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AWME 2009 LINE UP INCLUDES :: BLUE KING BROWN • ARCHIE ROACH • TOGUNA (Reunion Islands/France) • TRUE LIVE • OKA • BATUCADA SOUND MACHINE (NZ) • DUBMARINE • DJAN DJAN (Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh, Jeff Lang) • SHAKURA STRINGBAND (Vanuatu) • THE LAST KINECTION • THE RED EYES featuring MAD PROFESSOR (UK) • DYA SINGH (India/Australia) • MIHIRANGI (NZ/Australia) • THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA with TUMI (South Africa) • THE PIGRAM BROTHERS • LITTLE BUSHMAN (NZ) • GRACE BARBÉ (Seychelles/Australia) • EMMA DONOVAN • NOREUM MACHI (South Korea) • MOAB STRINGBAND (PNG) • TAMA WAIPARA (NZ) • SAN LAZARO • HEARTICAL HIFI OUTERNATIONAL • RICHARD MOGU (Papua New Guinea) • NARASIRATO PAN PIPERS (Solomon Islands) • KAMERUNGA • STIFF GINS • CHANT DOWN SOUND • RHOMBUS (NZ) • YKSON (New Caledonia) • ZULYA AND THE CHILDREN OF THE UNDERGROUND • GROUNDSWELL (Deline Briscoe, Radical Son, The Medics) • AFRO DIZZI ACT • WAY OUT WEST • TABURA (West Papua) • LAYA FILM PROJECT (India) • KARTICK & GOTAM (India/Israel) • SISTA ITATIONS feat. MC RIFRAPH • ENNIO STYLES • MR FISH • CHOOKY DANCERS • INJINOO DANCERS • SHELLIE MORRIS • VALANGHA KHOZA (South Africa/Australia) • RIA SOEMARDJO (Indonesia/Australia) • DJ DAMON (aka The Nomad) (New Zealand) PLUS MORE  Archie Roach
www.archieroach.com.au | www.myspace.com/archieroach In 1988 much of Australia was celebrating the Bicentennial but a young Archie Roach was expressing in song what many who weren’t celebrating were feeling. For many indigenous people there was anger, despair, disadvantage, land rights battles and deaths in custody. Archie Roach dealt with this by writing songs about his own experiences and feelings – and then performing these songs to whom ever would listen. Then in early 1988 Paul Petran, the producer of ABC Radio’s ‘Music Deli’ program asked Archie if he would come into the studio to record a few songs to play on radio. Archie agreed. Twenty one years later Archie launches his new album “Music Deli Presents Archie Roach -1988” with a series of shows. This album is the second in a series of important artist releases from the live archives of Music Deli and captures some of the first ever recordings by a young Archie Roach, available for the first time on November 13th. The majority of the album recorded in 1988 captures Archie’s raw power and emotion in songs such as the moving “Took The Children Away”. Other highlights are “Weeping in the Forest” - recorded live at Melbourne Concert Hall in 1992 with Yothu Yindi and the “Christmas Eve” song with Paul Kelly - also recorded live in ABC studio in 1990. As a bonus at the end of the CD is an interview with Archie recorded on March 1st 1988, followed by a short interview recorded 20 years later in September 2008. “While listening to these songs today 21 years later I felt a little uneasy about their pending release. I’m not quite sure what it was that made me feel this way. Maybe it was the language I now find rather offensive and would not use today. I do know I was younger, angrier and crazier than I am today. I was also getting off the booze so maybe it was a way of getting rid of all the muck that had built up through the years, pouring it into songs rather than pouring alcohol into me. Upon these reflections of 1988 I hope to take you back to another place where I once stood and have then moved on. That being said I am now looking forward to the release of these first recordings of my songs. As raw as they are this is where it all began”. Yours in the struggle, Archie Roach  Afro Dizzi Act
www.myspace.com/afrodizziact
Over the past 10 years Afro Dizzi Act have performed at international festivals & concerts in Nepal, India, Dubai, as well as major Australian festivals like the Woodford Folk Festival, East Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Big Day Out & Livid. Throughout this time the boys from Brisbane had a dream & goal to study, collaborate & perform with as many different cultures as possible to help enrich their own sound as well as creating a unique global melting pot of influences that could inspire them with their own sonic creations. This dream & passion has led them to perform with legendary artists such as Trilok Gurtu (India), Wala (Ghana, West Africa), Ralph Thomas (France), Cadenza (Nepal), Chris Berry, Panjea (USA, Africa) & Don Burrows (Australia). It's their latest collaboration with now a permanent member of the group Master Kora (African Harp), Singer & Story teller Jali Buba Kuyateh from Senegal, West Africa, that has solidified Afro Dizzi Act's sound catapulting them into the ranks of Artists such as Yossou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Femi Kuti, Saleif Keita & Alpha Blondy.  Batucada Sound Machine
www.batucadasoundmachine.com Loosely translated, ‘batucada’ means percussive samba jam, which aptly summarises BSM’s musical roots. BSM began in 2003 when five passionate drummers met once a month in the dimly lit lounge bar of Galatos nightclub in Auckland to experiment fusing batucada with more local beats and influences. Before long, a talented group of diverse musicians had joined in and the band had grown to 13 members.
The one overriding thing that united them was a deep passion for music. It still is.
As the years have gone by BSM has continued to evolve with various expansions and contractions. Their tasty concoction of Brazilian, Cuban and Afro-beat rhythms was given a hip-hop front in 2006 courtesy of MC Hazaduz, (of Che-Fu and the Krates fame) whose solid rhymes over the massive samba-reggae percussion add to the band’s rich Pacific soul, reggae and funk flavours!
