Hailed by Santana as “The voice of the street and the band of the future!” Blue King Brown, is Australia’s premier 8 piece live urban roots crew. Lead by the multi-talented, relentless energy of Natalie Pa’apa’a; Powerful vocal & lyrical delivery’s meet a dancehall, roots, rock & afro groove mash-up built on an irrepressible percussive foundation.

Their power packed live show is second to none & now world renowned, they’ve played across the planet, through EUROPE, UK, CANADA, USA, & JAPAN rocking crowds from Tokyo to Texas and everywhere in between, Having shared stage and opened for the likes of SANTANA, DAMIAN MARLEY, JULIEN MARLEY, SPEARHEAD, JOHN BUTLER, THE CAT EMPIRE, LAURYN HILL to name a few.

Since their national headline WORLDWIZE tour in mid-2011, Blue King Brown toured the summer festival circuit in North America & Europe [July – August 2011], had two award wins at the National Indigenous Music Awards for their collaboration with  Gurrumul Yunupingu for Song of the Year & NT Film Clip of the Year for ‘Gathu Mawula revisited’ and received AIR & ARIA nominations for Best Blues & Roots Album for WORLDWIZE Pt 1: North & South.

BKB ended 2011 on the stage at Pyramid Rock Festival, and continue to pull large festival audiences. They recently headlined St Kilda Festival & Bleach as well as main stage performances at WOMADelaide and Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012.

Upcoming Blue King Brown tour dates

www.bluekingbrown.com

Purchase Blue King Brown music

Blue King Brown highlights:

Gurrumul & Blue King Brown on Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight

Dan Sultan and band have come a long way since releasing their album Get Out While You Can in 2009. In 2010 dynamic front man Dan Sultan won “ARIA Male Artist of the Year” whilst the album picked up an ARIA gong for “Best Blues & Roots Album”. Dan Sultan and his musical partner Scott Wilson were nominated for the highly prestigious and coveted APRA Breakthrough Songwriters of the Year 2011.

In between special performances and Festival appearances around the country, Dan Sultan and Scott Wilson are currently in the studio working on their follow up album. Fans can expect to hear something new from them later in 2012.

Upcoming Dan Sultan tour dates

www.dansultan.com
Purchase music by Dan Sultan

Dan Sultan highlights:

By projecting fairytales into a modern paradigm Yunyu [a former triple j unearthed winner] takes them far far away from the benign stories we knew as children, corrupting everyone from Alice in Wonderland and Bluebeard to the Pied Piper and Pinocchio. Twisting the stories into songs, Yunyu meshes them with contemporary animation and manga art to give a whole new meaning to Disney on ice.

In this cross-art form collaboration, Yunyu has teamed up with New York Times #1 Best Selling Manga Artist Queenie Chan and leading animators from around the world to give their characters life. Merging live music with cutting edge technology, this innovative show will be brought to you by Yunyu, her five piece band, VJ and designer Imogen Ross.  Twisted Tales will lead you down the yellow brick road to a universe so twisted that you’ll need a trail of breadcrumbs to find your way home.

Touring to Byron Bay, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney throughout May & June, take this opportunity to see Twisted Tales come to life in a totally new way.

Twisted Tales Tour Dates
Thursday 24 May
Buddha Bar, Byron Bay

Friday 25 & Saturday 26 May
Brisbane Powerhouse – Visy Room

Friday 22 June
Revolver, Melbourne

Saturday 30 June
Carriageworks, Sydney

For full booking details and tickets visit: yunyu.com.au

“Yunyu is music anime for genuine pop futurists. Edgy, taut and clever”.
- Nui Te Koha, Sunday Herald Sun

“Really loved this video & song” @neilhimself
– Neil Gaiman

“She’s enigmatic, dramatic and maybe even visionary.”
Nick O’Byrne, AIR, Aus Indies

Twisted Tales has the support from both the pop culture and music industries. It is the first music-manga-animation project to be jointly distributed through Madman Entertainment and MGM and will be episodically released throughout 2012.

