Calling all buskers to Narooma - last minute entries open, $$$ and fame up for grabs

Last minute entries for the Narooma Busking Championship are being taken with organisers keen to fill the town with music and performance on Saturday, May 26.

Around 55 entries have already rolled in from across South East NSW and beyond including Canberra, Sydney, Wollongong, and Victoria.

Busking co-ordinator Sandra Doyle says, “Narooma will again buzz from the Plaza to the Flat, filled with about 200 happy performers and musicians playing all kinds of wonderful music throughout town.”

The Championship is hosted by Narooma Rotary Club and is part of the Australian National Busking Championships based out of Cooma, and forms the climax to the Eurobodalla wide River of Art Festival.

“Interestingly we have more bands this year compared with last,” Mrs Doyle says.

“Each act will play through the day at three or four of the 35 busker hot spots around town that are sponsored by the adjacent businesses, with music ranging from country, blues, jazz and rock, to Scottish bagpipes, dancers, poets and circus acts.

“This year we have extra busker hot spots around the Kinema, on NATA Oval and near the Quarterdeck.”

Canberra’s Inoeg and Sebastian Fox are music enthusiasts who love to jam together and can’t wait to bring their brand of bossanova, jazz, funk, and Latin music to Narooma on May 26.

Sebastian is 8 years old and started learning the conga a year ago and just fell in love with it. He is learning the afro cuban style, which is flexible and can be combined with different music styles.

Inoeg plays the Grand Stick, a 12 stringed tapping instrument that can play bass, rhythm and melody simultaneously with two hands. He picked up this instrument in 2015 and has developed his own style. He is always looking for new musical adventures and collaborations.

The father and son act will be a highlight of the Narooma program and are a real chance to advance to the grand final in Cooma later this year.

Lynda Ord from the organising committee says, “Every spectator can vote for their favourite busker for the $1,000 People’s Choice prize, each vote costs $1.”

“We count up the votes for each busker at the end of the day to determine the winner.

“The busker gets 10 cents from each $1 vote and if the purchaser writes their name on the back of each vote, they enter a lucky draw.

“But this is a busking festival so every busker keeps any coin they collect from patrons on the day,” Mrs Ord says.

Narooma’s four judges will be roaming around listening to all competitors throughout the day, to determine the overall winner’s prize of $1,000.

The day culminates with a free finalists concert at Narooma Golf Club at 5 pm followed by the presentation of prizes.

Narooma is one of five regional finals held around Australia including Noosa, Ballarat, Stanthorpe and Peak Hill, with finalists in each progressing to the Cooma grand final in early November.

Volunteers make each event work, led by local Rotary Clubs. Narooma Lions, Quota, CWA, and VIEW Clubs are also pitching in at Narooma, however, more volunteers are needed.

If you would like to help, please ring Sandra Doyle on 0408 298233 or email her at sandra@spinninggums.com.au

To register as a busker go to the Narooma Rotary website.

Part of the proceeds from the day will be donated to Tathra Public School for their music and instruments program following the devastating bushfires of March 18.