Kamerunga (band)

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Kamerunga
Origin Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Genres Folk rock, reggae, jazz, bluegrass, world music
Years active 2007 (2007)–present
Associated acts Snake Gully
The Bushwackers
Yothu Yindi
Members Andree Baudet
Peter Ella
Tony Hillier
Will Kepa
David Martin
Nigel Pegrum
Past members Ben Hakalitz

Kamerunga is an Australian folk band from Cairns, Queensland, [1] consisting of six members. The band's music derives from traditional Celtic-influenced Australian folk music, which it mixes with elements of rock, reggae, jazz and blues. [2] [3] It plays classic Australian folk songs using these elements to produce eclectic and unusual versions of recognisable tunes. Instruments used in Kamerunga's music include guitar, drums, mandolin, fiddle, saxophone, keyboards and violin. [4]

Australian folk music

Australian folk music is the traditional music from the large variety of immigrant cultures and those of the original Australian inhabitants.

Cairns City in Queensland, Australia

Cairns is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the east coast of Far North Queensland. The city is the 5th-most-populous in Queensland and ranks 14th overall in Australia.

Queensland North-east state of Australia

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

Contents

Kamerunga has released two albums to date. Both were produced by drummer Nigel Pegrum, who played in the British folk band Steeleye Span in the 1970s and '80s. [3]

Nigel John Pegrum was a drummer with the Small Faces and Steeleye Span before becoming a producer.

Steeleye Span English rock band

Steeleye Span are an English folk rock band formed in 1969. Still active today, they are, along with Fairport Convention, amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat". They had four Top 40 albums and achieved a certified gold record with sales of "All Around My Hat".

Members

Kamerunga currently consists of six members. [5] [6]

Acoustic guitar type of guitar

An acoustic guitar is a guitar that produces sound acoustically by transmitting the vibration of the strings to the air—as opposed to relying on electronic amplification (see electric guitar). The sound waves from the strings of an acoustic guitar resonate through the guitar's body, creating sound. This typically involves the use of a sound board and a sound box to strengthen the vibrations of the strings. In standard tuning the guitar's six strings are tuned (low to high) E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4.

Tenor guitar small four-stringed guitar

The tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was initially developed in its acoustic form by Gibson Guitar Company and C. F. Martin & Company so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on guitar.

Mandolin musical instrument in the lute family (plucked, or strummed)

A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum or "pick". It commonly has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison, although five and six course versions also exist. The courses are normally tuned in a succession of perfect fifths. It is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.

Nigel Pegrum joined Kamerunga from the second album. The band's previous drummer, who played on the first album, was Ben Hakalitz, who had long been affiliated with Yothu Yindi. [3]

Yothu Yindi Australian musical group

Yothu Yindi were an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and balanda (non-Aboriginal) members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a White rock group called the Swamp Jockeys and an unnamed Aboriginal folk group. The Aboriginal members came from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land. Founding members included Stuart Kellaway on bass guitar, Cal Williams on lead guitar, Andrew Belletty (Drums), Witiyana Marika on manikay, bilma and dance, Milkayngu Mununggurr on yidaki (didgeridoo), Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu on keyboards, guitar and percussion, and leader Mandawuy Yunupingu on vocals and guitar.

History

Kamerunga formed in Cairns, Queensland in 2007. It was contrived by vocalist Tony Hillier and multi-instrumentalist Peter Ella, who had been playing together in the local folk band Snake Gully since 1986. [4] According to Hillier, the band was created specifically with "big festivals" in mind. Its debut album, The Push, was first launched at the Yungaburra Folk Festival in October 2008, and was released later in November. [3] It was further promoted at the Woodford Folk Festival in December, and the Port Fairy Folk Festival in March 2009.

Music festival festival oriented towards music

A music festival is a community event oriented towards live performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality, or locality of musicians, or holiday. Some festivals are focused on women’s music.

The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, 72 km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia. Every year approximately 125,000 patrons attend the festival. Approximately 2000 performers and 438 events are programmed featuring local, national and international guests.

The Port Fairy Folk Festival is a popular annual four-day music festival based in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia.

Making up The Push were several classic Australian tunes, including unique versions of "South Australia" and "The Lachlan Tigers". It also contained a tribute song to the bushman James Venture Mulligan, who explored Far North Queensland in the late 19th century. [3]

Kamerunga's second album was produced during 2011, taking up most of the year. [7] During the year, the band also performed at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Borneo in July 2011. They began promoting their second album at the Port Fairy festival in February 2012. [5] It was titled Worlds Kaleid, and was released in March. [7] [6] Several other well-known Australian musicians appeared on the album, including Joseph Tawadros playing the oud, Harry James Angus on trumpet, Jeff Lang on slide guitar, and Dobe Newton from The Bushwackers on lagerphone. [5] It gained critical praise from newspapers, as well as from musicians Paul Grabowsky and Shane Howard. [6]

Discography

Studio albums

Awards

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Kamerunga was nominated for its debut album, but the award went to Seaman Dan. [8]

YearNominee/workAwardResult
2009 The PushBest World Music AlbumNominated

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References

  1. ↑ Mahir Ali (21 April 2012). "Worlds Kaleid (Kamerunga)". The Australian. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Sharon Kennedy (2 May 2011). "Kamerunga give new life to a great old Aussie songs". ABC South West WA. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kamerunga's instant karma". The Cairns Post. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Kamerunga". Daily Planet. 13 November 2008. ABC. Radio National. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Jesse Kuch (15 March 2012). "Kamerunga launch new album Worlds Kaleid at Tanks Arts Centre on 16/3". The Cairns Post. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kamerunga: Biography". Electronic Press Kit. Sonicbids. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  7. 1 2 Kier Shorey; Sam Davis (16 March 2012). "World music group embraces Australian folk songs". ABC Far North Qld. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Torres Strait muso wins ARIA". The Cairns Post. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
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