Dorothy by Yunyu, first episode of Twisted Tales

www.yunyu.com.au
Youtube.com/yunyumusic
Facebook.com/yunyumusic

YABU – means ‘GOLD’ in the traditional Indigenous language of the Wongutha people.

2009 Most Promising New Act Deadly Award Yabu Band release what is sure to be the sweetest-saddest ballad to hit our airwaves this year [April 27th].

This powerful new single titled Petrol, Paint and Glue is sung in both the English and Wongutha languages and puts a confronting spotlight on the desperation of Indigenous youth affected by substance abuse and it’s impact on Aboriginal families and communities.  The song is an emotional plea for help and sung as seen through the eyes of the songwriter, and simultaneously reflected in the eyes of these children.

From Kalgoorlie WA, Yabu know first-hand what devastation these substances are causing the aboriginal community,  and in particularly the younger generation.

“They are trying to escape the real world, letting it go in the bottom of a plastic bottle or shopping bag. You can see in their eyes, they are empty” explains Delson Stokes [singer/songwriter of Yabu and 1999 NAIDOC Male Youth of the year]. “It’s like a silent killer and it’s important we stop putting it under the carpet and sing it in a way you have hope and have life. I am pleading with them” says Delson, “This song is like a prayer for them to wake up.”

After two years, a highly acclaimed second album [‘Gundulla – We Dance’] and now a brand new single, Yabu are about to hit the road on a tour taking in regional WA, Melbourne and Alice Springs.

The Deadly Award winning group will perform new material from their forthcoming album, ‘My Tjila’ as well as their multi-award winning second album Gundulla.

Touring this May – June, Yabu will be supported by singer songwriter, John Bennett from Bidyadanga community, Kimberly WA.

Yabu Band Tour Dates:
May 17 – Albany
Albany Entertainment Centre

May 18 – Geraldton WA
Queens Park Theatre

May 19 – Fremantle WA
Fly By Night Club

May 20 – Bunbury WA
Bunbury Entertainment Centre

May 23 – Karratha WA
The Walkington Amphitheatre

May 24 – Port Hedland WA
Matt Dann Centre

May 25 – Broome WA
Goolarri Gimme Club

May 26 – Kununurra WA
Barramundi Concert

May 31  – Melbourne VIC
The Royal Melbourne Hotel

June 2 – Alice Springs NT
Monte’s 

www.voiceproductions.com.au
www.myspace.com/yabuband

For over 40,000 years, music has played a fundamental role in Indigenous culture. The National Indigenous Music Awards 2012 [NIMAs] are a celebration of Indigenous music that honours contemporary and traditional artists.

Last year the NIMAs moved from a NT artists only event to a national representation of Indigenous music and the strong response from the rest of the country has ensured the national awards are here to stay. While contemporary man Dan Sultan rocked the show headlining last year’s bill, it was Shellie Morris and the Yanyuwa Song Women’s performance that soothed the soul.

“These awards are becoming more significant every year, it’s a great time for Indigenous talent to gain recognition for their efforts. Artists and their management should use this as an opportunity that is knocking on their door right now”, Shellie Morris (pictured) – singer/songwriter (Best Female Musician 2004 & 2005 NT Music Awards).

Dubbed ‘The Blackfella ARIAs’, nominations are now open for the public to nominate musicians in the national categories of Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and New Talent of the Year. NT Artists will continue to be celebrated and nominations are also open for School Band, Cover Art, DVD/Film Clip, Traditional Music and G.R. Burarrawanga Memorial Awards.

In an indication that the Awards will continue to evolve and grow to be the country’s leading music awards for Indigenous music,  Mark Pope (ARIA Awards Producer 2001 – 2011) visited Darwin in January 2012 to offer strategic input to the event organisers. “The awards are becoming as important to our industry as the ARIAs. Every Indigenous act in Australia should be nominated for the NIMAs”, Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment.

