All this week triple j, Double J and triple j Unearthed are celebrating NAIDOC Week. Double J will be profiling ‘six indigenous artists to get excited about‘ – and first on the list is Tjintu Desert Band!
Hailing from the remote area of Haasts Bluff/Ikunjti, located 250kms west of Alice Springs, Tjintu Desert Band are one of the finest exponents of the desert reggae currently popular in remote indigenous communities of Central Australia. They bring their own twist to the sound, mixing elements of dub and rock with a dash of funk, singing in a mixture of their own language, Luritja, and English.
Their subject matter is predominantly the land that surrounds them, the land of their Dreaming, the rain, the wind and their people and culture (their single ‘Tjamuku Ngurra’ means Godfather’s Country). They’re the biggest thing to come out of their small community, a town of 200 people that has one school, one shop, is accessed only by unsealed roads and no mobile phone reception.
They’ve got their debut record out now and a brand new video that shows how they inspire some of the best dancing you’ll see. – Myf Warhurst
Click here to read the full press release by the ABC – sent out 7 July, 2014.
