Avra
Encyclopedia
Avra Velis better known as Avra, is a multi award winning Greek-Australian alternative-pop
singer-songwriter
, actress, dancer, and record producer
. She is noted for her ambitious music video
s and stage performances as well as her intricate and provocative lyrics.
Since her debut in 1982, Avra has released numerous singles and albums. She has also written and appeared in several theatre productions and stage performances, including the Melbourne Fringe Festival
.
She was raised in an eccentric Greek environment in the northern Brisbane suburb of Hendra
.
Avra's mother encouraged her renegade passion for the arts from an early age, enrolling her in after school piano lessons, speech and drama classes, whilst also studying Greek language
and culture. In addition to all of this she also took Avra to see numerous theatre productions, often three per week. Shows she saw included Liberace
, Dame Joan Sutherland
, Billy Joel
, Lindsay Kemp
and a myriad of other internationally acclaimed artists, each leaving a profound and indelible impression on the young Avra.
She was a straight-A student at Ascot State Primary School and went on to attend Brisbane State High School
where she excelled in drama
, debating and English
, and surprisingly almost failed music
.
but discovered that her real passion was to write and create music. After earning her degree
she taught secondary English
and drama
at several South Australian schools, writing numerous school productions which proved to be hugely popular.
After 4 years of teaching, Avra became frustrated with the school system and sought a means to more dynamically express her creativity.
She left teaching and moved into the commercial music industry.
with her partner Steve Sutton, a well known Guitarist
, songwriter
and Author
, and Rod Boothroyd (Bass Guitar). The cross-genre band largely produced eccentric alternative style pop songs which ultimately led them to win the West End Battle Of The Bands, a notable contest held in South Australia
. This win gave Avra her first taste of media exposure.
The band was awarded recording time and funds to further their profile, however infighting led Avra and Steve to abandon the hope of an album and award the money received to the other band members. The members of Virginia Wolf
then went their separate ways. During this time Avra and Steve married. Steve was a long time sufferer of manic depression, which ultimately lead to him committing suicide
. Devastated, Avra struggled to find her artistic place on her own and pledged that she would never again work in a band
environment where she didn't have complete artistic control.
She started work on a series of musical projects including a spiritual/alternative album titled "INNATE" which she produced for the international chiropractic fraternity. The highly acclaimed album was a success and was distributed throughout Australia
, New Zealand
and the United States
.
After "INNATE" she returned to her Hellenic
roots, and worked on another series of musical projects that explored her passion for Greek music and culture. This saw Avra perform at sold out concerts before thousands of people at Adelaide Festival Centre
, Royalty Theatre
and Adelaide Convention Centre
, before continuing on to perform at various venues in Melbourne
and Sydney
. Having now performed in front of large national audiences, Avra was well established in the Music Industry.
Other projects included the formation of the "Avralicious Show", under the musical direction of Corey Stewart.
This inspired a six track E.P. entitled "Super-alterego" which was recorded whilst Avra was in Adelaide. Produced by Damien Steel Scott, this led to a national tour including shows at the Melbourne Fringe Festival
, where she won best song writer (2003).
All of the shows in Victoria
were highly successful and the tour moved on to New South Wales
where the reception, although not as strong, was still favourable.
Avra was still relatively unknown to Queenslanders when the tour hit Brisbane
. A combination of poor artist management and venue selection saw the show play to significantly smaller audiences who were less appreciative of Avra's eccentric style. As a result, the reviews were also less glowing than previously earned in the Southern states.
Attendance was still strong enough however, to shift significant numbers of the CD and Avra has commented that this was the only redeeming factor of the Brisbane shows. The CD by this stage had shifted over 5000 units which was very encouraging to the independent artist.
in July to a sell out audience.
The lyrics for all 16 of the songs were entirely composed by Avra, while the musical composition marked her first collaboration with dance music veteran Kevin Freeman.
Set to video screen backdrops created by Tim Rith and extravagant lighting designed by Hamish Cliff, the production was a combination of dance and theatre that won the hearts of all who attended.
A 20 track CD was produced and sold at the show, simply titled "Avra - The musical - Songs from the acclaimed musical".
Avra continued her work with Kevin Freeman under his stage name "Thousand Ears" in 2006, recording several songs together including a dance track titled "Fashion Police". The song is a tongue in cheek commentary on the nature of fashion
and the Fashion industry. The lyrics were written by Avra and Kevin composed the music.
