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Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

30 May 2023

In the Concert Hall

Contemporary Music

Left-field jazz, funk and hip-hop collide with the sounds of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Melbourne’s genre-defying neo-soul outfit Hiatus Kaiyote return to the Sydney Opera House stage with their biggest show to date.

Hiatus Kaiyote's music stretches and bends every parameter; dancers trying to stay with its pulse risk dislocated joints.

The New York Times

Future soul favourites throw down with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

What could be more electrifying than a Hiatus Kaiyote performance? How about the future soul funkateers bringing a live orchestra on stage for a genre-bending sonic workout? Making their thrilling return to Vivid LIVE, the multiple Grammy-nominated Melbourne four piece unleash their head-spinning odyssey of funk, jazz, hip-hop and progressive soul on the Sydney Opera House’s iconic Concert Hall, where they’ll be joined by the power of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for one night only.

Vivid LIVE favourites renowned for their astonishing virtuosity and wildly exuberant performances, Hiatus Kaiyote – singer-guitarist Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield, bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin and drummer Perrin Moss (drums) – broke through internationally with their debut Tawk Tomahawk (2012), a record that drew praise from no less than Prince, Erykah Badu and Questlove. “Nakamarra”, the band’s collaboration with rapper Q-Tip, landed them a Grammy Nomination for Best R&B Performance (the first-ever such nod for an Australian act), as did “Breathing Underwater”, from their polyrhythmic second album, the acclaimed Choose Your Weapon (2015). Meanwhile, their music was sample by Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and Drake – with whom Nai Palm collaborated on Scorpion (2018).

In 2021, Hiatus Kaiyote returned with the Grammy-nominated top-five smash Mood Valiant, which saw the Melbourne neo-soul group expanding into psychedelic terrain. The vibrant, kaleidoscopic new sound sets the stage for the band’s orchestral Vivid LIVE performance – which may just be their greatest yet.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

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