Cafe Boite World Music & Culture, provided a foretaste and something of a casual, café-style rehearsal for their annual big gig – next week’s In Our Own Voices; a book launch, art exhibition and concert in both the Dunstan Playhouse foyer and then the Playhouse itself.

Based on the talent on show here; on a larger scale I’d expect this Middle Eastern Communities Council of SA and the AMRC event will be a great evening of culture and art. Cafe Boite featured several segments, first up a recent Syrian arrival, an Oud player who is a singer/songwriter, along with some percussion (on stage a builder who ran a music school and the ex-leader of the percussion session of the Turkish TV Orchestra & Son).

Then some Indian and Turkish style dance by a young Persian woman, introduced by her mum who used to be an Associate Professor in her home country as well as a cancer researcher, which was followed by some harmonium based Turkish style folk (including a Turkish version of some of yesteryear’s pop), with accompaniment by probably the youngest Tabla player in Australia, quite accomplished at almost age 10!

And, finally, Persian Tar, in solo mode. The ensembles will be larger next week, the sound fuller and the costumes bright and colourful. But what probably won’t happen is that you won’t have to get up and dance in the final song before you’ll be allowed to go home – good natured fun!