Magazine ” Weekender ” – Songs of Peace

reports Sue Short

Glenda Traub of Buderim and Julie Amiet of Woombye have been invited to perform at an inaugural Chinese New Year global gala event to be held at the Hammerstein ballroom in Manhattan, New York on January 17. This event will be televised to the four corners of the globe, including Australia, North America, Europe and via, by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), the world’s first independent non-profit global TV network, via satellite/cable on the night of the Chinese New Year on January 21. The program will also be available over the Internet.

Glenda and Julie are part of a five-piece Queensland ensemble called Returning that have performed all over the Australia to highlight the importance of human rights. All five members of the group are practitioners of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong), a traditional and peaceful Chinese exercise and meditation system that promotes truth, compassion and tolerance.

In New York they will be part of a huge gala performance that will include world-class act of musicians and dancers form around the globe showcasing the rich culture of Chinese heritage. People from all notions will be united to highlight the need for truth, kindness and understanding. The fact that many of the performers like Glenda and Julie are not Chinese but westerners is a testament to the following of Falun Dafa around the world today.

Glenda and her husband Gerard first discovered Falun Dafa in Brisbane and when they moved to Buderim five years ago they began to teach its gentle movements to anyone wishing to improve their health.

Glenda is a professional singer who worked in Melbourne in the ‘80s before moving to Queensland. On the Coast she has performed in a number of choirs including the Naroo Choir and the Maroochydore Chorale. The songs her ensemble will be performing in New York have been written by pianist Lisa Griffiths and will be available soon on a CD that will be released later this year.

Julie is also a professional singer who hails from Sydney where she performed on TV shows such as the Mike Walsh Show and the Don Lane Show, as well as in jazz bands. She has also performed at the Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, the Sydney Opera House and on BBC and ABC radio. She moved to Woombye 12 years ago and today sings pop and country as a solo artist.

Julie says she first heard about Falun Dafa on Radio National several years ago when her life was in chaos and she suffered from very bad health. “At the time my father was dying and my Mum asked me to come home. I was sitting on the train and this man next to me who was in his 70s looked so healthy. He told me about all his health problems he had in the past but said he felt great now because of these exercises he did. I asked him if they were Falun Gong and he said yes. He gave me some literature and I started practising the exercises.”

Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public in China in 1992 by its founder Li Hongzhi. After seven years of unprecedented growth and with over 100 million people enjoying the practice, Falun Dafa was banned in China simply due to its immense popularity. Today, its followers in China are persecuted, tortured and imprisoned. It is now practiced in over 50 countries outside of China.

Information on Falun Dafa classes phone 5445 5871 or 5448 2531.