Artists

DFoV 2012 promises a wide range of exciting artists. As acts are confirmed their biographies will be included on this page. Concert and workshop details will be added as the information becomes available.

Stephen Taberner

Stephen Taberner is a singer, songwriter, double bass player, composer and choirleader based in Melbourne and most notorious as the musical director of the Spooky Men's Chorale.

Best known now as choir leader and spookymeister, Stephen nevertheless finds time to perform his own songs solo and with help from his friends. He now has a needlessly eclectic pedigree as jazz double bass player, choirboy, playback theatre musician, world music junkie, bathroom harmonics afficionado, singer/songwriter and student of the human condition, and brings as much of this to all of his work as humanly possible.

Gina Williams

Some say she has the voice of an angel and the heart of a poet: Gina Williams will make you laugh at her stories, think about her messages, and just as you let your guard down she blows you away with this divine voice.

For almost two decades, Gina has been dedicated to the telling of her people's stories. Trained as a journalist, Gina spent eight years at the helm of GWN's Milbindi series, a show that highlighted the positive achievements and aspirations of the West Australian indigenous community. Nowadays the mother of two is away from the camera, but her storytelling continues through music.

And what nobody realised was Gina had a remarkable story of her own to tell. Her album, Brilliant Blue, is testament to this.

• Winner: Indigenous category, 2001 WA Song Contest
• Winner: 2003/04 Kiss My WAMI, Most Popular Local Original Indigenous Act
• Support: Wendy Matthews, Joe Camilleri, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, and Dave Steele
• Headline artist: Indigenous Showcase (2003 Perth International Arts Festival)
• Artist: 2004 WAMI Weekender and launch of the WAM Hall of Fame
• Headline Artist: 2004 National NAIDOC Awards and Gala Ball
• Headline Artist: 2005 Rotorua International Festival of Arts, Te Ihi - Te Wehi, (NZ)
• Finalist: 2005 WAMI Awards, Best Indigenous Act

With a passion for experimentation and creativity, Aluka are on a constant quest to reinvent A cappella. They sing original contemporary tunes that incorporate intricate harmonies, body and vocal percussion, tempo and time signature changes. Through their intricate yet accessible songwriting they are able to silence even the most VB fuelled punter.

Since forming in 2008, the trio were handpicked to join Clare Bowditch’s band, have supported Renee Geyer and played at the Sydney Opera House in July 2010. Aluka sold out The Toff in Town at the launch of their debut EP and have received Triple J airplay. They have performed at several festivals including Queenscliff Music Festival, Folk Rhythm and Life and Adelaide's Format Festival.

Rory Faithfield

Rory Faithfield is an Australian born singer-songwriter alternately based in both Ireland and Western Australia, with Celtic songlines in his head and grains of sand between his toes.

Developing his craft whilst living in Ireland for the past 20 years, Rory performs mostly solo with acoustic guitar, harmonicas and a loop station - together with a bag of stories and some uplifting audience interactivity. He is fast becoming a familar name on the Australian folk festival circuit and in the past year or so played at Port Fairy, Yungaburra, Maldon, Nannup, Nanga, Tarerer and Lake Bolac Folk Festivals.

According to Bruce Elder in a four star review of his fourth and latest album Songs For Sooner:

Faithfield inhabits the same rich musical world as Christy Moore, Luka Bloom and Glen Hansard. His songs are wistful, romantic, deeply felt, beautifully crafted and sung with a voice that pours sincerity and emotion over every line and note... This is a sublime, heart-stoppingly beautiful album from a major new Australian folk talent.