JAZZ talent Monica Trapaga is warning to expect the unexpected when she performs in Maleny this week, in what will be her first performance in the hinterland town for 20 years.
The former long-term Play School host, from 1990-1998, and voice of the Bananas in Pyjamas theme song, spoke to GC&M News last week ahead of her Maleny Community Centre show on August 6 at 2pm, to kick off the Maleny Arts Council’s Winter Season.
“I’d hate to disappoint anyone so I don’t want to spoil any secrets, but I don’t think I’m very predictable in terms of what I do,” she said, when asked about her style of show.
“My performances tend to be based on what I’m experiencing at the time, I like to read a room and see what people are like and feeling.”
“It’s nice to be able to pull on all that and bring some of my favourite tunes, I do like to dig into the great American song book but I do pick a lot for rare tunes, but also then you got to throw in something that is familiar every now and then too.”
Alongside her, will be a talented jazz band including Todd Hardy (trumpet), Steve Russell (piano), Helen Russell (bass) and Dave Sanders (drums).
The Sydney-based singer hasn’t been to Maleny since the early 2000s but is regularly touring.
“I’m very excited obviously its always nice to get out of Sydney and I love Queensland in general and northern New South Wales,” she said.
“It’s where I spent a lot of my youth in terms of playing in Monica and the Moochers, we played a lot in that area so there’s a lot of people who were very responsive, and it’s nice to go back after so many years.
“I get to play with some of my favourite musicians, which is wonderful, you’ve got some of the best jazz players in Australia and they’re coming with me, which is lovely.”
Reflecting on the opportunity to host one of Australia’s most iconic children’s program, Monica said it had allowed her to continue to pursue her first love of jazz.
“My life in jazz has been pretty wild and up and down and I’ve had some really good experiences and I played all sorts of places in the world,” she said.
“It was great to be apart of the Bananas in Pyjamas theme song and even Play School, I was very grateful to have had that opportunity because it just opened a whole different world up to me. “The children’s television world was nice to me because it gave me 30 years of opportunities and I could still do my first love, which is Jazz, and keep that going so it’s always lovely to be able to do the things you love and if you can make them your career then you’re doing well I think.”
Monica said the beauty of jazz was its timeless qualities.
“I think that the secret to jazz is that it’s timeless, and it doesn’t matter if someone is 80, it’s an art form where it’s based around story telling,” she said.
“Whether you’re an instrumentalist or a vocalist, it’s about story telling and people’s experiences.
“Now that I’m closer to 60, I keep thinking about whether I should keep doing this, and there’s no reason not to, as long as people are still interested and I can bring people joy then its a lovely area to be in.”
Monica Trapaga:
Sunday, August 6 at 2pm
Maleny Community Centre.
Tickets: malenyartscouncil.com