Australian Youth Orchestra
Red Bull Beat Suite
The AYO grew wings when it joined Red Bull on Saturday 12 May to perform in one of the hottest music events of 2012 – Red Bull Beat Suite – a 75-minute musical and visual performance like no other. Take the nation’s best turntablists and beatmakers, set them on stage with 15 AYO string musicians, throw in US soul singer and Hip Hop luminary Aloe Blacc plus special guest singers and musicians, and cast them under the intrepid direction of The Raah Project’s, Tamil Rogeon – the result was an intoxicating and exciting journey into uncharted musical territory!
The Red Bull Beat Suite combined the elements of diverse music cultures – a cross pollination of classical, hip hop, soul and urban sounds. It paid homage to the last 25 years of urban beats and electronic music genres, told by Australia’s and the world’s most talented and cutting-edge musicians, producers and vocalists.
The Red Bull Beat Suite drew together past genres and original compositions with additional live vocals by singer and rapper Aloe Blacc. Blacc’s recent smash, the modern-day classic “I Need A Dollar” peaked at #11 on the ARIA Charts and is still sitting in the Top 20 charts. Leading the charge was violinist, hip hop/jazz musician and composer, Tamil Rogeon. The AYO’s contribution spotlighted the growing trend of orchestras performing alongside contemporary musicians, and with two sold-out shows and a live web stream it is sure to have opened doors to new audiences.