For the last Forty years, David Arden has worked with many of the great First Nation and Non-First Nation artists from around the world. David was the front man for the Koori Youth Band, the band recorded there First EP live album back in 1986, as part of the Rock Against Racism Volume 2. David went on to work with many of the great First Nation acts from Hard Time Band, Archie Roach and the Altogether Band and Bart Willoughby and Mixed Relation Band (including Building Bridges) in 'N.S.W.' and 'Melbourne from 1985 to 1989'.
In 1990 to 1994 and then again reunited in 2006 to 2010, David was a key guitarist and vocalist with the late Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, He has toured with Archie, both nationally and internationally, performing his own song So Young on Archie's second album Jamu Dreaming.
David's Second EP album Rainbow Man was released in 1996, with the new Altogether Band, The song is about Kirrae Wurrung elders from the Gunditjmara country.
David toured internationally to West Belfast and the UK from 1996 to 1997 following up with a tour to FIJI in 1998.
In 2006, David Arden was a founding member and Musical Director for The Black Arm Band, premiering as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Murundak (alive”- Woirurrung*) The Black Arm Band ensemble are amongst the most respected names in Australian music; Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Bart Willoughby, Stephen Pigram, Carol Fraser, Peter Rotumah, Kutcha Edwards, Liz Cavanagh, Kev Carmody, Mark Atkins, Lou Bennett, Andy Albert's, Joe Geia, Robbie Bundle and David Arden. These artists were joined by musicians that have added their own voices to first nation musical history including Paul Kelly and Shane Howard.
In 2007 David's Third album release Kookatha/Gunditjmara Clan, Is about identity and continues to provide insight to Australia and the world into his Aboriginal heritage.
Black Arm Band, Hidden Republic, premiered at the Melbourne International Arts Festival, it charts the unique journey of since its inception in 2009 from the Sydney Opera House and London's Royal Festival Hall to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory.
In 2010, David Arden was a Musical Director for Nukkan Ya Ruby (See Ya Later Ruby) it was a tribute to the late Ruby Hunter at Sydney Festival's opening night at the Domain with an impressive line-up of stars including her partner Archie Roach, her son Amos Roach, Renee Geyer, Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Uncle Jimmy Little, Tiddas, Dan Sultan, Shellie Morris, Radical Son, Kutcha Edwards, Katie Noonan, David Arden, Paul Grabowsky, Shane Howard and more.
In 2013, saw the single release of Freedom Called written in conjunction with leading Australian singer/songwriter Paul Kelly, which acknowledges the often forgotten Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander military service over the past 100 years. David was invited to perform it at the 2013 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dawn Ceremony Service at the Australian War Memorial Canberra.
David Arden performed his own song So Young at the AFL, Dreamtime at The G in front of a crow of 70,000 people at the 'MCG' in 2014.
David's Fourth EP album Close My Eyes was released in 2016, The song is about Family.
David Arden's Fifth album Red Desert Man released in 2020. The album tracks are tales of old and new, of his family's journey over four generations, into the hope, joy and struggle of his tribal and urban life. Red Desert Man is a beautiful Australian story about David's wife's Violet Arden people, Arrernte's forefather from the Alice Spring central desert country and David's forefather from the Kokatha people from the west coast of Ceduna desert country. Their love story spans across countries. It's about family, community, culture, custom, language and tribal life that is still alive and misunderstood in this country.
In 2021, David Arden Musical Directed “A Fight For Survival” The Northlands Collective Production at the Meat Market - North Melbourne, premiering as part of the Yirramboi Festival 2021, AFFS Cast & Production Team: Gary Foley, Dedrie Baksh, Lyn Thorpe, Jill Morgan, Koori Youth Will Shake Spears, Jason Tamiru, Allara Briggs, Bruce Foley, Kutcha Edwards, Deniece Hudson, Shiralee Hood.
In 2022, David Arden Musical Directed & Performed at the Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation Who Proudly Presented the end of a week of celebrations a special NAIDOC Show - Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up & Shake A Leg: Celebrating and Acknowledge A Special Tribute To Legendary Yorta Yorta Songman, Guitarist and Songwriter Uncle Selwyn Burns @ Fairfax Theatre at the Art Centre Melbourne. David Arden, Daniel Jauregui, Brad Brown, Chris Cameron, Jake Amy, and Deadly Choir Singers: Monica Weightman, Deniece Hudson, Monica McDonald & David Arden performing new song: CALL IT OUT.
David Arden Musical Directed & Performed for Uncle Archie Roach State Memorial Service at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on the 15th of Dec 2022. With a line up: Shane Howard, Goanna, Kutcha Edwards, Paul Kelly, Tiddas, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Shellie Morris, Paul Grabowsky, Fred Leone, Deborah Cheetham, David Leha, Deline Briscoe, Amos Roach, The Pertame Children's Choir, Dhungala Children's Choir, Nancy Bates, Nola Lauch and many more.
2023, the St Kilda Festival A Tribute to Archie Roach presented by the Archie Roach Foundation we’re honoured that many of his long-time collaborators and friends are coming together to pay tribute to his musical life and legacy. Sally Dastey, Emma Donovan, Radical Son, David Arden, Nola Lauch and Rulla Kelly-Mansell.