With influences from bands such as Ozomatli, Manu Chao and Chico Science, BSM have developed a solid reputation for delivering blistering live performances, fine musicianship and collective impulsiveness –
the soulful vocals and super-tight horn section layer the Latin infused rhythms and wall-of-sound percussion, creating an intensity that has left crowds throughout NZ, Australia and the UK begging for more. The rising popularity and festive nature of BSM has also resulted in the band making the bill at numerous well-respected events alongside global heavyweights such as Damien Marley, Michael Franti and The Cat Empire.  Blue King Brown
www.bluekingbrown.com Hailed by Santana as “The voice of the street and the band of the future!" The 8 to 11 piece powerhouse band that is BLUE KING BROWN bring their cross generational grooves and socially conscious sound.
The infectious energy and passion from lead singer, guitarist and percussionist Natalie Pa'apa'a is a driving musical force that has led BKB through an impressive touring history playing major festivals and venues in Australia through to USA, CANADA, JAPAN and EUROPE. BKB continue to deliver their now world renowned power packed live show featuring their home-grown, universally spoken language, delivered as hard hitting Urban Roots music.
They have also shared the global stage opening for National and International greats such as Santana, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Damien ‘Jr gong’ Marley, The John Butler Trio, The Cat Empire, Silverchair, Powderfinger to name a few.
With recent recording trips to Kingston Jamaica and New York now under their belt, once again pushing genre boundaries, their latest releases are a testament to the rise of Blue King Brown - one of Australia’s greatest acts.
"Blue King Brown is my favourite band right now. They embody everything I love in music from Ozomatli, African bands, Tower of Power to Santana. They are the voice of the street and the band of the future!" - Carlos Santana
"I am always inspired by BKB's funky, high energy, socially conscious music. Natalie is a bright light in the world with a vision that extends beyond the stage and together with the rest of the band raise the roof off every show they play. I love em!!!" - Michael Franti (Spearhead)
"BKB are one of those unique truth-telling outfits in our business that defy time. Amazing musicians with a powerful message. What a concept, huh?" - Serj Tankian  Chant Down Sound
www.myspace.com/chantdownfiresound Melbourne's original fire sound was formed in 2000 when radio presenter Jesse I linked with longtime reggae selector Ras Crucial. Chant Down play in the Jamaican soundsystem tradition, mixing the freshest Jamaican reggae and dancehall together with vintage classics, custom dubplate specials, and live MCing.
Chant Down's monthly More Fire night is now the longest running monthly reggae session in Australia - check www.chantdown.com for photos from dances past, and details of dances to come.
Jesse I hosts Babylon Burning (formerly Chant Down Babylon) every Saturday from 5-7pm on Melbourne's community radio station 106.7 PBS FM - two hours of pure reggae, from the original vintage Jamaican sounds, through to the freshest new roots from around the world. Tune in live at www.pbsfm.org.au or check the radio-on-demand archive for previous shows. 
Deline Briscoewww.myspace.com/delinebriscoe
Deline is one of Australia’s most talented Indigenous singer songwriters, hailing from Mossman in Nth QLD, now calling Melbourne home. Deline’s songs are a delightful mix of rootsy soul, gospel and tear-jerking ballads. Some of her tunes will take you on an emotional journey, capturing your imagination, while others are a mix of groove and evocative melodies. Her former outfit the "Briscoe Sisters" performed all over Australia at events such as Womad, Big Day Out. In 2004 she grabbed the attention of the country with many radio stations giving the Briscoe Sisters debut EP, “Check It Out” ample airplay, allowing them the opportunity to be voted as one of Australia’s ‘Most Promising New Talent” (at the 2004 Deadly’s).
In 2005 the Briscoe Sisters received the Port Fairy Folk Festival award - “Maton’s Young Talent of the Year”. In January 2006, Briscoe Sisters recording a live album “Live @ The Tanks”, and then went on to play the set before Jimmy Cliff at WOMADelaide. In 2008 Deline began collaborating with producer Airi Ingram (Drum Drum/Grrilla Step). The CD is due for release later in 2009.  Dya Singh
www.myspace.com/dyasingh Dya Singh's impact on the world music stage has been nothing short of phenomenal. He sings about spirituality in his native Punjabi (with occasional English explanations) and blends traditional music with modern and contemporary trends, country & western and new acoustic sounds.
He has single-handedly taken the traditional Sikh spiritual music of his ancestral Punjab (frontier province on the border of present-day India and Pakistan, south of Afghanistan) onto the world music stage fusing indigenous music with music from other parts of the world. He attributes his unique music to his birth and formative years in multiracial Malaysia, to staunch Sikh parents and the multicultural opportunities in Australia. Today Dya Singh heads one of the foremost 'world music' groups in Australia.
The group, which formed in 1993, has twice been nominated 'World Music Group of the year', winning it once. In the year 2000, Dya Singh was awarded ‘Male Artiste of the Year’ by the Australian World Music Organization. The group now travels widely throughout the world and is highly acclaimed by both Sikh and alternative mainstream audiences.
The basis of the music is Sikh (spiritual), Punjabi and North Indian. This, being Dya Singh's narrower background. It then embraces music virtually from any other part of the globe including blues, jazz, folk, country & western and Australian indigenous. The only criteria is that it should enhance the universal spiritual messages of truth, love, peace, harmony, equality and justice that Dya Singh stands for. His influences to date include Vietnamese zither (dang thranh), Southern European gypsy violinist, European flute, Persian Hammer dulcimer (Santoor), blues and electric guitar, bouzouki, didgeridoo, Nepalese drums and tabla, Irish bohdran and Irish fiddle.  Emma Donovan
www.emmadonovan.com Emma Donovan has established herself as one of Australia’s finest Indigenous singer-songwriters. An original member of the vocal trio, Stiff Gins, Emma co-wrote the 12 track album Origins and the award winning single Morning Star.