Culminating in a spectacular awards ceremony in Darwin on Saturday August 11, 2012 this will be a celebration of Indigenous music past and present. The NIMAs recognise excellence, dedication, innovation and outstanding contribution to the Indigenous Music Industry.

Nominations are now open for the general public via nima.musicnt.com.au

Nominations Close: COB  Friday 29 June 2012

The National Indigenous Music Awards are presented in partnership with MusicNT and the NT Government.

For more information visit: nima.musicnt.com.au / musicnt.com.au

National Indigenous Music Awards 2011 highlights:

National Indigenous Music Awards coverage on ABC, August 2011

Darwin Festival 2012: 9 – 26 August

Darwin Festival has become the premier Top End arts event with a program that is distinctly flavoured with Indigenous, Asian and multicultural events. Held over 18 days in August during the dry season, the Festival boasts an eclectic and colourful program encompassing theatre, music, dance, visual arts, comedy, film, workshops, and free events in tropical, outdoor venues.

AUM PR has been the publicity team behind Darwin Festival since 2006 with the aim to promote the event to the Darwin community as well as to travellers and interstate visitors alike.

UPDATE: March 30, 2012
Whilst the official program for this year’s Darwin Festival remains tightly under wraps, incoming Artistic Director, Edwina Lunn, is thrilled to reveal that contemporary music icon and Country Superstar, Kenny Rogers, is performing on this year’s calendar.

Edwina says “I am very excited that Kenny Rogers is a part of our Darwin Festival program and that we are contributing to the historical stories I’ve heard of music greats performing here – Bob Dylan, Elton John, Cliff Richard, Charlie Pride, Dire Straits, Joe Cocker and others.   This awesome family concert under the stars with Kenny Rogers, is a once-in-a-lifetime event and in the perfect location.”

The multi-Grammy legend of studio, stage and screen will perform a swag of hits with his band on Saturday 18 August at the George Brown Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre.  Kenny is also a keen photographer (he has published three books and photographed five Presidents) and views Darwin as a highlight on the 2012 tour of Australia.

The first artist to chart hits in each of the last six decades, Kenny has recorded 24 #1 singles and more than 65 albums (20 Platinum), sold over 125 million albums and released 120 romantic ballads,
hell-hole heart breakers and contemporary classic singles.
Kenny’s universal appeal and sincere ownership of great songs have made him one of the most awarded and respected artists in the industry.

Kenny Rogers at Darwin Festival, Saturday 18 August, 2012
For more information and online bookings www.darwinfestival.org.au // Full program out 27 June 2012

Darwin Festival 2011 highlights:

Presented by Tura New Music & Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Reef is a new multi media performance inspired by the rugged surf and tough desert landscape of the Ningaloo Coast is coming to Darwin for the world wide premiere on July 5, 2012.

Experience a concert program of virtuosity celebrating the sheer wonder of the Australian landscape and soul. Tura New Music and the Australian Chamber Orchestra have joined forces with Indigenous artists Mark Atkins and Steve Pigram to create a tour to Northern and Western Australia like no other.

The Reef evolved as the best way to allow as many people in regional and remote Northern Territory Western Australia to experience the power of Australia’s leading violinist Richard Tognetti, the ACO and ACO2 combined with original film and imagery created by Jon Frank and Mick Sowry showcasing surfing legend Derek Hynd.

The Reef is a soaring world class orchestra, earthy didgeridoo and vocals with evocative land and sea filmed projection creating a spellbinding event.

The Reef tour dates:
July 5 – Darwin Entertainment Centre

July 7 – Kununurra Ivanhoe Farms

July 11 – Broome Cable Beach Amphitheatre

July 12 – Port Hedland, Matt Dann Cultural Centre

July 14 – Carnarvon, Camel Lane Theatre

July 15 – Geraldton  Queens Park theatre

July 18 – Perth Concert Hall

July 23 – Sydney Opera House

Full details: reeftour.tura.com.au

Do you want more publicity and media coverage for your business?