2023, The Port Fairy Folk Festival on the new Archie Roach stage, with Sally Dastey, Amos Roach, Emma Donovan, Nola Lauch, David Arden, Deline Briscoe Music, BUMPY, Radical Son, Fred Leone, Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse, Helen Mountfort, Tamala Shelton, Nancy Bates, Candice Lorrae, Madi Colville Walker Music and Maylene Slater-Burns. And MC - Monica McDonald.
David Arden Performing at the 'A Bend in the River: A Tribute to Archie Roach AC' VIVID Festival 2023 in Sydney with the Mob, hosted by Becca Hatch & Dr. Shellie Morris Directed by Rhoda Roberts AO and presented by The Archie RoachFoundation, the evening celebrated the legacy of one of the country's most powerful and potent truth-tellers of Uncle Archie Roach. followed by stunning performances and storytelling from artists including: Uncle Kutcha Edwards, Deline Briscoe, Dan Sultan, Emma Donovan, Barkaa, Paul Kelly, DOBBY, Jalgany, Candice Lorrae, Radical Son, David Arden, Tenzin Choegyal, Tamala Shelton, Russel 'Rusty' Smith and Sally Dastey.
David Arden New released Sixth EP album Meetra - The Ballad of James Arden. The story of his great grand Father who was the keeper of tribal knowledge of the Gunditjmara peoples from the Western District of Victoria - Meetra - Means "Rise Up" Is the Gunditjmara - Keerray Wooroong Languages Translation From Yoolongteeyt, Dr Vicki Couzens.
2023, MEERTA – The Ballad of James Arden, Powerful Storytelling led by acclaimed Singer-Songwriter David Arden - Kokatha/Gunditjmara Songman. Premier The MEETRA Show at the Yirramboi Festival on the 11th and 12th May 2023, at The Pavilion, Arts Centre Melbourne, with the Wilin Centre, and the Students Orchestra from the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
Christine Anu is an Australian singer-songwriter and actress of Torres Strait Islander origin. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home" in 1995. Anu has been nominated for many ARIA Awards, winning several, as well as five Deadly Awards, among others. In August 2024 she released a new album and single of the same name, Waku: Minaral a Minalay.
Archibald William Roach was an Australian singer-songwriter and Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung elder who campaigned for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. His wife and musical partner was the singer Ruby Hunter (1955–2010).
The Donovans are an Australian Aboriginal country music band.
Deadly Awards 2004 the awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.
Emma Donovan is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle's band, the Donovans. In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes in 2004. She performs with the Black Arm Band and released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009.
Ruby Charlotte Margaret Hunter, also known as Aunty Ruby, was an Aboriginal Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist, and the life and musical partner of Archie Roach.
Tiddas were an all-female folk trio from Victoria, Australia.
Kevin Laurent Garant is a guitarist, composer and sound designer.
Buried Country is the name of a documentary film, book, and soundtrack album released in 2000, and a stage show which toured from 2016 to 2018. A prosopography created by Clinton Walker, it tells the story of Australian country music in the Aboriginal community by focussing on the genre's most important stars.
Black Arm Band is an Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander music theatre organisation.
Lou Bennett is an Indigenous Australian musician, actress and academic researching Aboriginal languages and their retrieval.
"Yil Lull" is a song written and performed by Joe Geia. It originally appeared on his 1988 album of the same name. Yill Lull means sing in Guugu Yimithirr. The colours used in the lyrics are the colours of the Aboriginal flag.
Shellie Morris is an Indigenous Australian singer/songwriter who plays a mix of contemporary folk music and contemporary acoustic ballads.
Leah Flanagan is an Australian singer-songwriter and arts administrator from Darwin, Northern Territory. based in Sydney. She has released several albums and has toured Australia with her music and as a part of festival ensembles.
The 2013 Deadly Awards were hosted by Luke Carroll and Karla Grant at the Sydney Opera House on 10 September 2013. The Awards program was broadcast nationally on SBS One on 14 September 2013. The awards event was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.
Our Home, Our Land is a compilation album released in Australia by CAAMA in 1995. It was released to celebrate the victory in the Mabo case. It focused on the importance of land to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander beliefs. It was nominated for a 1996 ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release.
Jamu Dreaming is the second studio album by Australian singer song writer Archie Roach. The album was released in May 1993 and peaked at number 55 on the ARIA Charts. The album was recorded with musical assistance from David Bridie, Tiddas, Paul Kelly, Vika and Linda Bull, Ruby Hunter, Dave Arden and Joe Geia.
Ruby is a soundtrack album recorded live by Australian singers Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter with Paul Grabowsky and Australian Art Orchestra. The album, based on a musical production called Ruby's Story staged in 2004, was released in 2005.
Wash My Soul In The River's Flow is an Australian film about singer-songwriters Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, who were children of the Stolen Generation. It was written and directed by Philippa Bateman. Archie Roach was also a producer of the film and the team worked closely with Ruby Hunter’s surviving family. The film is a combination of concert film, biography and history. The film was winner of the top prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Australian International Documentary Conference in 2023. The award jury commented in their statement: “Elegant, confident, and intimate to its magnetic subjects, Bateman’s film so impressively captures a setting and a stage where music compels the story of their lives, and where it stands proudly in resistance against the injustices of our history.”
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