This is Joshua. His dad’s side of the family was big in disco back in the 70s, so being from a family of male vocalists he was like KEWL imma just take this mic and…
SHUT UP your cousins did the Charlie’s Angels song?
Tavares – the 70s group – are dad’s cousins who did Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel. The BeeGees wrote their song More Than A Woman and Hall & Oates wrote She’s Gone. My fam have always been big in the music scene also including Bana a Cape Verdean and Sara Tavares who is my first cousin and has been releasing songs for 20 years – my personal favourite being Balancé.
I grew up singing in Dad’s mother-tongue of Creolo and Portuguese. As a teenager I’d walk the streets of Collingwood with earphones in, but not on, so I didn’t look too crazy singing on my way to Northcote High. I sang in church 5 times a week then between gigs on weekends, in bands, at events, anywhere I could. Me + singing = obsessed.
FCK OFF I know all those songs * I LOVE YO COUSIN SARA TAVARES * WTAF – where do you sang meow?
90’s R&B at The Vineyard in St Kilda on a Friday with my bro.
I do Gospel Brunch at The Smith Saturday mornings which is a mix of soul music and contemporary black gospel.
I’m on MoJo JuJu album with Cold Condition and with Deep Street Soul with Hardest Part Is Knowing
Now I’m finishing recording my first album at Hope Street with Zillanova. The first single has already made it to the Top 40 Brit soul charts.
Lit frothing about having a reason to go back to The Vineyard. I saw Fev there one time, he kicked me off his couch. Crazy sh*T always goes down in St Kilda.
Crazy shit just always go down. Some things off the top of my head, I:
- used to always go for raspberry lemonades at the Birmingham Hotel on Smith Street, not knowing it was Neo Nazi HQ of Victoria.
- Got to sing a song on Sesame Street with J is for Jump
- Was mistaken for Lupe Fiasco which would have been cool, but they ended up not letting me backstage of my own gig.
- Supported Snoop Lion in Vegas at the Bellagio
- Got ad discounts in NYC because I was a Tavares, hehe.
- Had staff at restaurants in Harlem clear entire sections out cos we were from Melbourne and they wanted us to have a great time there.
Joshuwaaaa you are royalty. Esp this weekend, you are a disco roller queen.
I’m running The Collingwood Underground Roller Disco which is an all-inclusive event that breaks down stigmas of socio, eco, colour, gender, errything. There will be live painting, DJs (both Melbourne best and and those on tour here at the mo eg Brooklyn Terry who runs one of the biggest parties in Japan). There will be cheap dranks, kids are free… it’s a five buck bonanza from skate hire, food… and if you don’t come I’ll bash ya.
DIVA your attitude is 100 and you’re Mariah but you like, care.
I’m all about building community, making people feel welcome and involved. Aside from singing, I work for the Collingwood Neighbourhood House running men’s breakfasts on Wednesdays, and teaching kids hospo skills to get them into the industry, while breaking down the barriers between people in public V private housing. I also volunteer teaching computer skills to a class of people with acquired brain injuries.
Bro you’re my role model. Speaking of – rewind back to Papi – cos he was fame?
Dad was the WelterWeight European Boxing Champion in the 70’s. My dad never really made a big deal about it. I just assumed he was a boxing fanatic until we started travelling and hear people say “there was a famous boxer with that last name”. A Brazilian soccer player was named after dad – KaKá – he was quite famous in Portugal and got to travel all over the world … which back then meant by boat. He ended up in Central / South America before returning back to Lisbon which is where he met and fell in love with Mum, who was fortunate enough to have escaped from East Timor when they were being invaded by Indonesia. They moved to Australia together with my 3 older brother and continued to their lives and counts of children till my sister was born.
OK but you didn’t want to be a boxer?
Not with this face.
True bae you are pretttty. How did Tavares Lane in Collingwood come to be?
Dad lived and worked around Victoria Street for 20years, and hated seeing drug use everywhere. He took it upon himself to clean up the hood and encouraged junkies to keep their habit off the streets – with his fists. He then helped build a community in these areas by starting an underground gym and boxing club in car parks, welcoming everyone to come together. The council workers and Mayor honoured him last year by giving naming a laneway after him: it is the first street to:
– have a non-colonial name
– be named after someone of colour
– recognising someone who came from public housing
– and is of African heritage *AUSTRALIA WIDE*, BITCHES.
Can we party?
Next Tuesday come and watch it get beautified *white-speak for painting it up*. Tavares Lane runs from Johnson to Perry St, and come Nov we will be chucking a proper laneway party. Stay tuned Sprinks, y’all be invited to attend.