Originally from Northern NSW, Emma has performed across the globe treating audiences to her rich soulful voice as a solo artist and as part of the award winning Black Arm Band. She has performed with respected Australian Indigenous artists including: Frank Yamma, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Kerriane Cox, Christine Anu, Tiddas, Yothu Yindi and Jimmy Little. Her vast concert experience includes performances in The Royal Concert Hall London, Musee de Quai Branli Paris, Benaki Museum Athens, Tjibaou Cultural Centre New Caledonia, 10th Festival of Pacific Arts Palau, Treaty Grounds of Waitangi New Zealand and the concert hall in the Sydney Opera House with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
With the inclusion of her traditional language Gumbayngirr, through her songs, Emma is committed to educating the global community to understand more about the depth of Aboriginal culture and spirituality. Seamlessly blending genres from Country and Gospel to Soul Emma's capacity to connect with her audience continues to impact on the Australian main stream and International stage.  Grace Barbe
www.gracebarbe.com Born in the Seychelles, Grace settled in Australia in 1997 with her family. Grace discovered a passion for music whilst at university and started performing as a backing vocalist with award-winning Seychellois singer songwriter Sonny Morgan and East-Timorese bands, Jah-era and Ramabauk. Ramabauk recorded an album based on traditional East-Timorese music, which was recognised and chosen by UNESCO to be used as promotional material to promote the conservation of East-Timorese culture. Ramabauk was also invited to perform for ABC Radio in a live broadcast from Kulcha, WA. Grace taught herself how to play bass and discovered a talent for songwriting.
In 2000 Grace joined Seychelles Rhythms, a band that existed to promote Seychellois culture as well as to perform for the many community dances that are held over the year. In order to further develop her appreciation and understanding of her cultural roots, Grace began to get formal, traditional dance training from her mother (a former member of the Seychelles National Dance Group) and formed the dance ensemble, Seychelles Cultural Troupe. The groups performed at different festivals in WA to promote the Seychelles music and dance, as well as cultural awareness.
Grace expanded her musical horizons by collaborating with hip-hop/reggae group, Doggpound, using her dance and singing skills as well as her university training as a teacher to develop dance and singing workshops with the group. The group toured all over Australia for four years, performing and working with young people.
In 2003, Grace joined popular live reggae act Raggabeats as a singer/songwriter. Raggabeats performed in venues all over the state, including prestigious support slots for UB40 and Ben Lee, as well as co-writing the song “Jungle Juice”, which featured on the bands only official release. Grace began to write and produce songs with the group’s bass player/producer James Searle, and in 2006 their song “Mon Ankor Anmourer” was the winner in the world and folk category of the prestigious WAMI (West Australian Music Industry Association) “Song of the Year”. Grace and James are now working on Grace’s debut album and have formed this new band to promote their music and to further build the reggae and world music scenes in WA.  Injinoo Dancers
Injinoo is located at the end of the very long road to Far North Queensland. Injinoo is the country and also the name of a small village with a population of 486 people, comprising the original tribes of the Wuthathi, Yadhgigana, Gudang, Angkamuthi and Atmabaya peoples, as well as Torres Strait Islanders, some Maoris and Whites. For the last 15 years, Injinoo Dance Group has been a regular participant at the Laura Dance Festival and has performed in many other venues. The group attended the 2009 festival with 80 dancers, elders and musicians, which is almost 16.5% of Injinoo's entire population. The dancers from Injinoo are trained by Injinoo elders, Mr Meun Lifu ("Shorty"), Mr George Mamoose, Mr Doyle Sebasio, Mr Reginald Bowie and mr Roy Solomon. During the 2007 Laura attendance, the biennial event saw the Injinoo Dancers receive an award of 'Respect and Recognition' for keeping Aboriginal culture and strong. Seeing the Injinoo Dancers once is enough to become infected with their passion, joy, enthusiasm and pride in Aboriginal expression, reliving dances which go back as far as dreamtime itself. "We teach the kids to dance in the traditional ways," says Elder and dance instructor, Mr Meun Lifu. "We also teach them hunting, eating bush tucker, roots, seeds how to boil turtle in the shell, eat crocodile eggs, cassava, sweet potatoes, sugar cane and yam. We teach them how to look at low tide, look for crabs, oysters and shell." The kids of Injinoo, born from the descendants of once warring tribes, who barely survived the upheaval of the last 150 years, are here to meet, to share and to heal, becoming one with the wider Aboriginal community, in the gathering of many different groups, each knowing that, as one, there is identity, strong tradition and history in Aboriginality, unlike anywhere else on earth.  Jeff Lang
www.jefflang.com.au Singer-songwriter Jeff Lang has built up a reputation for startlingly original performances, working without a set list, allowing the unique energy of each night to shape the songs. While Lang will talk of his admiration for the elemental blues of Skip James, the raw gospel of Blind Willie Johnson, the devastating guitar work of Jimi Hendrix, the masterful slide guitar of Ry Cooder, and the sublime songwriting of Bob Dylan and Richard Thompson, comparisons to these artists fails to paint an adequate picture.
Jeff Lang is critically acclaimed as a truly great guitar player. The unusual thing is that the guitar playing never gets in the way of the music, nor overshadows his gift for hauntingly poetic songwriting. As a live performer Lang is only satisfied when something truly inspired takes place. This restless striving for the sublime pays great dividends for audiences that join him for the ride.
He has delivered show-stopping performances at festivals as diverse as Port Fairy, Woodford, Byron Bay, Mudslinger and Livid in his home land of Australia. On US radio he has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and Acoustic Café, and he has performed at such festivals as the Dublin Blues Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Quebec City Music Festival, Falcon Ridge, Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, Blissfest, and the Ottawa Blues Fest.
