Fringe: Vocal Circus

Mama Alto aka Benny Dimas reflects, “For me, growing up in Australia as a person of colour and as a genderqueer person, the formidably talented and glamorous black women who sang American jazz were inspirational beacons in a confusing world.” 

Speaking of Sarah Vaughan in particular, Dimas says, “Her interpretation of lyrics and communication of meaning, combined with her sumptuously rich vocal timbre, transformed songs into a rich tapestry of human experience.”  

Dimas insists that Vaughan is one of the most brilliant but forgotten jazz singers. “When people sing tributes to them [legendary jazz singers], we do hear a great deal about Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra (and rightfully so), but often, Sarah Vaughan is left in the shadows or forgotten.” 

In Dimas’ eyes, Vaughan is “artistically speaking, one of the finest there has ever been”. So it’s not surprising that after channeling jazz icon Billie Holiday for Neil Cole’s An Audience earlier this year, Vaughan was the choice for Mama Alto’s next performance.

Dimas works alongside musical director and pianist, Tiffani Walton, to create their own interpretation of Vaughan’s songs. “We tend to look to many sources of musical inspiration – different singers’ interpretations of the piece. We then work from a skeleton of chords and melodies, building up our interpretation with different riffs, and creating layers of texture that match our idea of the feel and meaning of each piece.” 

Having performed a Mama Alto show at Melbourne Fringe before in 2012, Dimas has some idea of what makes a good Fringe show. “It isn’t about big budgets or huge special effects – it’s about generating the utterly spectacular from the very human.”

Sassy: Mama Alto Sings Sarah Vaughan
24 – 28 Sep, Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Butterfly Club