Alice Springs record label, CAAMA Music, has recently grown to a team of eight full-time staff in preparation for an unprecedented expansion into indigenous music production and community involvements throughout Central Australia over the next three years.

Micheal ‘Miko’ Smith has worked for three years as the CAAMA Music Label Manager and where he once managed a team of just one, he is now excited to welcome to Alice Springs a team of music industry specialists including a sound engineer, a producer, a promotions specialist, a project coordinator and two trainee sound engineers. Among the team is Tim Cole, who has had a long career as a music producer for indigenous artists such as Archie Roach, Frank Yamma, Iwantja, Warren H. Williams, Shelley Morris and the Song Peoples Sessions.

“It’s a huge coup for CAAMA Music to have within our team a sound engineer who comes with such incredible experience and knowledge of the indigenous music scene. Tim Cole will be working closely with our musicians to record and produce some amazing new releases this year. With this new music team of ours we’ll surely uncover the next Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu” says Micheal Smith.

CAAMA Music will release and promote several new albums over the next 12 months, from established indigenous artists such as BlekBala Mujik and Sunshine Reggae Band, as well as the debut release from Arnhem Land’s Stewart Gaykamangu, previously of the band Iwantja.

As part of CAAMA Music’s expansion, there is now a new website, where fans can listen to music and download directly from as little as $2 per track or $20 for a whole album. Albums available for purchase include classics such as The Best of Coloured Stone, country music star Warren H Williams, and the recent Snapshot compilations including local soul singer Catherine Satour, and hip-hop outfit Catch the Fly. More of CAAMA’s backlist, as well as their new releases, will become available on the website over this coming year.

“Our music has always been available for purchase directly from our offices in Todd Street but now that it’s easily accessible online it opens up our indigenous artists to a whole new market nationally and internationally,” says CAAMA Music Label Manager Micheal Smith.

A key project for CAAMA Music over the next three years will be their Regional Music Development Program (RMDP), a music training program to provide accredited music training and non-accredited “Industry” training, for selected indigenous arts workers living in remote communities. The aim is to develop pathways to employment into the music industry for these ‘Music Industry Rangers’, and to foster the recording and preservation of indigenous languages through song. This program brings together many different stakeholders – including MacDonnell Shire and Charles Darwin University – into a strong and focused team with a shared direction. CAAMA’s first training program for their Music Industry Rangers will be held in Hermannsburg/Ntaria 8 April – 3 May. In conjunction with this Charles Darwin University is offering a free Cert II music course to the wider community. For bookings or enquiries contact the Ntaria council office on (08) 8956 7838.

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 Want to be a part of CAAMA Music’s new expansion? CAAMA’s record label is looking for an intern to help out with promotional and sales tasks within their busy record label in Alice Springs.

This unpaid position will provide invaluable experience to any student looking to improve their CV, gain entry into the competitive music biz and work within PR or marketing. Work would start ASAP and hours involved could be part-time for one month or full-time for one week. Send CVs to cmpromotions@caama.com.au.

 

ABOUT CAAMA MUSIC:  We are an Alice Springs-based company, owned and operated by indigenous Australians, that has been recording, supporting and promoting indigenous Australian music for more than 30 years. We are part of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, Australia’s leading Aboriginal owned and controlled media organisation delivering culturally relevant content that helps preserve and maintain Indigenous culture.

For interview requests or more information please contact

Nicola Pitt

Marketing and Promotions – CAAMA Music

cmpromotions@caama.com.au / 0434 589 391 / (08) 8951 9708

Join CAAMA Music on Facebook and Twitter

caamamusic.com.au

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