<p><span><span>- Like many artists après the Pandemic lockdowns putting on hold their usual practice of launching new albums, Brisbane’s <strong>Mzaza </strong>have reached a happy compromise with world premier performances for the Brisbane Festival and an extensive regional tour of Queensland before year’s end. The title cut of their third studio album the QMAs nominated <em>The Birth & Death of Stars </em>is a moving<em> </em>tribute to end of life and voluntary assisted dying issues of the grandmother of singer <strong>Pauline Maudy</strong>. It's signal of an album that, in a time of loss, questions human relationships with each other, the world and the universe at large.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>At the end of a European Tour in late 2018 <em>The Birth & Death of Stars</em> was recorded and mixed in just over a week by <strong>Vangelis Lappas</strong> at Sierra Studios in Athens, Greece. With only two cuts that are wholly covers, this twelve-track album includes six compositions, like the first single, <em>Stardust</em>,<em> </em>by Pauline Maudy and bass player <strong>Goran Gajic. </strong>The entire sextet contribute compositionally, on the cuts <em>Some Kind Of Circus </em>and second single <em>Lucifer</em><em>. </em>Mzaza is truly a celebration of diversity. Sharing centre stage are Latvian born accordionist <strong>Ance Deksne,</strong> with Greek origins<strong> Jordan Stamos</strong> on tapan, cajon and darbuka, Bosnian born double bass player Goran Gajic, and Australian guitarist <strong>John Robertson</strong>. Australian born<strong> Greta Kelly</strong> -on violin and shah keman- delivers many stellar moments like <em>You, Me And The Cosmos</em> to this accumulated collection of songs. As the titles suggest, there's a recurring thematic link to astrology, Greek mythology and our humanity, congregating around the concept of <em>The Birth & Death of Stars. </em>With French and English lyrics providing an interesting itinerary into the ether, this ensemble’s repertoire is a fusion of Balkan-French mostly original compositions that, for all their star-gazing, invite us to get up and dance. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Sixteen years since they launched themselves on the Brisbane music scene, formative member and singer Pauline Maudy continues her love of the French and Sephardic culture she grew up with, hinted at on the opener <em>Ether.</em> May Mzaza<strong> </strong>continue to inspire audiences at home and internationally whilst maintaining Australia’s rich multicultural makeup.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Rick Heritage.</span></span></p>
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