As NAIDOC week celebrations continue around the country, we also celebrate today’s release of NIMA Presents The Sound of Indigenous Australia, a new compilation released by Festival Records in association with the National Indigenous Music Awards, available here.
An essential collection for any fans of real Australian music, the album features one disc of recent tracks from current artists including Dan Sultan, Jessica Mauboy, Busby Marou and Emma Donovan, and – perhaps more significant for people looking at a site called I Like Your Old Stuff – another disc of all the Indigenous anthems from the ‘80s onwards.
Yothu Yindi’s "Treaty" and Archie Roach’s "Took the Children Away" kick it off on this disc; No Fixed Address’ "We Have Survived", Warumpi Band’s "Blackfella/Whitefella", Christine Anu’s "My Island Home", Coloured Stones’ "Black Boy", Gurrumul’s "Wiyathul" and Kev Carmondy’s "From Little Things Big Things Grow (feat. Paul Kelly)" all follow, creating a history of contemporary Indigenous music never before brought together on one album. It also celebrates other hugely important artists like Ruby Hunter, Tiddas, Joe Geia, Pigram Brothers, Troy Cassar-Daley, Jimmy Little, Blekbala Mujik and Vic Simms and shines a light on less well-known contributors to Australia’s Indigenous music including Blackfire (featuring Kutcha Edwards and Grant Hansen of Marngrook Footy Show fame) and LJ Hill, whose "Pretty Bird Tree" was recently recorded by Paul Kelly.
The 2017 NIMA’s at The Amphitheatre in Darwin, NT on Saturday 12 August, 2017, and features live performances from: A.B Original with Dan Sultan, Paul Kelly, Gawurra, Emily Wurramara, Numbulwar Red Flag Dancers, Leah Flanagan, Electric Fields, Apakatjah and Baker Boy (Triple J Unearthed NIMA's competition winner)
Let’s look at a fantastic video of the Warumpi Band jamming with Midnight Oil (watch the brilliant hand-over that takes place in the third minute) and then we’ll have a look at some of these classic tracks.
Warumpi Band & Midnight Oil
No Fixed Address
Warumpi Band
Coloured Stone
Joe Geia
Christine Anu