He has toured with Ani Di Franco, Chris Whitley, Albert Collins, Bob Dylan, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson, Greg Brown, Kelly Joe Phelps, Dr. John and Bob Geldolf, while his unique musical vision easily finds a home in myriad venues, from a large festival stage to a small Irish club to the Sydney Opera House. In addition his 2002 collaboration with Bob Brozman won an ARIA award (Australia's equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Blues and Roots Music album. Jeff Lang has achieved what is a rarity in the cluttered world of contemporary sounds: his own voice.  Kamerunga
www.myspace.com/kamerunga From tropical north Australia, Kamerunga put a fresh and funky twist on Aussie and Celtic music. Combining folk influences with jazz, rock, reggae, classical and world music elements and melding mandolin, fiddle and guitar wizardry with sizzling saxophone, keyboards and a dynamic rhythm section, the Cairns-based band take listeners on an exhilarating journey, musically and geographically — from Cooktown to Cork, from Jabiru to Johannesburg, from Brisbane to Barbados.  Kartick & Gotam
http://www.myspace.com/kartickandgotam “Israeli duo with unchecked enthusiasm for Indian sounds, a fusion extravaganza” The New Indian Express (June 2009)
Kartick & Gotam fuse world music and electronica into a cool groove with global appeal. Their debut album Business Class Refugees is a collaborative project between music producer Kartick (Patrick Sebag) and sound designer Gotam (Yotam Agam), who have already collaborated on several albums, films and live shows. Most notably on Laya Project, EarthSync's award-winning documentary celebrating the music and cultural traditions of 6 countries affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami. T
“Global in form and spirit, the album boasts of indomitable energy. There’s an earnestness and ebullience that is admirable” Economic Times (May 2009)
 Laya Project
www.layaproject.com Laya Project’s musicians are the people of coastal and surrounding
communities in the 2004 tsunami affected regions of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and India.
The production is based on regional folk music traditions, recorded and brought back to the studio to create a composition that mixes and enhances the original recordings,
and embarks on a visual and musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people.
Some of these performances are rare, and are documented f or the
first time in this production. For the international team who came together f or this production, Lay a Project is a personal and collective tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and is dedicated to the survivors of the 26th December 2004 Asian tsunami.  Little Bushman
www.myspace.com/littlebushmanband Little Bushman are consummate performers who make sixties-influenced, psychedelic and blues-infused music with a distinct New Zealand roots flavour. The band continues to build its reputation for electrifying live performances and blend their beautiful, layered songs with extraordinary improvisational skills.
Regular fixtures on the music festival circuit, Little Bushman have a reputation for stunning live performances drawn from the band members' jazz background, and tenure in seminal New Zealand bands like TrinityRoots.  Mad Professor
www.myspace.com/madprofessordub Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or producing nearly 200 albums. He has collaborated with reggae artists such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, Pato Banton, Jah Shaka and Horace Andy, as well as artists outside the realm of traditional reggae and dub, such as Sade, Massive Attack, The Orb, and Brazilian DJ Marcelinho da lua. Fraser became known as Mad Professor as a boy due to his fascination with electronics. Having built a radio and telephone system at the age of 10 years, it was no surprise that his interest and subsequent career in electronics along with a love of Motown, Philadelphia International, Treasure Isle and music of all types propelled him onward.  Mamadou Diabate
www.myspace.com/diabatemamadou Mamadou Diabate was born in 1975 in Kita, a Malian city long known as a center for the arts and culture of the Manding people of West Africa. As the name Diabate indicates, Mamadou comes from a family of griots, or jelis as they are known among the Manding. Jelis are more than just traditional musicians. They use music and sometimes oratory to preserve and sustain people's consciousness of the past, a past that stretches back to the 13th century when the Manding king Sunjata Keita consolidated the vast Empire of Mali, covering much of West Africa. The stories of these glory days and the times since remain important touchstones for people today, not only for the Manding, but for many citizens of Mali, Guinea, Gambia, and Senegal. So to be born to a distinguished jeli family in Kita is already an auspicious beginning.
Mamadou's father Djelimory played the kora, the jeli's venerable 21-string harp. He was widely known as N'fa Diabate, performing in the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali and recording on the National Radio of Mali. At the age of four, Mamadou went to live with his father in Bamako, where the Ensemble was based. When it came time for him to return to Kita and go to school, Mamadou knew that the kora was his destiny. In 1996, a touring group from the Instrumental Ensemble of Mali offered Mamadou the chance to travel to the United States with a group of Manding musicians and cultural authorities. Following a successful tour, Mamadou decided to continue his work in the United States and, since then, he's made his home in and around New York. Mamadou gets frequent invitations to perform with visiting Malian stars and has jammed with all manner of expert musicians, including jazz luminaries Donald Byrd and Randy Weston, Zimbabwean legend Thomas Mapfumo, and blues masters Eric Bibb and Guy Davis.  Mihirangi
www.mihirangi.com Mihirangi has been on a global whirlwind which has seen her astonishing one woman show capture and mesmerize audiences in Canada, USA, Australia and Aotearoa. She has quickly become a favourite at festivals across the world and has had the privilege of performing with the likes of K'Naan, Public Enemy, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Sly and Robbie, Lee Scratch Perry, Blue King Brown, The Resin Dogs, Salmonella Dub and Ladi6.
Singing in Maori and English with an extraordinary vocal range of power & expression, the "Princess of Funk" & "Queen of Loops" is a solo artist who creates her own band sound "live" in front of her audience using a loop pedal. The key to her performance is the layering of her own vocal sounds. From the foundation of phat solid bass lines to intricately layered harmonies, rhythmic ‘ska’ chops, sensuous jazzy riffs and beat-boxing – it’s all done with her voice. A multi-instrumentalist Mihirangi also plays percussion, guitar, keyboards, electronic percussion and Taonga Puoro (traditional Maori instruments).
Renowned for her distinctive vocal style, vitality and intensity, Mihirangi possesses both feminine tenderness and grrrrl power. An activist and dream weaver with confidence and credibility Mihirangi also has a vocal presence in the international political arena. She performed at "Power to The Peaceful" Festival in San Francisco to an audience of 60,000 people in support of social justice, non-violence, and environmental sustainability. She was a Sea Shepherd crew-member and played to an audience of globally active artists including The Dixie Chicks, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pierce Brosnan and Martin Sheen at their 30th Anniversary Benefit concert in LA.
