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.

These dancers opened the AWME with their rendition of dances which go back as far as dreamtime itself, once is enough to become infected with their passion, joy, enthusiasm and pride in Aboriginal expression.     

Opening Night Party

The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra

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.

 The Red Eyes

www.myspace.com/themightyredeyes

This group had that something special thing that just draws your attention especially when your tired and just want to leave and then pow you hear their sounds and music come out and entice you to stay just that little bit longer.

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.

Mad Professor

www.myspace.com/madprofessordub

Mad Professor indeed I was left a bit confused as to what or which direction he was steering me musically but I guess thats they whole thing of taking the journey with the Mad Professor.

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.

 All these groups were dynamic to watch and their sounds were rich with variation and variety and the showmanship was just excellent. 

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CAAMA’S REVIEW OF:

AKON

THE KONVICT CONCERT TOUR EVENT

FEATURING TPAIN& PHINESSE

AT THE MELBOURNE HISENSE ARENA

26^TH October 2009

Another momentous night for CAAMA to be a part of, through the persistence and dedication of passionate staff this was a night eagerly looked forward to.

We entered into the Hisense Arena. With the monstrous daunting size of the venue, we felt like small honey ants placed into a Melbourne sky rise building ready to devour us. Once inside, however, the tension in the atmosphere was ratcheted to fever pitch, the excitement and anticipation so overwhelming our stomach muscles contracted into nervous knots. We were almost exploding. The cacophony of the crowd was, in part, absorbed by the fine acoustic design of the arena; the crowd, so loud and chaotic, was ready for anything, the tension and expectation was palpable.

As the lights dimmed the MC belted out a welcome to Melbourne audience - encouraging their enthusiasm to boiling point - before the opening act Phinesse came out with acrobatic flips and krumping moves. Dressed in soldier-like uniforms they performed “Flaunt it” , which the crowd received with wild enthusiasm, they then cleverly launched into a Michael Jackson medley which sent the crowd into a fanatical uproar. Yes, Michael Jackson was the legend and Phinesse were right on the money with feeding the audience something they could so passionately relate to – a man whose death is mourned by the world.

Following Phinesse came the long awaited ‘One and only Auto-Tune master TPAIN!’  T-Pain’s crafty use of Auto-Tune (inspired by his role model the late veterinarian Roger Troutman), has been so successful as to reshape the sound of urban music. The core of T-Pain’s success has more to do with his uncanny ability to create catchy hooks than the electronic amplification of his voice. His stage performance is utterly entertaining. He dances and sings and in the time proven way of great entertainers the crowd is drawn to his magic. TPAIN put on a show well worth the money - even those who had travelled over 2500kms to see him perform were not disappointed. Us.

As we rushed madly to the back stage area for our exclusive interview with AKON, a gigantic, black, stretched Hummer pulled up, but this vehicle was a decoy. As we waited a small royal blue coloured van pulled up with TPAIN in the front passenger seat and AKON in the back! There he was this magnificent unassuming personality, and though he exuded an aura of glamour his offstage personality is humble. He acknowledged the small children waiting with us them and took the time to introduce himself and genuinely focused his attention on them. Then as quickly as he appeared he disappeared through the doors.

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CAAMA’S REVIEW OF:

BLACK EYED PEAS

THE END CONCERT EVENT

AT THE MELBOURNE ROD LAVER ARENA

6^TH October 2009

CAAMA had made the journey from Central Australia to Melbourne Rod Laver Arena for an exclusive 15 minute interview with this world class act of multitalented artists who formulate the Black Eyed Peas, waiting in anticipation for that moment when CAAMA could interview them.

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Denella Hampton. “I rehearsed those oh so import questions in my mind. Sitting across from these iconic personalities heart in mouth I could see their nervous postures making me feel at ease knowing I wasn’t the only one shaking with nervous pent up energy. I took comfort in trusting in my professionalism but most of all the purpose and the people I was there representing CAAMA and the Aboriginal people of Central Australia” [More]