Its heavy 80s influences combine with more complex contemporary sounds and time signatures to produce a song that is catchy, sexy and above all makes you feel like dancing.
In December 2006, Director Steve Malone from Brisbane's Water Street Productions directed the music video, which premiered to rave reviews. The Video and song were featured on the front page of the Melbourne
and Sydney
editions of MX Newspapers.
Velis' performance in the video was reviewed as "exceptional and she takes to the role of the Dominatrix Policewoman Fashionista with commitment and passion that is utterly convincing".
The video was shot entirely against a green screen and a A$250,000 GT Pantera sports car was one of the props. Extensive motion tracked 3D animation was used in combination with 3D titles and effects, marking a dramatic departure from the very basic and strictly utilitarian style music videos that made up the bulk of Brisbane produced music clips in recent times.
The song was featured in the 2008 Australian Big Brother series.
At present, Avra is working on a new studio album, set to be released in 2011.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, actress, dancer, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. She is noted for her ambitious music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s and stage performances as well as her intricate and provocative lyrics.
Since her debut in 1982, Avra has released numerous singles and albums. She has also written and appeared in several theatre productions and stage performances, including the Melbourne Fringe Festival
Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival held in Melbourne, Australia. The Festival runs for three weeks from late September to early October, usually overlapping with the beginning of the Melbourne International Arts Festival...
Early life
Avra was born in Brisbane, Queensland. She was the only child born to Greek-Australian parents who immigrated from Kythera and IthacaIthaca
Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...
.
She was raised in an eccentric Greek environment in the northern Brisbane suburb of Hendra
Hendra
Hendra may refer to:People* Hendra Aprida Gunawan , male badminton player* Hendra Setiawan , badminton player* Imay Hendra, badminton player* Tony Hendra , British actor and authorOther* Hendra, Cornwall...
.
Avra's mother encouraged her renegade passion for the arts from an early age, enrolling her in after school piano lessons, speech and drama classes, whilst also studying Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and culture. In addition to all of this she also took Avra to see numerous theatre productions, often three per week. Shows she saw included Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
, Dame Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Lindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp is a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist and choreographer.Born in South Shields on May 3, 1938, Kemp's father, a seaman, was lost at sea in 1940. According to Kemp, he danced from early childhood: "I'd dance on the kitchen table to entertain the neighbours. I mean, it was a...
and a myriad of other internationally acclaimed artists, each leaving a profound and indelible impression on the young Avra.
She was a straight-A student at Ascot State Primary School and went on to attend Brisbane State High School
Brisbane State High School
Brisbane State High School is a partially selective, co-educational, state secondary school, located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a member of the Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland, and the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association...
where she excelled in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, debating and English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, and surprisingly almost failed music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
Professional career
Having completed High School, Avra moved to Adelaide to pursue a Bachelor of EducationBachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
but discovered that her real passion was to write and create music. After earning her degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
she taught secondary English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
at several South Australian schools, writing numerous school productions which proved to be hugely popular.
After 4 years of teaching, Avra became frustrated with the school system and sought a means to more dynamically express her creativity.
She left teaching and moved into the commercial music industry.
Starting Out
Avra formed her first band Virginia WolfVirginia Wolf
Virginia Wolf was a British rock band of the 1970s and 1980s. Their albums included Virginia Wolf and Push . The band existed from 1977 until 1988, and featured Nick Bold on lead guitar throughout. Chris Ousey was the vocalist for most of this time and Jason Bonham was the drummer on both their...
with her partner Steve Sutton, a well known Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and Author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and Rod Boothroyd (Bass Guitar). The cross-genre band largely produced eccentric alternative style pop songs which ultimately led them to win the West End Battle Of The Bands, a notable contest held in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. This win gave Avra her first taste of media exposure.
The band was awarded recording time and funds to further their profile, however infighting led Avra and Steve to abandon the hope of an album and award the money received to the other band members. The members of Virginia Wolf
Virginia Wolf
Virginia Wolf was a British rock band of the 1970s and 1980s. Their albums included Virginia Wolf and Push . The band existed from 1977 until 1988, and featured Nick Bold on lead guitar throughout. Chris Ousey was the vocalist for most of this time and Jason Bonham was the drummer on both their...
then went their separate ways. During this time Avra and Steve married. Steve was a long time sufferer of manic depression, which ultimately lead to him committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Devastated, Avra struggled to find her artistic place on her own and pledged that she would never again work in a band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
environment where she didn't have complete artistic control.