Playing out her concerns for indigenous, environmental and spiritual issues and endearing herself to audiences around the world, her journey and insight offers a refreshing perspective of contemporary culture. Although reverent in her deliverance, when her groove kicks in, is all liberation and raw power. Her utterly unique musical vision and the cross-cultural harmony that she herself represents will be heard.  Moab Stringband
www.wantokmusik.org The Moab Stringband are one of PNG’s most highly regarded stringbands. This is, in part, due to Telek’s fame as the lead singer of Painim Wok who in the 1980s was one of the biggest bands in PNG, and one of the biggest selling acts in the whole of Melanesia.
In 2006/7 the Moab Stringband toured Australia as part of Sing Sing and the band knocked out audiences at the Sydney opera House, the Victorian Arts Centre (Hamer Hall), The Strand in Townsville (to 5000 people), and two sell out shows at the Powerhouse in Brisbane. The Moab Stringband were amazing ambassadors for PNG and wowed audiences new to the stringband sound. To see them perform live, moving in unison as they play is “like you’ve been let in on a special secret”, said Phil Wales, Telek’s guitarist and RRR radio personality.
It was the Moab Stringband’s Hammerhead Shark cassette that first brought George Telek to the attention of Bridie and many others back in 1986 and led to the recording/collaboration of Telek with Not Drowning, Waving on the international Tabaran album at Pacific Gold Studios in Rabaul. From here George Telek’s international solo career took off. He has recorded three solo albums: Telek, Serious Tam and Amette – which won an ARIA award, an MBE in PNG and glowing reviews from Losuia to London, and from Namatanai to New York. Serious Tam saw Telek signed to Peter Gabriel’s Real World label. The subsequent international tour to promote that album saw Telek play to such salubrious venues as the Olde Shakespeare Globe Theatre, Womad Reading, Seattle and Hannover.  Mr Fish
www.myspace.com/MrFish Born in reunion Island, Mr Fish moved to France in the early 1980s and started his music career as a house DJ in the south of France. After travelling around Europe he finally landed in London in 1977. In 1999 he met DJ Eric Soul and joined the groov’n’bass movement – a collective of artists, djs and producers who promotes the world of music and arts via club production and urban grooves. Under the influence of DJ Eric Soul, Mr Fish developed a blend of afro-latino grooves with a house hip-hop beat.
Mr Fish has performed at Respect Festival in London, 2001-2002 Techno Parade in Paris, the Long Island festival in Budapest, several Notting Hill Carnivals and the list goes on. He also plays all over Melbourne at events where promoters are brave enough to propose something other than the commercially driven formats.
 Narasirato Pan Pipers
www.narasirato.com The Narasirato musicians come from in Oterama village at the remote southern end of Malaita Island. They live a traditional subsistence lifestyle, farming and fishing to care for their families, whilst pursuing their passion for music, song and dance.
The group is reviving many of the old traditions to add to their extensive repertoire of traditional music, as well as creating their own unique contemporary sound. It is a mix of virtuosic pan pipe music, performed while dancing to intircately choreographed routines, all of which relate to their rich Are'are culture. They are equally outstanding on stage or as a roving group, with their traditional costumes and instruments and rich vocal harmonies, combined with vibrant dancing, traditional props and singing - allowing them to create a unique blend of music performance.
The Narasirato Pan Pipers have astounded audiences in England, Taipai, Vanuatu, Canada, New Zealand and Australia with their traditional and contemporary pan pipe music performances. During the 'tensions' (2000-2003) in the Solomon Islands, they were not able to pursue their overseas performance plans, including a proposed tour of South Africa with Lucky Dube, and are now very keen to commence touring again. They want to share their culture with the world.  Noreum Machi
South Korea’s, Noreum Machi, is a captivating group from Korea that performs the virtuosic percussion music known as samulnori. First introduced to the West in the late 1970s by the legendary ensemble Samul-Nori, this exciting music had a huge effect in galvanizing the student movement in Korea and re-engaging Koreans with their traditions. Samulnori is a modernized staged adaptation of p’ungmul nori, a ritualistic celebratory event with origins in shamanism and animism performed by rice farmers and professional musicians at harvest festivals.
Noreum Machi’s colorful program includes spectacular percussion dialogues, shamanic chants, and acrobatic dances. 
OKAwww.myspace.com/okamusic
OKA’s home is a little surf town on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, the music echoes their roots and celebrates the diversity of Australian cultures, especially highlighting Indigenous Australia.
The last few years have seen them lighting up the world stage. Tour highlights include The Bell Stage @ Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada), The Greenroom Festival (Japan), Singapore River Festival, Woodford and Dreaming Festivals (Australia).
The OKA signature is a smooth hi-fidelity sound that is full of beautiful uplifting melodies, tones and textures, cooked over raw didgeridoo rhythms and phatt dance driven grooves. A live collective where no two gigs are the same, the OKA flavor is their own hybrid of feel good Roots, Reggae, Dub and Jazz, marinated in Electronica and served on Island Time.
They have independently sold over 60,000 albums worldwide, a true testament to their ever growing appeal to people of all ages and cultures.“It's the kind of sound you spread the news about with an almost missionary fervor..”OKAs hypnotic, high energy live performances are a spontaneous exploration into the sublime. They consistently set themselves apart as a festival crowd favourite with their originality, honesty, and passion.  Pigram Brothers
www.pigrambrothers.com.au The Pigram Brothers are a seven-piece country folk/roots band from the pearling town of Broome, Western Australia. Their original music captures Broome's and the Kimberley's Saltwater Spirit and Country. Songs from the albums Saltwater Country and Jiir have become hometown anthems and have also attracted critical acclaim. After many years of playing in a variety of bands and differing musical projects the brothers pooled together their skills and talent and officially formed The Pigram Brothers in 1996.
