r&b/soul

Proud Mutti Mutti songman Kutcha Edwards brings focus back to his significant and wonderfully acclaimed album ‘Circling Time’ TODAY with the release of Mrs Edwards and a new music video for the track

Says Kutcha, “Imagine as a 6-year-old meeting your mother after being forcefully removed from her loving arms as a baby. ‘Mrs Edwards’ is about that moment when you’re told the person standing before you is in fact your Mother.

Imagine for that child when their immediate response is -“who is this stranger”

Imagine for that mother when she’s told - “It’s time for you to go”

The single release will coincide with a tour to northern parts of NSW and Sydney, followed by shows in WA and Melbourne.

Multi award winning artist Kutcha certainly has a way of connecting with audiences. As a respected elder, his performance experience takes you on a journey with stories from his life, the highs and the lows that segue so eloquently into each song choice lifting your spirit and inducing goose bump moments.

Kutcha will play at the following celebrated venues in October. They have been lovingly selected to highlight Kutcha’s inspirational vocals in each location.

A number of these beautiful theatres are steeped in history including The Star Court Theatre, Lismore, which was the first major venue for musical and theatrical events in Northern NSW, opening with much fanfare on 18th July 1921.

The Bowraville Theatre was opened in 1940 and operated as a racially segregated business, according to the Mackay Argus. Aborigines had to buy their tickets separately, enter the theatre by a separate side entrance, occupy inferior wooden seats below an interior wooden partition, but to do so after the program had begun and leave before the end."

Described as “the little black dress in your wardrobe, an instant classic” (FBi Radio), Sydney-based songwriter, producer and performer Ruby Jackson has positioned herself at the heart of the Australian R&B scene.

During her high school years, Ruby fell in love with jazz music when she discovered the magic of Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Julie London. This sudden passion inspired her to study composition at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she honed in on her writing skills.

Since completing her studies, Ruby has been quickly flourishing into one of Sydney’s most authentic, world-class creators of music with songs that continuously strike a chord with her audience. This can be traced back to November 2022 when Jackson was selected as FBi Radio’s Independent Artist of the Week for her release ‘Get Around To It’, which quickly became a crowd pleaser for its smooth & classy alternative R&B touch.

In 2023, Ruby's singles 'Out Of Fashion', 'Guilty Pleasure', and 'You’ve Changed' dominated the airwaves, earning Double J rotation, triple j Unearthed rotation, alongside radio-play support from triple j, iHeartRadio and community radios nationwide.

Off the back of her impressive performances at BIGSOUND and SXSW Sydney in September 2023, Ruby released her much-anticipated debut EP Sweeter For Me in November, co-produced with one of Sydney’s renowned creators Finbar Stuart.

Fuelled by 2000s R&B Pop nostalgia, the timeless 5-track record tells a series of sincere stories with a beautiful, honest delivery - everything a debut should do. Sweeter For Me has recently been nominated for the 2024 AIR Awards (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) for Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or Ep.

Ruby has kicked off 2024 with a sold-out performance at Cockatoo Island’s Sunset Sessions, Hot Jazz Picnic, and has just recently sold out the Lansdowne with a headline show. February saw Ruby open for Ball Park Music as part of Sydney’s Twilight At Taronga, then up to Brisbane to warm the stage for International sensation Morcheeba (UK) at The Tivoli.

Following on from her standout shows at Blues On Broadbeach, Ruby will soon be announcing her much-anticipated East Coast tour. Don’t miss the chance to experience this soulful sophistication!

Stylus were an Australian blue-eyed soul group formed in 1975. They were the only Australian act to be released by Motown Records in the USA. Stylus toured supporting George Benson, Average White Band, Ike & Tina Turner, and Little River Band. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, Stylus "scored a number of hit singles and became very popular on the Australian pub and concert circuit". The group disbanded in 1979 and subsequently had various reunions. In 1998-99 Japan's Toshiba-EMI re-issued three Stylus albums on CDs (For the Love of Music, Best Kept Secret and Part of It All). Their reunions have resulted in a live album, Still Alive (2003); and a new studio album, Across Time (2010).

Sonam Wangchen is one of Bhutan’s youngest and most popular singers. Born in February 2002, he is currently studying in 11th grade. He sings mostly in Dzongkha, Bhutan’s national language. His 2015 song, "choe thom da", was a super-hit, propelling him into the limelight. Since then, Sonam has written numerous hits, performed at national events and charitable concerts, and worked on original soundtracks for movies.

Sonam is beloved by Bhutan’s younger population. He takes every opportunity to encourage children and teens to study, believe in themselves and follow their dreams. In his role as UNICEF Youth Ambassador, Sonam will use his singing, his popularity, and his large social media following to engage with young people and empower them to speak about the issues they face.

World Children’s Day – celebrated on 20th November – is a global day of action ‘for children, by children’ to raise awareness and funds for the millions of children that are unschooled, unprotected and uprooted. UNICEF is inviting the public to go online and sign a global petition asking leaders to commit to fulfilling the rights of every child now and for future generations, so that every child is in school, safe from harm and can fulfil their potential.

As part of the day, UNICEF is asking supporters to raise their voices in solidarity with the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children by helping ‘turn the world blue’ – by doing or wearing something blue at school, on the streets, on social media, in boardrooms and on sports fields on 20 November.

More than 50 organizations globally will turn over roles to children or show their support for every child, including FC Barcelona, Beko, All Blacks, Qantas and Amadeus. Johnson & Johnson Headquarters will also be taken over by children as they announce a US$10 million commitment to support UNICEF’s health programmes. The LEGO Group and LEGO Foundation will host a number of `Build the Change’ events around the world where children are invited to share their views on what their dream school looks like.

Alongside Sonam Wangchen in Bhutan, Emmy-nominated actress Millie Bobby Brown has been announced as UNICEF’s newest and youngest ever Goodwill Ambassador. In addition, countries around the world will appoint UNICEF Youth Ambassadors including:

Wang Yuan (Roy Wang), 18, singer, UNICEF China Ambassador.
Hima Das, 18, athlete, UNICEF India Ambassador.
Hinna Asefi Wardak, 15, television presenter, UNICEF Afghanistan Ambassador.
El Sistema, The National Children's Orchestra of Venezuela, renewed as UNICEF Venezuela Ambassadors.