Nabarlek (band)
Encyclopedia
Nabarlek are an Indigenous Roots band from Manmoyi, a tiny community in Arnhem Land
, 215 kilometres from the remote community of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli). The band formed in 1985 as a group of singers and dancers with a couple of busted guitars and flour tins for drums. The members are Bininj (the indigenous people of western Arnhem Land) and they sing in language and in English, trying to reach across the cultures. Their songs are traditional songs of the Kunwinjku people of western Arnhem Land with a rock/reggae arrangement. They call themselves the garage band that never had a garage.
They have performed with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra and Yothu Yindi
supported Midnight Oil
and played with Silverchair
and Powderfinger
on their Across the Great Divide national tour. They played at many music festivals, including several Darwin Festivals, the Adelaide Festival in 2000, and Womadelaide, the Port Fairy and Brunswick Music Festivals in 2001. They played for six
weeks at the International World Expo in Hanover
, Germany
in 2000.
Their album Bininj Manborlh was nominated for the 2002 Best World Music Album Aria Award
. They also received a nominations for Deadlys
in 2001, 2002 and 2007.
They are the subject of From outstation to out there. Nabarlek a music industry case study a DVD created by Gillian Harrison.
DVD
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
, 215 kilometres from the remote community of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli). The band formed in 1985 as a group of singers and dancers with a couple of busted guitars and flour tins for drums. The members are Bininj (the indigenous people of western Arnhem Land) and they sing in language and in English, trying to reach across the cultures. Their songs are traditional songs of the Kunwinjku people of western Arnhem Land with a rock/reggae arrangement. They call themselves the garage band that never had a garage.
They have performed with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra and Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
supported Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
and played with Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
and Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
on their Across the Great Divide national tour. They played at many music festivals, including several Darwin Festivals, the Adelaide Festival in 2000, and Womadelaide, the Port Fairy and Brunswick Music Festivals in 2001. They played for six
weeks at the International World Expo in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 2000.
Their album Bininj Manborlh was nominated for the 2002 Best World Music Album Aria Award
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
. They also received a nominations for Deadlys
The Deadlys
The Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
in 2001, 2002 and 2007.
They are the subject of From outstation to out there. Nabarlek a music industry case study a DVD created by Gillian Harrison.
Discography
Albums- Munwurrk (1998)
- Bininj Manborlh (2001)
- Nabarlek Live (2003)
- Manmoyi Radio (2007)
DVD
- Nabarlek on tour (2005)