Frank Yamma

Frank Yamma (fl. c. 2000) is an Australian musician.

Frank is a singer and song writer from Central Australia and is a Pitjantjatjara man who speaks 5 languages and sings in both Pitjantjatjara and English.^[1] He is the son of Issac Yamma, an early proponent of singing Western style songs in traditional language.

Frank's style of music is Indigenous Roots (World Music)^[2] and he writes about his country and his people. He has performed in bands Ulpanyali Band, Digital Dreaming, Terrasphere, Piranpa ('skinny white lizards' in Pitjantjatjara) and his father's Pitjantjatjara Country Band. He currently performs mainly solo or accompanied by David Bridie on piano and Helen Mountford on cello.

Frank Yamma & Piranpa won a Deadly in 1999 for their album Playing with Fire.^[3] In 2005, with David Bridie, he won AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Original Song Composed for a Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series^[4]

Yamma recorded a set for TripleJ's Live at the Wireless that was broadcast on 19 February 2001.^[5] He has had multiple live performances broadcast on Radio National's Live on Stage series.^[6] He was a featured artist of the ABC TV show Sending a message : Naidoc concert.^[7]

Discography

• Solo albums

Frank Yamma & Piranpa
Playing with Fire (1999)^[8] - CAAMA Music
Keep up the pace (2006)^[9] - CAAMA Music
Frank Yamma
Solid Eagle (1997)^[10] - CAAMA Music
Countryman (2010) - Wantok/ Planet^[11]

• Feature albums

Digital Dreaming
Inma Wiru (1999) - Iguana Records
Terrasphere
Terrasphere (1997) - CAAMA Music
Ulpinyali Band
Ulpinyali Band (1989) - CAAMA Music

• Compilation albums

Corroboration (2001) - Festival Mushroom
Olympic Record (2000) - Warner Music Group
Songlines - Acoustic Sounds (1997)- EMI & ABC Music
Port Fairy Festival (1986) Independent
Wantok Volume 1 (2011) - Wantok Musik/Planet

References

External links

• NAIDOC Week 2002
• Digital Dreaming
• Rappin' to the drum of a different beat - Frank Yamma and Wicked Beat Sound System