Stewart Gaykamangu composition for Ayers Rock Resort: ‘Tjukurpa Ninti’

Central Australian Aboriginal musician, Stewart Gaykamangu, has composed the song ‘Tjukurpa Ninti’ commemorating the thirty year anniversary of the Ayers Rock Resort.

CAAMA Music, the Aboriginal record label based in Alice Springs, was commissioned by Voyages to create a song that reflected the spiritual nature of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Meaning ‘Spirit Knows’ in Pitjantjatjara, the song melds the voices of the land’s people, their traditional instruments, and natural sounds to create an expressive piece of music capturing the majesty of the landscape, its expansive horizons and the awe evoked by this sacred site.

CAAMA Music sound producer Tim Cole, who has recorded many indigenous artists on location such as Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen, travelled to Uluru to record and produce the song specially composed by Stewart Gaykamangu, in collaboration with the Mutitjulu Ladies Choir and cultural advisor Trevor Adamson.

The song is also available for sale through iTunes with 50% of the profits going to the artist and 50% to the Mutitjulu Foundation to benefit the local community.

With the CAAMA Music team in Alice Springs having recently expanded to nine full-time staff members they are now able to direct more attention to projects such as these specially commissioned original song compositions.

“CAAMA Music has a long tradition of supporting talented Aboriginal musicians, and because of our new studio team we are now able to offer services in original song compositions, featuring Aboriginal languages, traditional instruments and music techniques specific to this region”, says Michael Robertson, CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association.

Earlier this year CAAMA Music was also commissioned by Quitline to compose a song for their anti-smoking campaign. Stewart Gaykamangu worked with Tim Cole again, as well as Jeffrey Zimran (lead guitarist of Tjintu Desert Band) to create the catchy tune ‘Break Free’ that has been heard across radios in Central Australia. (Listen via Soundcloud.)