For her whole life, Mahalia Barnes has been around music. As a child she was exposed to everything from Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. All these, and more, have helped shape her into the powerhouse soul and blues vocalist that has jaws dropping every time she picks up a microphone.
Mahalia and her band, The Soul Mates, have released three full length albums as well as several EPs, and they consistently play to capacity crowds around the country. They have toured nationally and internationally, supporting artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Mavis Staples, Joe Bonamassa, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and more.
This June, Mahalia will feature as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with two incredible shows: What’s The Buzz and Mahalia Barnes Sings ‘The Rose’.
Mahalia spoke to Glam Adelaide about these two shows, her career, and working on Jesus Christ Superstar. We asked her if it was inevitable that she was going to end up working in the music industry with Jimmy Barnes as her father.
“There never really was the question that music wouldn’t be part of my life – it’s always been there. For a brief period when I was about 7 years old, I thought I could maybe be an Olympic swimmer or something like that. I remember when I was younger and a school teacher asked me to draw the picture of the things you’re going to be when you grew up and I remember thinking, ‘Yeah, I could be an Olympian’. But music was always going to be a part of my journey. Growing up, everybody that I knew and had around me was making music. So that just felt like a given, that was just normal.”
Mahalia’s career has taken her around the world and has opened up many incredible performance opportunities and the ability to work with some of the world’s best performers.
“There are so many moments that stand out and make me think, ‘Did that really happen? Am I really here?’ Moments like standing on stage at Royal Albert Hall in London, or at Red Rocks. I did a bunch of touring with an artist called Joe Bonamassa, and that took me to some of the most incredible venues, like Carnegie Hall in New York City. There are also moments like singing with Liam Gallagher or recording vocals on George Benson’s record a couple of years back, which was pretty surreal. I remind myself regularly how fortunate I am to be able to make music as my job. It’s pretty extraordinary and I don’t take it for granted.”
In 2024 and 2025 Mahalia starred as Mary Magdalene in the highly acclaimed Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.
“I went into this production really not knowing what to expect or what to think. I have never had aspirations to be in music theatre. When I talk to people about bucket list things I want to do in my life, musical theatre wasn’t something that had crossed my mind. When I was asked to audition for this particular show, it really sparked my interest because it’s such an iconic show. The music is incredible. It’s such a big part of the fabric of our nation musically when it comes to the history of the show in Australia. One of the first times that it was performed in Australia in the ’70s, Marcia Hines played Mary – there was an incredible cast. Obviously again in the ’90s, that became another big thing in this Australian music scene when they had the arena tour that had John Farnham as Jesus, John Stevens as Judas, and Kate Cebrano as Mary. The casting for that production was the ‘whos-who’ of Australian rock.
“To be asked to be a part of that particular show, and a show that musically crosses over into the things that I love with rock’n’roll, soul and gospel music, felt like the right time for me to try something different. I admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I came out of it with an experience that I’m so incredibly grateful for and with a whole heap of new friends. I certainly wasn’t going into it thinking that I was going to walk away with people that were going to be my people for life.”
Reuben Kaye, the Cabaret Festival’s artistic director, was part of the incredible cast with Mahalia, and as part of this year’s Cabaret Festival, Reuben has curated a special performance: What’s The Buzz? In concert and conversation with the cast of ‘Superstar’.
Mahalia shared with Glam Adelaide a little about this performance.
“The Australian tour I was part of never made it to Adelaide, but when Reuben, who was our King Herord, started putting the Adelaide Cabaret Festival together, we all thought that maybe we could do a special show for Adelaide. Really, it’s a great excuse for us to get back together. We had such a good time on tour, the music is so great and we had so many funny, hilarious experiences on and off the stage that we thought the Adelaide Cabaret Festival was a perfect opportunity for us to get together. We will share some of the goss, let you in on some of the secrets and get to sing that incredible score again. We’ve got a great band coming with us and we’re going to perform some of the songs in ways that perhaps we couldn’t do in the context of the show.”
Mahalia will also be bringing her much anticipated show, Mahalia Barnes Sings ‘The Rose’ to this year’s Cabaret Festival.
In this show, Mahalia will perform Bette Midler’s award-winning soundtrack, The Rose, and will be tracing the late-60s story of a female rock-n-roll singer battling addiction, ego, power, loneliness and the fight for love and approval on her road to success.
“Bette Midler is one of the most extraordinary singers of our time – she is an icon. She’s got such a huge catalogue that crosses so many genres. For me, the connection with the soundtrack and the movie The Rose is the story – it’s a rock’n;roll story. It’s loosely based on Janis Joplin’s life. It features a bunch of incredible soul, blues and rock’n’roll works that have inspired me over the years. It was such an iconic role for Bette to play. When we all think of The Rose, everyone knows the song “The Rose”, but the film and the soundtrack are fantastic. There’s so much more to it that we can be celebrating.
“One of my favourite songs from ‘The Rose’ was one of the very first songs that I decided to sing – ‘Stay With Me Baby’. I would lock myself in the music centre at school and just sing and sing and sing to try and learn how to sing that song. So for me, there are many different reasons to come back and revisit this album and this show. I also want to bring the story and the plight of women who have battled in that period as well. Those that wanted to make a difference and to be able to have these careers in rock’n’roll in a time that wasn’t as open to that.”
What’s The Buzz will be performed on June 6 at 7.30pm in the Festival Theatre and Mahalia Barnes Sings ‘The Rose’ has two shows on June 14 at 3.00pm and 7.30pm in the Dunstan Playhouse.
“I can’t wait, honestly. I am so excited. I love how Adelaide audiences get behind the Cabaret Festival and come and see such an amazing collection of international, Australian and local performers. There’s a whole heap of shows to choose from and I can promise you won’t regret coming to see any of them.”
What’s The Buzz?
In concert and conversation with the cast of ‘Superstar’
Festival Theatre
June 6 at 7.30pm
https://cabaret.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/whats-the-buzz?
Mahalia Barnes Sings ‘The Rose’
Dunstan Playhouse
June 14 at 3.00pm and 7.30pm
https://cabaret.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/mahalia-barnes-sings-the-rose
Photo credit: Jarrad Seng