AUM is offering an engaging Publicity and Online Marketing Workshop for local business, arts and lifestyle practitioners in Byron Bay. A limited number of participants ensures you will gain practical skills for you to manage your own media strategies from one of the top niche PR companies in Australia.

At this workshop you will gain:

• A solid understanding of how the media works and thinks
• The confidence to liaise with the media directly
• The fundamentals of writing a successful media release
• Practical tips to build your online presence using your website, social media & Google
• Tips for your first (or next) PR strategy

For more information and our upcoming workshop dates, visit the Workshops page.

From his significant win at the age of 16 on “Australia’s Got Talent” and more recently hailed as “Best New Talent” by Guitar Player Magazine USA Reader’s Poll, Joe Robinson has been knocking people out with his guitar skills for almost half his life.

Joe Robinson is truly a virtuoso musician. His jaw dropping instrumental stylings have garnered the attention of the public worldwide, as well as many guitar masters. At a young age Joe has played headline shows in major cities all over the globe – including London, New York, Helsinki, Budapest, Sydney, Berlin, Milan, Vienna, Bangkok, Rome, Tokyo and Amsterdam.

Joe began playing guitar as a youth – growing up in the Australian bush. Learning mainly from Youtube, the young prodigy soon began playing and touring with many of the top names in the Australian music industry.  The release of his 2005 debut CD Birdseed led to an invitation for the then fourteen year old to perform in Nashville, TN with one of his guitar idols, Tommy Emmanuel.  It was this trip which brought him to the attention of Grammy Award winning producer Frank Rogers, who would produce his next outing Time Jumpin, released through ABC / Universal in May 2009.  Shortly before the recording of this project, Joe performed on ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ in 2008 and ended up winning the Grand Final to widespread critical acclaim.

Most recently Joe released ‘Let Me Introduce You’ in early 2012. His first foray into singing as well as guitar, this was warmly received by the Australian and American public. Never one to rest on his laurels, Joe is back in the studio in his Nashville home. We’re certain that even more ears will be tuning in to hear what this young talent does next.

www.joerobinson.com

Joe Robinson highlights:

Be prepared to be blown away!
Sydney & Melbourne – April 2012

His name is synonymous with funky music, his pedigree impeccable; his band – the tightest little funk orchestra on earth are heading back to Australia after his celebrated tour of 2008.

Everyone knows by now that Maceo has played with each and every leader of funk: his start with James Brown, which Maceo describes as “like being at University” ; jumping aboard the mothership with George Clinton and those various and colourful incarnations of Parliament and Funkadelic; stretching out with Bootsy’s Rubber Band. He’s the living, breathing pulse that connects the history of funk in one golden thread: the cipher that unravels dance music down to its core.

In fact, ever since JB coined that phrase: “Maceo – I want you to blow!!” Maceo Parker has been enjoying a blistering solo career, blowing that famous sax funk sound across the globe. He’s building a new funk empire, fresh and stylistically diverse as he navigates deftly between James Brown’s 1960’s soul and George Clinton’s 1970’s freaky funk while exploring mellower jazz and the grooves of hip-hop.

His collaborations over the years performing or recording or both have included Ray Charles, Ani DiFranco, James Taylor, De La Soul, Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. His timeless sound has brought him a new, fresh, young fan base.

It’s almost impossible to tell which came first, Maceo or The Funk!!!

Maceo Parker Tour Details – Bluesfest Sideshows 2012
Wednesday 11 April 2012, Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 12 April 2012, Corner Hotel Melbourne
Tickets: www.cornerhotel.com

Friday 13 April 2012, The Basement, Sydney
Saturday 14 April 2012. The Basement, Sydney
Tickets: www.thebasement.com.au // 02 9251 2797

www.maceo.com  //   www.bluesfesttouring.com