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Jazz goes Dutch

Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 22/05) - An experimental, improvisational, modern jazz fusion band from Holland is making three concert stops in the territories this week.

Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio will perform in Fort Liard, Fort Simpson and Yellowknife.

Their 100-stop, trans-Canada tour marks the 60th anniversary of the gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canadians by the Dutch Royal Family. The gift was made as a symbolic thank you to Canadians for providing safe haven for members of the Dutch Royal Family in Ottawa and the role Canadian veterans played in the liberation of the Netherlands.

The band will present a gift of tulips to veterans and municipal officials in each of the three communities.

International cast

Purwanto (born in Indonesia) sings and plays violin, Rene van Helsdingen (born in Holland) plays piano, Marcello Pellitteri (born in Italy) plays drums and Essiet Okon Essiet (born in the U.S. of Nigerian parents) plays bass.

The multicultural musicians are travelling on a multi-functional bus that doubles as a fully-equipped mobile stage, designed by Dutch audio-visual installation artist Aart Marcus.

Concert schedule

Fort Liard: early evening Monday at the Community Centre, presented by the Hamlet of Fort Liard and the Community Action Task Team

Fort Simpson: 7 p.m. Tuesday at the papal site, or in the Rec Centre in the event of rain, presented by the Village of Fort Simpson

Yellowknife: 8 p.m. Thursday at the City Hall parking lot, presented by the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre in co-operation with the Royal Canadian Legion 164, the City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknife Dutch community