"Carolina Moon" – an unconventional brew of contemporary world music group with ancient and modern roots. Vocals featuring evocative looped guitarscapes, great grooves, Ladino/Spanish/Jewish/folk/jazz cultural flavourings and wild, boundary stretching improvisations.

Carolina Moon unfolds a beautiful past in a compelling performance amid creative soundscapes with electric oud, guitar loops, and effervescent groove. Moon sings an unmissable program of ancient Sephardic song, in 'Mother Tongue', with tinges of flamenco, klezmer, jazz, Arabic and Gaelic pieces, which go to the heart of this rich, diverse musical experience.

The band first formed in 2008 and are garnering growing national and international acclaim wherever they play. Their recent CD 'Mother Tongue', debuted at WOMAD, has also collected exceptional reviews.

Ms Moon who heads the project, is a multi lingual, improvising vocalist with a passion for medieval and traditional world music. She weaves Eastern and Western vocal influences with grace into a powerful statement of the feminine, and is joined by some of NZ's finest, maddest, creative best.

Line-up for Luminate:
Carolina Moon – vocals, bells
Nigel Gavin – guitar, glissantar
Roger Manins – soprano saxophone, clarinets, flute
Cameron McArthur – double bass
Ron Samsom – drums / percussion