After the success of Hidden Republic at the 2008 MIAF, The Black Arm Band is now preparing for its 2009 winter tour. The Band will perform 'murundak' at WOMAD UK outside London in the UK, amidst dates with the Queensland Music Festival (Thursday Island), the Darwin Festival, the Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns, and the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Broome. Partnering with the Fred Hollows Foundation, these dates will be supplemented with another 5 dates in remote and regional communities in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
The Black Arm Band is a 32-piece ensemble featuring a line up of exceptional soloists performing works from the inspirational songbook of contemporary Indigenous life.
The Black Arm Band was created to perform MURUNDAK (meaning 'alive' in woirrwurung) for the 2006 Melbourne International Arts Festival. MURUNDAK is an extraordinary musical event that celebrates music as an instrument of identity, resistance, resilience and a call to freedom. HIDDEN REPUBLIC (2008) continues on where MURUNDAK left off, collaborating with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the pride and respect woven throughout Australian indigenous music.
The Black Arm Band are amongst the most respected names in Australian indigenous music and have included Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Bart Willoughby, Stephen Pigram, Dan Sultan, Peter Rotumah, Kutcha Edwards, Kev Carmody, Mark Atkins, Lou Bennett, Joe Geia and Dave Arden. These artists have been joined by musicians that have added their own unique artistic voices to Indigenous musical history, including Paul Kelly, Shane Howard and John Butler. A blistering backup band features some of Melbourne's finest jazz instrumentalists.
The Black Arm Band has toured to London UK, Cherbourg QLD, Brisbane Festival, Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival and WOMADelaide in 2008, and the 2009 Remote and Regional Tour to Northern Australia begins soon!
Selected press quotes
"[Hidden Republic] was more than just a concert. It was . . . a ritual: a summoning of hope and possibility, a mourning and expiation, a gift of huge spiritual generosity, a Damn Good Time." Theatre Notes, 26/10/08
"...[murundak is] an uplifting experience that said more about black and white solidarity than a million parliamentary speeches." West Australian, 25/2/08
“murundak does not hide or sugar-coat the colder realities found throughout Australia’s history, nor the ongoing issues being tackled by the Indigenous community. Yet it overwhelmingly retains a tone of positivity and hope.†Arts Hub, 24/01/08
“...a massive, inspiring joyful celebration of survival against odds, with a suitably sharp sting in its tail...coming in so close after the departure of the Howard government...it takes on more of the character of a celebration rather than a fight. We have hope.†Australian Stage Online, 23/01/08
“...a sweaty, powerful, uplifting example of why cities and governments invest in festivals.†The Australian Newspaper, 30/10/06
“This gathering of stars and styles was like listening to a gathering of Beaz, Dylan, Judy Collins, Eric Clapton and Odetta.†The Age Newspaper, 30/10/06
“Up on stage at Hamer Hall on Friday night were some of the greatest performers this country can presently boast of, members of what is described as black folk protest, a phenomenon as significant to the national cultural life as Aboriginal art.†The Age Newspaper 30/10/06
“Audiences gave the Black Arm Band a standing ovation on Saturday night…‘Audiences received (the band) so well that you know that something healed, it just did’ Edmunds said.†The Age Newspaper, 30/10/06
There is something about the human imagination endeavoring to give us something extraordinary - something that even cracks the breastbone and gets inside you - that makes the work a privilege to work with, and to sand besides…To me, it’s a joy, actually, to see the audiences who come and make an authentic discovery of something they didn’t know was out there. And that’s why you do a festival.†Kristy Edmunds, quoted in The Australian Newspaper, 30/10/06
“There are no stars here, the 'star' is the music and the stories it tells, the stories of Aboriginal Australians. Catch it if you can, you may never see so much talent together again†Melbourne Stage Online, 29/10/06