Singer Michael Kwon and his wife migrated from Mauritius to Australia more than a year ago, before settling in Point Cook.
What brought you to Australia?
I worked for a big corporation in Mauritius and I retired nearly five years ago. We came here in December 2016. We have three daughters who came to study here, they got married here and still live here. We decided to come here too, and we are enjoying it.
What do you like most about Point Cook?
It’s quiet, I love the parks and the walking tracks. We’re enjoying the pop-up park here, bringing our grandson there. There are also lots of venues and restaurants, it’s very convenient for grocery shopping or going to Werribee Plaza. Wyndham is getting better and better, now we might be getting a market in Point Cook, and a Holiday Inn in Werribee. I like multiculturalism and diversity as a nation. It’s good to have different cultures all together as a melting pot. That is the strength of Australia, and the way to go forward in the future.
How did you become interested in music?
When I was 12, I became interested in music. I started singing around 20, I gave it a try (as a career) for only six months. I had to choose between music and work. I was also engaged at the time, we got married young. So I stopped pursuing music, and when I retired I took it up again. I sung with a few bands in Mauritius. Now I’m doing freelance music, covers, at events like markets and parties. What is more ingrained in my heart is to go out and sing for people in aged care homes. This is something I did in Mauritius, because I loved seeing the smiles and joy on the people’s faces. They come and say, ‘Thank you very much,’ because you bring back memories and remind them of their youth. I grew up in the ’50s and the ’60s, although I do a few ’70s and ’80s songs, and I sing in French too. I’m willing to do that for no financial return for me, just if homes will put a little towards costs like transport. Not everything is about money.
Have you performed at any venues in the west?
Jamieson Way Community Centre asked me to perform at their market, but it was when I will be going away for two months. During June and August, I am going to the United Kingdom to sing at a friend’s 85th birthday, and I have a gig at a wedding in Mauritius. On April 20, I will be playing at Central Hotel in Cootamundra.
