| Description |
In the land of Tjilpis (Elders) and Tjurkupa (Dreaming) a new voice is rising deep from the heart of the desert country of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands of Central Australia.
In the searing summer heat in a dilapidated building in a remote desert community a band practises.
This is their land, their home and their country.
They call themselves IWANTJA, the Indigenous language name for their community, Indulkana, about five hours drive from Alice Springs past camels, cattle, burned out car bodies and not much more.
Despite the negative stories in the press about Indigenous communities, these wati,(men), have a dream of bringing their music and story to the world. This is the story of barefoot footy, aboriginal rock and desert reggae unseen by the hoards of tourists en route to Uluru. A story made from countless hours spent driving the complex networks of sand tracks between SA, WA and the NT; on unending dirt roads in Toyota Troop
Carriers packed with dusty guitars, bush mechanic amps and whatever equipment the band can muster.
Sleeping, yarning, laughing the hours away through big sky country, wrangling some dollars for the next roadhouse feed and dodging all manner of humbug to their next gig in another remote community, far away in many ways from the outside world, greeted by swarms of countrymen, kids and cheeky-dogs wherever they play.
They are the bad boys and the leaders of the choir. Their blend of raw desert guitar rock with vocal harmonies from the Top End creates energetic dance displays from the famous desert hip-shakers on the dusty dance floors of Central Australian aboriginal communities.
IWANTJA is not just a band, but an extended family, a web of relationships from the old people to the toddlers, from cowboy-hat wearing uncles to tobacco chewing aunties, proud dads and beanie wearing mums, wild cousins, brothers, sisters, kids and kin.
They have seen their lands colonised, families destroyed and generations stolen but regardless they say, “PALYA!” offering an invitation to walk with them, in their world, and not just listen to their story but to become a part of it. IWANTJA provides a view to the oldest living culture in the world through the eyes of young men, just discovering the ways that we have taken for granted since our grandparents’ time.
Mark Smerdon & Patrick McCloskey |
