PETER ELLA (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, back-up vox); ANDREE BAUDET (soprano & tenor sax, keys, vox); DAVE MARTIN (fiddle, mandolin, didgeridoo, vox); TONY HILLIER (rhythm guitar, vox); BEN HAKALITZ (drums); WILL KEPA (bass, vox).
Influences
La Bottine Souriante, Afro Celt Sound System, Shooglenifty, Lunasa, The Bothy Band, The Bushwackers, Lau, Lo Jo, Les Negresse Verte, Malicorne, Bellowhead, Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Average White Band, Tribe of Jubal et al
Sounds Like
"If you are looking for an album of unusual and very original music that really tries to reach beyond the predictable, rather drab Australian folk tradition, then this is a genuine surprise. It basically demonstrates that folk tunes, in the right hands, can be bent in any direction.” Bruce Elder (Sydney Morning Herald, 10/01/09)
"This is the type of project to take Australian sounds to international world music stages — I'm sure that was pretty much the idea behind it, and it's bound to succeed. You can imagine both the narrative content and musical energy of these songs striking an immediate and lasting chord with such audiences." Martin Jones, December issue of 'Rhythms' magazine
"This multi-instrumental, multi-talented Cairns ensemble takes a big stick of funk, jazz and reggae to rouse traditional Celtic and Australian tunes from their safe slumber. Kamerunga's musical dexterity allows it to shift the material from whisky-soaked shanty swagger to reggae-infused bush ballad to lounge-lizard jazz, sometimes within the same song" Brian Bolton ('Weekend Australian', 22/11/08)
"After a decade or two waiting in the doldrums, Australian folk music has finally been given the revitalisation and rejuvenation it needed to allow it to return to festival headline status - thanks to a new band from far north Queensland... Kamerunga takes traditional Aussie songs like South Australia and the Lachlan Tigers as a starting point, adding elements of rock, classical, jazz, reggae and even rap to the mix to make a well-crafted, accessible and respectful synthesis. It's a lively journey," Andy Copeman, ABC Radio National's 'The Daily Planet' (13/11/08)
"Fresh and funky" Jamie McKew, Director Port Fairy Folk Festival.
"Australian Bush music is never likely to dominate the Pop charts but that is hardly the concern of eclectic North Queensland band, Kamerunga.
To call Kamerunga a Folk group or Bush band, however, would be to miss the point. Kamerunga may start from traditional roots but when these are interwoven with hints of Classical, Jazz, Reggae, Rock and World music influences, we are talking about a very different musical beast. Kamerunga are a musical mirror for the exotic and tropical environment of their hometown of Cairns.
Their debut album, ‘The Push’ contains the very clever interplay of both instruments and ideas, as you will discover on “Congress Reel”. Festival attendees may already be familiar with Kamerunga but for others it may be just another reason to visit the nation’s tropical north. Also worthy of note about ‘The Push’ is in it’s glossy production, achieved by Nigel Pegrum, ARIA award winner, and former member of English Folk band, Steeleye Span. (Not for those specific reasons, of course, we just think he did a great job.)." ABC OzTrax http://www.abc.net.au/oztrax/
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.
CONTACT Kamerunga at: kamerungaband@gmail.com
'The Push', the band’s debut CD, was accorded Album-of-the-Day status on Australian radio's premier music program, ABC Radio National's The Daily Planet on Nov 13, 2008. The album, produced by award-winning sound engineer Nigel Pegrum (ex Steeleye Span), is available in Australia and internationally via Planet and iTunes.
STOP PRESS: Kamerunga's CD 'The Push' is a finalist in the 2009 ARIA Awards and ABC/Limelight magazine awards, World Music sections
THE CD IS AVAILABLE VIA iTUNES and THE PLANET COMPANY - http://www.theplanetcompany.com ***
Congratulations on being nominated as one of the 5 finalists [World music section] of the 2009 Aria awards Good to hear "Farewell and Adieu" on heavy online rotation via the Aria 2009 site player.