The Brothers opened the Deadly Awards at the Sydney Opera House in September 2006 and brought home the Deadly Award for 2006 Album Release of the Year. Stephen (lead singer, guitarist and songwriter) and Alan Pigram (producer and lead guitarist) were the first indigenous artists to be inducted into the West Australian Music Industry’s Hall of Fame in February 2006.
Nominated for Best World Music Album 2006 at the Australian Music Industry’s ARIA Awards, Under the Mango Tree is the Pigram Brothers latest CD release, produced and recorded at Pearlshell Studios in Broome by Alan Pigram. There is also a live DVD filmed at the Pearl Luggers in Broome, released in 2007 
The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra
www.myspace.com/poao
Inspired by the infectious afro-beat music of Nigeria and its neighbours, The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra delivers a contemporary blend of hip hop and African funk to Australian dancefloors. This mammoth ensemble comprises up to twenty musicians hand-picked from Melbourne’s African, jazz & hip-hop scenes. The experience and creativity of these established musicians energises the group’s original compositions and the sound of the entire band is a force to be reckoned with.
The afro-beat movement of the 60’s and 70’s is making a resurgence worldwide in live venues and clubs alike. The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra combines these North African rhythms with hip-hop which has recently become a major force in Australian music and culture. The group is the brainchild of Zvi Belling, Ethan Hill (DJ Manchild) and Tristan Ludowyk who are long time friends and musical collaborators, each with vast and diverse musical backgrounds to draw upon.
The band directors recently travelled to Africa to promote the new single and recorded with African hip hop stars Tumi (South Africa) and Modenine (Nigeria). These artists will feature on the band’s upcoming debut album, which will be accompanied by a 12” vinyl release. The band’s current single is Future Africa features N’fa and 1/6th and was recorded and mixed by Andy Baldwin in New York.  Radical Son
www.myspace.com/radicalson Two time Deadly Awards nominee, David Leha aka, Radical Son has spent the past five years crafting a unique sound which resonates with hip-hop roots and soulful social statements. A born collaborator, Radical contributed to the latest Urthboy and The Last Kinection albums.  Rhombus
www.myspace.com/rhombusmusic With a seamless blend of hip-hop, soul, funk, dub and bass roots-reggae, spliced together with socially conscious lyrics, Rhombus have forged a well-deserved reputation as one of New Zealand's most original and energetic live acts and have developed a strong following among international audiences for their eclectic, energetic and funky blend of music.
Their travels on the Japan-based global NGO Peace Boat have taken them through the Caribbean and the Pacific, spreading the values of sustainability, co-operation and peace.  Ria Soemardjo
www.myspace.com/riasoemardjo Ria Soemardjo has established herself in Australia as a unique voice in the world music scene.
Born in Melbourne of Australian/Indonesian descent, Ria draws on her deep respect for the Javanese musical tradition in her song-writing and collaborative projects. She is the only female performer in Australia of the central Javanese vocal tradition.
Ria's distinctive vocal style and ability to absorb a diverse range of musical influences have led to regular collaborations with other performers and composers, including Anne Norman (on the wings of a butterfly compilation CD), Adrian Sheriff, , the Grand Union Orchestra, She has also released a solo album 'Sift' - featuring traditional and original pieces.
Ria currently performs in trio - ‘Fine Blue Thread’ with Helen Mountfort on baroque cello and Sam Evans on tabla, and is set to release a new album of original compositions in January 2009.
Recent performing highlights include the Melbourne and Sydney Spiegel Tent, Singapore Performing Arts Showcase and the Biwako Biennale (Japan) 2007 with the Tony Yap Company. Ria has been a featured artist at the Melbourne Festival in 2006 and 2007 and her performances at the Iwaki auditorium have been broadcast on Radio National 'Music Deli' shows.  San Lazaro
www.sanlazaro.com.au San Lazaro bring the rhythms and forms of a musical style which was born in Africa and raised in the Americas to the streets and airwaves of Australia and the world, and anyone with ears and feet will immediately understand why. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, this music works. It works for the heart the soul and the hips, it works for the ears and the mind, it works for young and old , rich and poor alike.
This unlikely group of musicians came together in the musical melting pot of inner city Fitzroy, in Melbourne. Migrants from Latin America and Australian musicians found themselves playing together, pumping out the classics of salsa and mambo to seething crowds week after week when at some point it just became it's own thing. No longer a bunch of songs from across oceans and decades but real home grown Australian Latin music, reflecting the experiences and culture of yet another wave of migrants to wash up on this vast island.  Shakura Stringband
Hailing from the Shefa province of Vanuatu, the Shakura Stringband are the latest popular group of the region to impress local audiences with their brand of folk music, using the simple yet enchanting mix of guitars, ukuleles and lilting harmonies.  Tabura
www.myspace.com/taburaband
Tabura is a wandamen word from Manokwari (West Papua) meaning a ‘cone shell’ that is found along coastal island shores in the Pacific island and is used in Melanesian culture as a symbol that gives off sound to call on people from different clans to come together for special occasion that arises. The Tabura band is a new and emerging young West Papuans who invigorate traditional West Papuan dance, music and song to promote, strengthen and retain their Melanesian culture of indigenous groups in West Papua. In 2008, the Multicultural Arts Victoria runs Visible Project that enthuse the group to establish West Papuan music and dance amongst the wider community in Melbourne and also the mentorship of Airi Ingram from Grilla Step, (who is a drummer and percussionist with a sublime groove of playing traditional slit log and hip hop drum kit) inspire the group into a band that revitalise song and dance that aims to enable the freedom of expression.
