A new music video by Tjintu Desert Band has been released in the lead-up to their performance at the National Indigenous Music Awards this Friday 15 August in Darwin.
Walpa Warri is the first track on the recently released album by CAAMA Music called ‘Snapshot III’, a compilation showcasing the best emerging indigenous artists in Central Australia. The track also features on Tjintu Desert Band’s debut album ‘Tjamuku Ngurra’, which was released in March and has so far attracted national review coverage, with the Courier Mail saying ‘Tjintu Desert Band are one of the most exciting of the reggae bands to emerge from Central Australia’.
Walpa Warri means ‘cold wind’ in the Aboriginal language of Luritja spoken in the Western Desert of Central Australia. The track opens with the sounds of the desert and the cold, lonely wind. Grooving along with a laid back reggae drum and bass feel, the lead break mirrors the shape and uplifting motion of the vast and beautiful ranges in Central Australia.
Filmed at Ooraminna Homestead in Alice Springs and featuring lead guitarist Jeffrey Zimran, the video captures the atmospheric sounds of the desert and shows the main character overcoming both isolation and temptation on his quest to find his way home.
The music video was made by CAAMA Productions, the film and TV production department responsible for producing Leah Purcell’s documentary ‘Who We Are: Brave New Clan’ which premiered on Foxtel’s Bio Channel in early July. CAAMA Productions has multiple streams of output, from documentaries and dramas to animations, government videos, commercials and community service announcements. From its very inception CAAMA Productions has been proactive in training young indigenous people from Central Australia, providing them with job opportunities in the media industry.
Walpa Warri music video Director, Micha Bartlett, started at CAAMA a little over a year ago, but has already proven he has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the filmmakers that passed through CAAMA before him. Already an award winner, having taken out the prize for Best Director at the National Remote Indigenous Media Festival Awards for his film Sickly Sweet, Produced by PAW Media.
Micha welcomed the challenge of directing his first music video for Tjintu Band’s latest release, but he was grateful to receive some guidance form Mentor Vincent Lamberti. “It was really great working with Vincent Lamberti, who showed me lots of tips like the importance of story-boarding and how to find a great location” said Micha Bartlett.
From the offset Micha had strong feelings about what he wanted visually for the clip, as he has spent a lot of his life out on similar country to the band members.
“I loved the atmospheric sound of the music and wanted to capture that loneliness and isolation of the desert in the video”.
CAAMA CEO Michael Robertson was impressed with the collaboration between the various CAAMA departments to produce such an outstanding product. “Walpa Warri is an excellent music video that showcases the wonderful music by Tjintu Desert Band. The music video is the result of close collaboration between CAAMA Productions, and CAAMA Music. It demonstrates the ongoing quality of work that is produced when these CAAMA departments work together,” Michael added that future clients would be smart to engage ‘one-stop production shops’ such as CAAMA.
To view the music video visit YouTube and to purchase the song visit iTunes.
