Shiva is back in the Netherlands after a wonderful and successful week in Graz, Austria.

This year we competed in the Vokal Total Festival for a cappella ensembles again for the second time. We performed not only in the pop category, as we did last year, but also in the jazz category.

The performance in the jazz category was actually a last minute decision, but we definitely have no regrets: two fold gold diploma and the public prize in… indeed, the jazz category!

Is Shiva going to be a scat-doobidoowa-group from now on? Don’t be afraid, Shiva is just going to do where it’s good at: a cappella singing.

We stayed in an apartment building where suddenly some Italian tunes filled the air. It seemed to be the sounds of the Unashamed Singers, our ‘competitors’ in vocal battle. We sang towards each other from our different balconies and our version of “Le Ragazze” did break the ice.

During our stay in Austria we had the première of our show “A Tribute to the Real Group” in ‘Theater am Spittelberg’ in Vienna. It was probably the warmest day of this year. The enthusiastic audience waved cold air with small fans. But we let them sweat too; while singing “Wonderful World of Sports” they had to do some exercises. Das war toll!

The real Real Group performed in the casemates of Graz during the festival. We visited them of course…and yes, they are really good!

End of summer this year we will visit them in Sweden during their own Real Festival. Shiva will get master classes by singers from the Real Group. Anders Edenroth, the tenor and vocal percussionist of them has worked in Graz with us for half an hour already. It was too short, but Sweden: here we come!

It was a very good year. Graz: Thanks and we meet again next year???

Many thanks to our technician Yvo who knows how to put our voices together. Yvo, where do you get this all? And last but not least; Luc Hautvast, a big hug for you. You worked like hell to get us all here. You’re priceless!