week to chat with the Kid about her Wednesday Gig, her new Album : Words and Groove and to sing a few tunes - Live! We'll replay that interview.

Karen also wanted fans to contact her via facebook and email. Go to her site: http://www.karenhunter.com/

Photos from Karen's interview:

Merry Yueltide from All the Gang at Groove

Do your bit for the Welly jazz scene!

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Find yourself feeling down by the end of the week? Starting in January, Bryan Howard again brings us 'Reflections' at 5.45 Friday nights; A thought for the week and your antidote to the weeks negativity.

Remember you can catch the news on Groove with the 'Independent Network News', proudly Kiwi but not Auckland centric! Weekdays at 1pm, 5pm and 6pm on Groove 107.7FM. Incidentally, news sponsorship is available at only $70 per week including naming rights and promos!

More news soon!

Groovemiester

Shakin' them Lovely Bones on the Red Carpet

Peter Jackson's New Movie:
The Lovely Bones Premieres at the Embassy, courtenay Place!

The Coffee Bar Kid was on hand with camera earlier in the day to photograph the laying of the red plush for the event. Our tickets must have been lost in the mail.

WOMAD hits the 'Naki, Once Again!

We, at Groove are super excited. We popped along to Parliament last Tuesday and were a part of the launch of WOMAD, a major side project of the Taranaki Arts Festival. Last year was a blast and this year will be even better. Dean and Tim are planning again to head up to New Plymouth and will be crossing live to the studio, blogging and posting on the Weekend of 12-14 March.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. What's on offer? Well among the events are over 6 stages with constant acts, a kids area that is better than any crech+library+craft house you ever went to. Then there's camping, circulating arts events, a monks' tent (from Tibet) and food galore (not hot dogs and chips but real good local and international stuff!) not to mention an international market.

Artists to watch, (assuming you have time!) Are: Calexico (very excited about them), Don McGlashin's reincarnation; the Bellbirds, a 10 piece called Babylon Circus; Eddi Reader (Fairground attraction - It's got to be...Perfect!); Eliades Ochoa from the Buena Vista Social Club; Ethiopiques (One of the original funksters from that part of the world) Hypnotic Brass Ensemble ( the Eight siblings of Sun Ra's Trumpeter, Phil Cohran); Newcomer Iva Lankum from Welli; Rapper Ladi 6 LA mitchell from NZ and heaps more.

You gotta GO this year! We'll be doing a pile of special features leading up to the festival so stay tuned!

Keep on Groovin'

http://www.womad.co.nz/

Groove is clean again!

What do I mean by that???

For around 6 weeks or more we have actually been broadcasting a 'messy' signal through no fault of our own. George FM have admitted that they have been 'overmodulating' (basically broadcasting too loud) with the result that they spilling over the band and affecting the link between our studio and transmitter and causing our on-air sound to be full of static a lot of the time.

They haven't corrected things at their end although they promised to about a month ago but the good news is that we have forked out and upgraded some gear at our end to stop their interference and Groove should be sounding better than ever (we've also fine tuned our audio processing).

Please tell you friends and Whanau to tune back in and stay tuned for more news shortly...

Groovemiester.