The instruments (Guitar, Ukulele, and String bass) and costumes used in the performances are handmade. The dancing costumes are produced from local material including root fibre as the grass skirts; Bird of Paradise used as headdress, seashell as necklaces and paintings that represent the enduring culture.  Tama Waipara
www.myspace.com/tamawaipara Tama Waipara is “a singer’s singer,” a term that has been applied to several ground breaking and established artists in the past, but the New Zealand native is indeed worthy of the name.
A graduate of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music with a Master’s degree in music performance, Tama Waipara is a multi-talented singer/songwriter who plays several instruments, including clarinet and guitar.
Tama’s vocals are tenuous, dusky, supple, languid and bittersweet possessing a distinctive intonation and “phraseology” inspired by a wealth of legendary song stylists and balladeers like George Benson, Bill Withers, Jimmy Scott, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush and Nina Simone –creating a diverse musical blueprint without borders.  The Chooky Dancers
www.chookydancers.com The Chooky Dancers entertain with an extraordinary style of contemporary and traditional performances that leave audiences captivated.
The group reached overnight success when Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy lodged a video clip of the group on YouTube in mid October 2007. Within 12 weeks it had peaked at over 500,000 hits worldwide, to date it stands as over one million hits, rating as one of the highest clips to be circulated worldwide. The boys have been invited to perform their new hit in Greece by the descendants and creator of ‘Zorba the Greek’.
The dance was initially developed by Lionel Dulmanawuy who is the lead choreographer and Frank’s youngest son. He created the dance during what is described as “hard times” and was inspired by a close Greek friend named Liliane, who is the main carer of his sister Priscilla who passed away recently. It was an extremely hard decision for the family to see Priscilla leave her homeland but they are now content knowing Priscilla is in good hands and home where she belongs.
The relationship between the Yolngu family and the Greek family was the main inspiration for creating the dance - as a way of saying thank-you. The Chooky Dancers had no idea it would be go as far and be so popular amongst so many people across the nation and now worldwide. It brings people together and keeps them smiling for reasons only they can tell you about.
 The Medics
http://www.myspace.com/themedicsband1 “The Medics sounded like early Radiohead . . . in the best possible way.” Live Review - Beat Magazine (Melbourne) Oct 09
A young energetic indie band with insightful songs wide in scope, boasting quiet ambient sounds and epic build ups and breakdowns, with moments of delicacy and intensity.
The Medics have garnered a solid following in their hometown of Cairns, far north Queensland and are rapidly gaining a reputation across Australia for their emotive songwriting style delivered through intense live performances.
Tours and supports slots have included: Something & Numbers , The Panics, The Grates, Faker, Blue King Brown, Scribe, Kisschasy, Amity Affliction, Behind Crimson Eyes and City Riots. In July 2009 the band headlined their first Queensland tour and showcased at Big Sound Live Sept 09. The Medics debuted their live show nationally in Sept/Oct 2009 as guests on the GROUNDSWELL tour (an initiative of Arts Victoria).
Their second EP "This Boat We Call Love" produced by Mark Myers from The Middle East features the focus tracks “Joseph” and “Her Song” and is to be released in early 2010 through Starving Kids/MGM.  The Red Eyes
www.myspace.com/themightyredeyes Since their inception in 2002, The Red Eyes profile has steadily risen. The Melbourne-based band have enjoyed international airplay throughout the world (including #7 on Radio Toronto charts as voted by listeners) and in 2007 a tour of tropical New Caledonia took their big band sound to remote parts of the island during their first international showcase.
Considered by fans & music critics alike as one of the few authentic Dub/Reggae groups to come out of Australia, THE RED-EYES are a 7-piece band with a monster sound that has been shaking foundations around the country since their inception in 2002. Arming themselves with bass, drums, guitar, keys, trumpet, sax and live dubs, The Red Eyes are led by fiery singer El Witeri who draws on his Maori heritage for inspiration. The Red Eyes have supported the likes of Horace Andy, Luciano, The Mad Professor, Easy Star All Stars, Kora, Dub Syndicate, Salmonella Dub, Black Seeds, Cornerstone Roots, Concord Dawn, Sola Rosa, Pitch Black & The Resin Dogs to name a few. These shows have received glowing reviews, often claiming that The Red Eyes explosive live show has eclipsed the main act and seen them increasing billed as one of the headlining acts at major festivals, and have led to a recent show supported by New Zealand’s leading reggae band Katchafire.  Toguna
www.myspace.com/toguna Reunion Island, a pearl in Indian Ocean, gave birth to a band with a unique sound & a universal soul: Toguna. Crossing cultures with an infectious groove, Toguna's music is a brilliant fusion of folk rock, reggae and acoustic soul, using instruments such as the slide guitar, kayamb and rouler, rounded off by a soulful vocal trio.
Between enthusiasm and emotion, massive rhythmic and mellow acoustic tone, the debut album Sans Frontieres is a tight & raw acoustic recording of 12 strong, heartfelt songs with deep lyrical content.
Toguna has toured in Japan, France, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion & shared the stage with some great artists including Keziah Jones, Asa, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Israel Vibration, Capleton, Omar Perry, Rajery, la Ruda, Dub inc, Camille Bazbaz, K2r riddim and many more. 
True Livehttp://www.myspace.com/truelive True Live are a truly unique entity. Since their very first performance in 2005, they have defied categorisation and belonged to a genre all of their own. With each of the band's six prodigal members bringing their own set of influences to the table, the outcome is something unlike anything you're accustomed to hearing.
Formed from a selected group of musicians from Melbourne’s rich improv scene by leader / frontman / producer RHyNO, with the assistance of older, wiser musicians - the young upstart managed to score himself the hands down finest selection of players from some of the more eclectic realms of musical taste. The collective includes late period Miles / Coltrane head with a love for Madlib and Justice, Thai Matus (keyboards) and obsessive bebop violinist Tamil Rogeon. Then there's hip-hop trad jazz DJ / double bassist Tom Tom, rare groove funk drummer Choi and heir to the Blake string linage (3 generations deep of string players) and Nitin Sawney collaborator, Tim Blake.
