Tribute to Tina Turner by Paulini in Cairns tonight

l CAIRNS CBD

I Nick Dalton

ARIA award-winning R&Bpop artist Paulini Curuenavuli is bringing her diva show to Cairns tonight.

Under the musical direction of Michael Tan, Ms Curuenavuli and her band will deliver a special night of entertainment showcasing sublime and powerful vocals from America’s diva greats – Whitney Houston, Madonna, Bette Midler, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Cher, Donna Summer, and Tina Turner.

Her artist manager Jay Horne said the performance delivered many special moments with foottapping duets like Streisand’s ‘Enough is Enough’ and a showstopping rendition of Whitney’s ‘I will always love you’.

“I am so excited to be bringing Paulini sings the American Divas to Cairns,” he said.

“My partner, the late Aaron Coshaw, helped write this show and created an amazing interval video that incorporates all the divas Paulini pays tribute to. The show received five-star reviews in Adelaide, and I can’t wait to share the joy with my hometown.”

Ms Curuenavuli said she was super excited to return to the Far North and the opportunity to perform at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre.

“It’s the perfect time to perform in Cairns. I used to visit every year but haven’t been back since prior to the pandemic,” she said.

“I am honoured to be paying tribute to all the fabulous divas and can share with you that I have just added another Tina Turner classic to the lineup in honour of her and her recent passing,” she said.

Since Ms Curuenavuli’s rise to stardom in 2003 after appearing on Australian Idol, the vocal superstar and one of Australia’s much-loved performers has produced a collection of albums, awards, concert tours and several lead roles in musicals including Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat.

In a class of her own for her honeyed, mellifluous tone and incredible range, particularly in the upper register, Ms Curuenavuli admired for her restraint, never over-complicating her performance with excessive riffs, but showing due respect for the original artists while making their songs her own.

The Fijian-born songstress won the hearts of the country with her angelic, five-octave range and engaging personality that rose to prominence with her debut platinum album One Determined Heart and Platinum smash single ‘Angel Eyes’. Both hit the number-one spot on the Australian charts in 2004 making Paulini one of only 10 Australian female solo artists to have a number 1 album. Tickets are on sale now from www.ticketlink.com.au.

The show starts at 7.30pm, the venue is open from 6.30pm on Friday, June 16.