Multicultural Karaoke

A unique celebration of the cultural and linguistic diversity in our city, Darwin’s first-ever multicultural Karaoke competition is here.

Karaoke, translated into English as ‘empty orchestra’, is a global phenomenon originating in Japan. It’s said to have begun when a scheduled singer was unable to perform and the bar owner invited customers to step in – because who doesn’t love the chance to belt out their favourite song? Especially when it’s an opportunity to sing in your first language. Then it’s about more than music, it’s about cultural identity.

With a diverse line-up of performers, Darwin Community Arts is using the Karaoke platform to bring communities together. Whether performing a rendition of the original Japanese ‘Sukiyaki’ or ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ sung in Russian, this is an opportunity for locals to showcase their unique talents and for audiences to delight in the diversity of their offerings. 

Event organiser Sachi Hirayama says that while not everyone can always participate in cultural performances, Karaoke is easy and accessible. 

“It’s about social inclusion. Songs can connect everyone. It’s also a chance to see how popular songs have been transformed by other cultures.”

We all know Darwin is a diverse city, but how does this play out on the Karaoke stage? With prizes for costumes, singing, dance, cultural authenticity and overall performance, this event is guaranteed to be entertaining. 

“This is an opportunity to show just how multicultural Darwin is. Darwin has so many people from many different countries. It is also a chance for people to showcase music and culture from very small, less represented countries like Mauritius or Kiribati,” says Hirayama.

This special event is family friendly and includes food and cultural stalls from the popular Malak Marketplace. 

Sat 2 Dec | 5-9pm | Portuguese and Timorese Social Club | Free | facebook.com/darwincommarts