Warumpi Band

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The Warumpi Band is an Australian band from the bush, coming from Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia. The band was formed in 1981.

Contents

[edit] Principal members

[edit] History

The band toured the Northern Territory and Kimberly region playing to communities, outback stations, and isolated townships, developing their unique sound and writing much of their material on the road. The Warumpi Band wrote, recorded and released the first rock song in an Aboriginal language "Jailanguru Pakarnu" (Luritja: "Out From Jail") in 1983. In 1984, their debut album Big Name No Blankets was released with its tracks "Blackfella/Whitefella", "Breadline" and "Fitzroy Crossing" receiving national airplay.

In 1985, Warumpi Band toured Australia and overseas (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu) to promote the album which was gaining much critical acclaim.

They inspired and accompanied Midnight Oil on a month-long tour of Aboriginal communities in 1986 and recorded Go Bush on their return. The album includes the tracks "From The Bush" and the original version of the indigenous anthem "My Island Home". More touring followed to promote the album. On their return to the Northern Territory, band members took time out to pursue other goals. Sammy Butcher, his brother Gordon Butcher, and George Rrurrambu honoured family and tribal commitments.

Neil Murray launched his solo career in 1989 with the album Calm and Crystal Clear and has since released three more albums: These Hands, Dust, and The Wondering Kind. In 1995, he was awarded the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Song of the Year Award for "My Island Home" after it became a national hit for Christine Anu.

That same year, the Warumpi Band was back on the road, completing a highly successful tour of Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. They signed with CAAMA Music and released Too Much Humbug which includes the track "Stompin Ground" which received widespread national airplay on Triple J and was inspired by the Stompem Ground Festival in Broome.

[edit] Associated musicians

Some of the people who have played in the Warumpi Band:

[edit] Discography

  • Big Name No Blankets (1986)
  • Go Bush (1988)
  • Too Much Humbug (1996); recorded at CAAMA
    • includes a remake of the long-famous "Blackfella, Whitefella"

[edit] Prominent songs

[edit] See also


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