World Environment Day

World Environment Day Fundraiser 

Come Along to an evening of fine Music, Food and Friends at Olive Pink Botanic Garden on Saturday the 5th of June. The Event will begin at 5; 30 pm and feature Neil Murray supported by Minority Sun and Drumatweme. 

 Tickets are available through Araluen for $25 or $30 on the gate, with all procedes going towards the Gardens.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil Murray  

 Be prepared for an extended ride into the nether regions picking off shots from a repertoire that stretches back three decades plus a showcase of cuts from his  new album ‘Witness’   

 “At a basic level, everything I write is a result of what I’ve seen, heard and felt. I aim to be clear. I aim to be accurate. The songs are my testimony.”  Murray first appeared in the early eighties as a founding member of the Warumpi Band, which over three albums and twenty years of performing helped make contemporary indigenous music heard in mainstream Australia and yielded such classic songs as ‘Blackfella Whitefella’ and “My Island Home”-( the 1995 APRA song of the year that was performed by Christine Anu at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics). 

  He is one of Australia’s most original and respected songwriters and has enjoyed a solo career since 1989 which has seen him release ten albums. His song writing palette is broadfrom the rollicking ‘Good Light in Broome’, the prayerful ‘Native Born’, the busking roots of ‘Long Grass Band’ and the journeyman monologue ‘Lights of Hay.’ Collectively his work describes an inner landscape to the heart and soul of Australia. 

 

 

 

 

 

Minority Sun

 You can feel yourself bouncing along a red dirt highway from Alice Springs to the homelands with their uplifting songs of love and life in the desert. Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Shaun Penangke is a local Arrernte man from Ayampe country located 70 kms north of Mpantwua (Alice Springs) He’s backed-up by talented musicians and haunting support vocals in songs that range in style from rootsy, laid-back rock to reggae and hip hop.

 The message is about celebrating and gaining strength in a contemporary world from an unbreakable connection to country and family. “I’m picturing grandfather, I’m picturing soakages, I’m picturing family and hunting grounds and sacred sites,” says Angeles. “We are also singing about social issues and other things that have hurt our people in the past and now. They’re hard lyrics but true. 
“We’re saying: be proud of culture, be proud to be Aboriginal, be proud of your grandfather’s and grandmother’s country. Be strong.”

 Minority Sun includes Galen Cole on keyboards, lead guitar and vocals, Dale Egan on bass, Jason Ramp on drums and Kenni-Anne Iles on vocals. The band has had a name change for cultural reasons since debuting in Alice just 6 months ago.
Under old name or new they are invariably greeted with rousing enthusiasm and are going from strength to strength with every gig. Minority Sun is fresh, talented and determined to be heard. 

 

 

 

 

 

Drum Atweme

Drum Atweme is a drumming group made up of young people from town camps in Alice Springs. The group was established in 2004 and has about 30 core performers, with another 100 students participating in drumming lessons each week. Almost all public events in Alice Springs and many conferences held in Alice Springs include a performance by this popular group. 

 The Drum Atweme group engages young people from Town Camps in Alice Springs, who often experience boredom, depression, low self confidence and exposure to violence and substance abuse. This project enables young people to be part of a positive and publicly popular activity. This has strong benefits in enabling the young people to realize that they can achieve public recognition for their abilities and talents.