Solo career
She entered her first song "Crazy Over You" into the SCALA (Songwriters, Composers And Lyricists Association's) song writing competition, which to her surprise, she won.She started work on a series of musical projects including a spiritual/alternative album titled "INNATE" which she produced for the international chiropractic fraternity. The highly acclaimed album was a success and was distributed throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
After "INNATE" she returned to her Hellenic
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
roots, and worked on another series of musical projects that explored her passion for Greek music and culture. This saw Avra perform at sold out concerts before thousands of people at Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Festival Centre
The Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre, was built in 1973 and opened three months before the Sydney Opera House. The Festival Centre is located approximately 50 metres north of the corner of North Terrace and King William Street, lying near the banks of the River...
, Royalty Theatre
Royalty Theatre
The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho and opened on 25 May 1840 as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938. The architect was Samuel Beazley, a resident in Soho Square, who also designed St James's Theatre, among...
and Adelaide Convention Centre
Adelaide Convention Centre
The Adelaide Convention Centre is a large convention centre on North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia. It was the first purpose-built convention centre to be built in Australia....
, before continuing on to perform at various venues in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Having now performed in front of large national audiences, Avra was well established in the Music Industry.
Other projects included the formation of the "Avralicious Show", under the musical direction of Corey Stewart.
This inspired a six track E.P. entitled "Super-alterego" which was recorded whilst Avra was in Adelaide. Produced by Damien Steel Scott, this led to a national tour including shows at the Melbourne Fringe Festival
Melbourne Fringe Festival
The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual independent arts festival held in Melbourne, Australia. The Festival runs for three weeks from late September to early October, usually overlapping with the beginning of the Melbourne International Arts Festival...
, where she won best song writer (2003).
All of the shows in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
were highly successful and the tour moved on to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
where the reception, although not as strong, was still favourable.
Avra was still relatively unknown to Queenslanders when the tour hit Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. A combination of poor artist management and venue selection saw the show play to significantly smaller audiences who were less appreciative of Avra's eccentric style. As a result, the reviews were also less glowing than previously earned in the Southern states.
Attendance was still strong enough however, to shift significant numbers of the CD and Avra has commented that this was the only redeeming factor of the Brisbane shows. The CD by this stage had shifted over 5000 units which was very encouraging to the independent artist.
Return to the Limelight
Avra returned in 2004 with the highly acclaimed musical "Avra - The Musical". Described by Style Magazine as "Visually stunning and mentally unpacking" and by Scene Magazine as "A musical of a different calibre", it opened at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary ArtsJudith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Queensland provides a 300-seat performance space, art gallery, artist studios, screening room and workshops with theatre rehearsal spaces for music, dance and circus. Opened in 2001 it is named after Judith Wright, who...
in July to a sell out audience.
The lyrics for all 16 of the songs were entirely composed by Avra, while the musical composition marked her first collaboration with dance music veteran Kevin Freeman.
Set to video screen backdrops created by Tim Rith and extravagant lighting designed by Hamish Cliff, the production was a combination of dance and theatre that won the hearts of all who attended.
A 20 track CD was produced and sold at the show, simply titled "Avra - The musical - Songs from the acclaimed musical".
Current Work
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
and the Fashion industry. The lyrics were written by Avra and Kevin composed the music.
Its heavy 80s influences combine with more complex contemporary sounds and time signatures to produce a song that is catchy, sexy and above all makes you feel like dancing.
In December 2006, Director Steve Malone from Brisbane's Water Street Productions directed the music video, which premiered to rave reviews. The Video and song were featured on the front page of the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
editions of MX Newspapers.
Velis' performance in the video was reviewed as "exceptional and she takes to the role of the Dominatrix Policewoman Fashionista with commitment and passion that is utterly convincing".
The video was shot entirely against a green screen and a A$250,000 GT Pantera sports car was one of the props. Extensive motion tracked 3D animation was used in combination with 3D titles and effects, marking a dramatic departure from the very basic and strictly utilitarian style music videos that made up the bulk of Brisbane produced music clips in recent times.
The song was featured in the 2008 Australian Big Brother series.
At present, Avra is working on a new studio album, set to be released in 2011.
External links
- http://www.avra.tv
- http://www.femail.com.au/avra_velis.htm
- http://www.scala.org.au/004.htm
- http://www.scala.org.au/008.htm
- http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/289/fridge.html
- http://www.girl.com.au/avra_velis.htm
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/01/1064819974593.html
- http://www.goose.com.au/musician.php?mid=4
- Fashion Police Video Clip on Youtube