Launch of CD 'Beauty 4 Ashes' by Christine Ward and CD 'A Place We Call Our Own' by John ‘Koorijack' Walker     

The City of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) provided a mentorship for an Indigenous woman, Christine Ward, from regional Victoria to work with music heavyweights Jeff Burstin, Steven Cummings and others to develop songwriting and music craft skills. This will culminate in the launch of an original CD ‘Beauty 4 Ashes', increasing the diversity of and the interesting and unexpected nature of artistic offerings within the City of Melbourne.

The CD by John ‘Koorijack' Walker is an opportunity to professionally record a CD of original koorie songs with the aim to raise awareness of issues and concerns surrounding the experiences of SE Australian koorie people and to increase the visibility of koorie musicians in Melbourne.

When: Friday, 27 April
Where: The Sound Vault, 230 Roden Street, West Melbourne
Time:  8.30pm to midnight
More information: www.soundvault.com.au 

Christine Ward is a performing artist, based in Ballarat, Victoria. She released her first EP CD, "Nirnoma Munera", (with Yorta Yorta man, Jack Walker), in 1998, which was funded by the Emerging Indigenous Artists Award through Aboriginal Affairs Victoria. In 1999, Christine recorded her first solo CD "Spirit of Our Land" assisted by Regional Arts Victoria. Both of these albums were produced by Melbourne music producer, musician and composer, Jeff Burstin (Renee Geyer, Vika & Linda Bull, producer & musician Black Sorrows & Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons).

Christine, a Bunjalung- Dhungutti woman, from New South Wales, also participated in the 1999 Melbourne Songlines Aboriginal Music Corporation Music Mentorship Program. She was mentored by former Goanna singer and song-writer, Rose Bygrave and recorded the single "Spirit of Our Land" for the "Making Tracks" compilation CD. In 2000, Grant Hansen, CEO of Songlines, became her mentor on the follow-up Songlines album "Share-in Music", recording the track "When You Were Mine". In 2006, Christine was awarded the City of Melbourne's Regional Indigenous Artist's Award, which enabled her to be mentored by a number of artists including :- Jeff Burstin, Bruce Haymes, Craig Horne, Stephen Cummings, Natty Wailer, Nick Barker and Frank Jones. She then went on to collaborate with these musicians and produced an 11- track solo CD "Beauty 4 Ashes".