Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, “Wata Maewi”

Keep the fire burning this winter with the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band from Yirrkala, NT.

The powerhouse group is led by Andrew Gurruwiwi, a keytar-wielding Yolngu elder who bears the title, and follows in the footsteps of music icons such as Yothu Yindi and, more recently, indie rocker King Stingray with their modern Aboriginal music sung predominantly in the local language.

Their long-awaited debut album Sing your own songreleased this month, is bursting with lively rhythms and joyful melodies that celebrate their culture.

With an impressive international lineup that includes the horn section of New Zealand dub fusionists Sub-Tribe, West Africa-raised guitar master Moussa Diakite, bassist Stu Kellaway of Yothu Yindi, American violinist QVLN and guitar wizard Frances Diatschenko (Gurrumul/The Sheikhs), Gurruwiwi and his co-producers – multi-instrumentalist Julian Belbachir and guitarist Andrew Grimes – have created infectious grooves that will sweep you along, with the poignant opener “Wata Mäwi” being its highlight.

“Wata Mäwi”, permeated with reggae grooves, owes its name to an old Gälpu song tradition that tells the origins and journey of the west wind.

“It’s about making our own sound, our own music,” says Gurruwiwi. “Every time we play music, we listen to the big sound – and then we change it. We do it differently. In a different style. Whether it’s bass, keyboard, guitar or bongo, we change it until we have the right beat, the right rhythm. Our sound.”

Grimes adds: “To get to a point where we’re releasing this body of work where every song is so different, but you can tell it’s from the same band – we love that. It’s our own work and we’re very proud of it. In our hearts we knew the answer was down this path, by going our own way. Singing our own song.”

To bring their music to their far-flung fans, the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band has tour dates lined up from July to August, including appearances at the Gatjirrk Festival, Bak’bididi Festival and Yidiyi Festival. Stay up to date with their tour dates via the band’s social media.

“Wata Mäwi” and “Sing Your Own Song” by the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band are now available.