‘Arts Sunday is your extra dose of arts news, artist profiles and photo galleries from the NSW Central West, brought to you by Arts OutWest and Fairfax. Arts Sunday is published online on the first Sunday of the month. If you’ve got a story to share contactartsoutwest@csu.edu.au’
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From 250kms west of Alice Springs comes The Tjintu Band with sounds that encompass funk, rock and desert reggae. Their regional Australian tour arrives in Bathurst this week where locals are preparing to welcome them into the community and share musical experiences.
The Tjintu Band performs in City Hall at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre at 6.30pm on Tuesday 9 July and then spends the rest of the week running music workshops before a combined community performance at lunchtime on Friday July 12.
“The Elders and local community members will take the Band Members out and about,” said Angela Prior from the Aboriginal Performing Arts Project at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC).
“It is exciting because this is an opportunity to share and build new relationships that can extend across Australia,” Ms Prior said.
“Their music is also a great reason to bring communities and audiences together. The Friday BBQ and concert at BMEC is going to be a fun event,” Ms Prior said.
The school holiday workshops, running 2-4pm on Wednesday July 10 and Thursday July 11, are free and anyone can attend no matter what age or skill level. BMEC are particularly targeting young people, who have had an interest in music, to get up and have a go in the workshops, as well as being mentored and inspired by the band and their stories.
The workshops are just the latest opportunity provided by the Aboriginal Performing Arts Program and the Smashed Arts youth program in Bathurst.
“DJ'ing workshops have been popular in the past, but it’s good to have new things for the Smashed Arts and APAP participants to experience. There can never be enough music in life,” Ms Prior said.
Participants at the workshops will learn more about the Tjintu group and their journey as desert musicians. They’ll also learn how to create a song and what it is like to play in a band. Workshops will be run by supporting musician Radical Son. Radical Son has been nominated for two Deadly Awards and performs at major music festivals around Australia.
The Tjintu Desert Band is from Haasts Bluff/ Ikunjti, 250km west of Alice Springs. They sing in both Luritja and English. Since their first performance together at The Battle of the Bands in 2002, they’ve gone by the name Sunshine Reggae Band, recently changing their name to Tjintu Desert Band in the lead up to the release of their new album. ‘Tjintu’ is the word for sunshine in the Luritja language.
The Tjintu Desert Band recently featured at high profile festivals such as Wide Open Space (2011-2013), Green Fest, Sandtracks Tour, Dreaming Festival, Bush Bands Bash and toured with Gotye’s band The Basics. They are currently recording their new album with CAAMA sound engineer Tim Cole, who has worked with many Indigenous Australian artists such as Archie Roach and Frank Yamma. Their new album will be called ‘Tjamuku Ngura’ (Grandfather’s Country) and will be launched in October by CAAMA Music at the Mbantua Festival in Alice Springs.
The Tjintu Desert Band are supported on their tour and at the workshops by Deadly Awards nominee Radical Son. The NSW based musician balances his song writing and performing with the pressures of raising a large family and the work he does within local Indigenous community on the NSW Central Coast and in Redfern.
The Tjintu Desert Band
Tuesday 9 July 6.30pm, Friday 12 July 2pm. City Hall, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre
Bookings 6333 6161 or www.bmec.com.au