True Live began gigging around their hometown of Melbourne regularly playing at local haunts like The Evelyn and Revolver. They very quickly garnered a cult following in Melbourne's live circuit as word spread of their phenomenal energy on stage. They took their show on the road time and time again, selling out gigs nationwide off the back of word of mouth alone. True Live had become the band that you absolutely needed to see.  TUMI
www.myspace.com/tumipoetmc
TUMI Molekane is a speaker of fancy, the vanguard clairvoyant, one of South Africa’s brightest up and coming wordsmiths.
He is an honest poet, an intuitive writer and responsible MC. This spitkicker has done countless work on the Jo’burg hip-hop scene, most notably the Dead Prez show in the spring of 2000, and the Black August tour to South Africa the following year, which featured Talib Kweli and Black Thought of The Roots.
He has shared the stage with SA’s premier talent, such as Blk Sonshine, Bra Willie Kgositsile, Max Normal, Lesego Rampolokeng, and international talent such as Saul Williams, Sarah Jones and Mutaburuka. Tumi was the feature of Yfm’s acclaimed pilot ad campaign, performing controversial poetry for the ads. Having worked on his project, "The Tao of Tumi", in 2001 as a showcase, he is pioneering a whole new approach to making and presenting music. Around the same time, he compiled a collection of poems entitled The Black Inside Out. The concept band, the Volume, is a creative joint venture between Tumi, Tiago, Paulo, Dave and Kyla.  Valanga Khoza
www.myspace.com/valangakhoza
Valanga Khoza charms his audiences with humour and wit, telling stories of his life growing up in South Africa and his travels across the world as a refugee. These stories are embellished by beautiful music form many traditional instruments such as the kalimba, marimba and shijoro (jaw harp) as well as irresistible rhythms from the guitar, percussion and Valanga’s velvety voice. Valanga has performed and warmed audiences of adults and children at selected world music events and in many schools across Australia. As well as recording five albums of original music, he is also the author of well known “Gezani and the Tricky Baboon” published by Allen and Unwin in 2001. He will have you laughing, singing, tapping, smacking, dancing and swinging...come and join in!
Valanga also conducts joyous singing workshops of South African songs and chants. The material includes traditional, original and freedom songs. He explores traditional rhythms and harmonies through voice and movement. Many people who have taken part in his workshops leave surprised at the fact that they were singing so beautifully when they have never sung before in their lives! His workshops have been with the general public, community choirs, festivals and small groups. Some of the workshops have ended up in live recordings with the ABC, including an album called “The Choral Sea”.  Way Out West
www.myspace.com/wayoutwestmelbourne Where else but Melbourne would you be likely to find a band featuring a Sri Lankan born West African percussion master and a Vietnamese traditional musician, who also carves up the jazz guitar a-la Pat Metheny, mixing it with players diversely experienced in Western pop, jazz, and classical traditions? Melbourne is just such a melting pot and Way Out West is just such a band.
A chance meeting in 2001 between eclectic trumpeter/composer, Peter Knight, and Vietnamese traditional music virtuoso, Dung Nguyen, marked the beginning of a remarkable collaboration and led to the formation of Way Out West, a band that continues to draw inspiration from the cultural vitality and diversity of Footscray with its new album, Old Grooves for New Streets (Jazzhead). Dung learnt his instruments, which include the 16-stringed Vietnamese zither (the dan tranh), and the dan bau (a single stringed instrument also called the monochord) from his grandfather while growing up in Vietnam, continuing a tradition of many generations. He came to Australia when he was 16 and continued his studies at Monash University where he developed a love of jazz and won prizes for his guitar studies.
Dung’s fluency in both Vietnamese music and jazz means collaboration with Peter Knight and the rest of the band really is collaboration: the creation of a new sound rather than a pastiche of pre-existing sounds. In fact many reviews of Way Out West’s first album, Footscray Station, note the unified approach the band achieves: “The supple seamless vibes they produce easily transcend any glib notions of multicultural kitsch” (Herald Sun), “That these exotic sounds blend so well with jazz is a mysterious Melbourne alchemy” (Sydney Morning Herald).
 Ykson
www.myspace.com/ykson
An astonishing mix of rap, blues and reggae sounds combined with traditional Kanak rhythms.
Born on Lifou, a small Pacific Ocean island which is part of New Caledonia, Jean-Philip Katreie Ihnomadra, also known as Ykson, began to sing at the age of 12 and play the guitar at 15. He soon performed in public for the first time, at local community festivals in Noumea when he was 16. Since then he has constantly performed at fairs and festivals as well as busking in cities.
Ykson was born in Noumea's working-class district of Montravel, the birthplace of New Caledonia's new music. Daily life in these districts is one of his main topics of inspiration, and his words speak to all children and social housing inhabitants in the world. With one constant theme: a positive view of the world born from a disconcerting poetic vision. 
Zulya and the Children of the Undergroundwww.zulya.com Multi award-winning Zulya Kamalova is the leading proponent of Tatar and Russian music in Australia, as well as one of the most versatile and accomplished vocalists on the world music scene today. Her stunning blend of traditional and original music has enchanted audiences from Serbia to Siberia, Luxembourg to Moscow, Tatarstan to Helsinki and many places in between. Since beginning collaboration with The Children of the Undergroundin 2003, Zulya's music has further developed in surprising and intriguing directions. The band brings a new level of sophistication in arrangement and musicianship to Zulya's work, immediately apparent in highly -acclaimed The Waltz of Emptiness, and perhaps even more so in the recently released 3 Nights (2007). These two albums showcase the band's impressive facility with their instruments, and listeners are struck by their talent for the composition of sublime melodies. Zulya and The Children of the Children of the Underground continue to dazzle audiences with their passion for music and outstanding musicianship and during the last few years have performed at many major venues and festivals in Europe, Russia, Tatarstan, and of course in Australia
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