Viva Melbourne - Channel 31 Program

A live multicultural variety show that brings together a mixture of Melbourne’s multicultural music, song and dance in a free flowing form of the classic variety television show.

Viva Melbourne
Namila Benson (co-host) 		Viva Melbourne
Nadee 		Viva Melbourne
Tony Yap

  • Download Media Release (Launch Sunday 21st October, 7:30pm)

    C31 in association with Multicultural Arts Victoria brings the colour and excitement of Melbourne’s cultural diversity to viewers through a new variety television show Viva Melbourne broadcasting live at 7.30pm on Sundays.

    Melbourne and Geelong’s television audiences will be treated to one hour of multicultural music, song and dance that showcases the diverse talents of performance artists from a diverse range of cultures living and working in Melbourne along with international guests.

    Viva Melbourne will run for six weeks and each show will feature five to eight different multicultural performance artists. A variety of different locations highlighting the beauty of Melbourne will be used for different segments.

    ARTISTS

    Viva Melbourne
    Elf Tranzporter

    The first episode features Haitian singer songwriter Nadee, Jewish Hip Hop artist Elf Tranzporter , an interview with Tony Yap a Butoh dancer, Islamic comedian Nazeem Hussain, Hungarian music group Vardos, Hassan Jafar from the Zim Boys with awesome circus tricks and Melbourne’s Cuban Dance Academy performing Latin dance.

    Future episodes will flow from the excitement of a Bollywood dance routine live in the studio, to the serenity of a solo Chinese flute playing an ancient melody from a Peking Opera in South Melbourne‘s Buddhist temple, and back to the studio for an interview with a young Muslim rapper before he launches into a live rap of what it’s like to live in Australia. Then it’s back out on the streets to the Footscray Market vox-popping the Vietnamese fishmongers and customers for the best fish of the day and finding out which is the best restaurant serving salt and pepper squid. Finally it is back to the studio for a soul stirring Chilean folksong sung by one of the many great South American divas that call Melbourne home.

    HOSTS

    Hosts Dieter Kahsnitz, of German origin and Namila Benson a proud Tolai gal hailing from Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain province of Rabaul, are the viewer’s guides on a journey of discovery of the customs, traditions and soul of each of the cultures featured on the show.

    Antenna Award winner Dieter produced and presented The C Word which screened on C31 and national community TV for 3 years and is currently screening in New Zealand the UK and Europe. Described as a laughumentary series featuring anything the producers thought was interesting at the time such as show and tell in a brothel and a re-enactment of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas set in Broken Hill. Channel Nine viewers will remember Dieter from both The Car Show and The Boat Show, where he produced and presented segments.

    Triple R listeners know Namila from her current soul, Hip Hop and global show, Cocoa Butter and her current global music segment on ABC Radio Australia, Benson on Edge which explores exciting musical trends around Melbourne and features local DJs and music specialists. Namila DJ’s performing as Sista Selekta, in her resident DJ role at Melbourne digital arts bar, Horse Bazaar and has performed in music festivals around Melbourne

    Viva Melbourne is a co-production between C31 and Multicultural Arts Victoria proudly supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission. Over the past thirteen years C31has established itself as a free-to-air community television station that celebrates and is committed to profiling Melbourne’s cultural diversity. In total forty percent of C31’s first run locally made programs are produced by members Melbourne’s multicultural community.

    MEDIA ENQUIRIES

    Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) is Victoria's peak arts organisation promoting cultural diversity in the arts. Since 1983 MAV has worked consistently to support artists individuals, groups and communities across all art forms; music, dance, theatre, film and TV, visual arts and new media.

    Viva Melbourne will bring together, through the medium of free-to-air television these two essential community organisations to promote and celebrate Melbourne as one of the world’s most culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Viva Melbourne will allow a wide audience to experience the cultural artistry of the wealth of multicultural performance artists that call Melbourne their home.

    Media Enquiries: Tracy Routledge 0412 223 221 or tracyr@pipeline.com.au

    MORE INFORMATION

  • www.channel31.org.au
  • www.multiculturalarts.com.au

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