Funding secured for local Coromandel artists to continue performing online

Creative Mercury Bay have established a YouTube Channel where you can enjoy the latest weekly episode of Bubble Bites. This weeks session includes a great local line up of stage artists, singers and songwriters. 

Retrowhiti - Pop/Rock/Folk/Reggae Duo

Retrowhiti comprises Whitianga-based husband and wife duo Graeme & Svenja Thornber. Graeme is known in the community as a Web Developer and for his involvement with Offbeat Theatre, and Svenja for lending her voice to the Mercury Bay Community Choir and for her various roles at the Whitianga Playcentre.

They will be performing original songs What You Want, Not Too Far and Coro Time.

Relapse Band - Musical Theatre/Originals/Dance Group

Relapse band plays a wide range of popular music as well as original songs that people can dance to at birthday celebrations and community events as well as performing at the Whitianga Music Club. They also perform skits and act out songs in costume (Musical Theatre) and recently have added Poetry to the mix.

The Relapse band has four members. 

Colin Reid who plays keyboard and rhythm guitar, and sings. Previously played in Incognito band with Alan Rhodes for 15 years - for part of that time, Dave Rhodes was our drummer. Lynda Reid sings, acts and reads poems. Previously a member of the Mercury Bay Community Choir. Andy Santos was originally a drummer but was drawn to guitar, and has worked for many years to learn lead guitar. He has skills in audio/radio/and T.V. work and is a valuable resource person in this area for us. Susan Reid joined us as a harmony singer. Currently a member of the Mercury Bay Community Choir.

They will be performing original songs The Bush Song, Time and Songwriting Poem.

Katarina Lee - Author

Katarina Lee is a primary school teacher now semi-retired, who also writes children's books and teen novels.

In this episode of Bubble Bites, Katarina will be reading her children's book, ‘Omri’ , an environmental-themed book about an octopus enduring intrusion into his realm at Tiritiri Matangi Island Reserve, after two fishing buddies unwittingly destroy Omri’s castle of shells.

The book has taken on a life of its own, with a life-size Omri accompanying Katarina on a book tour, visiting schools in Auckland and Northland. School visits were interspersed with beach and roadside rubbish clean-ups, and shared ways kids could care for the environment. Omri’s songs with messages of hope have also been popular, as have Katarina’s free mini writing workshops. You can find a copy of Omri in most school and regional libraries.