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Warumpi Band
The Warumpi Band is one of Australia's pioneering
aboriginal rock bands.
Neil
Murray was raised on a farm in western Victoria. In 1980 he travelled to
the Northern Territory to discover the 'real' Australia. He worked as a
teacher and supply truck driver in support of the growing outstation
movement West of Alice Springs, in particular the remote Western Desert
Aborigine communities of Papunya and Kintore. For himself Neil Murray
bought a guitar and an amplifier.
At the
Papunya community, 260 kilometres west of Alice Springs, Neil met Sammy
Butcher and his brother Gordon and together with other interested young
men, they pooled their resources and formed a band to play vintage rock and
roll. In 1981 George Djilaynga
arrived from Elcho Island in the Top End to step into the lead vocal slot
for what had become the Warumpi Band. The band's
name derives from the honey-ant dreaming site located near the Papunya
Settlement. By 1982 the band was touring the Northern Territory and West
Australian Kimberley region and developing their original music, indigenous
country music rooted in American rock and roll. In late 1983 they released
the first rock track in an Aboriginal language (Luritja),
entitled 'Jailanguru Pakarnu'
(out from jail). Neil Murray was Warumpi's only
white member.
Their
activities and music reached the ears of Midnight Oil and in 1984 Warumpi's debut album 'Big Name No Blankets' was
released on the Oils' Powderworks label. The band
performed in the major cities promoting the album to much critical acclaim.
In 1985 the band toured nationally as well as in Papua New Guinea, the
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In July 1985 Midnight Oil, inspired by the Warumpi's outback touring, embarked on a month long
tour of Aboriginal communities. In the Northern Territory, Warumpi Band accompanied them, and then at the end of
the tour the Butcher brothers left and were replaced. The new Warumpi line-up recorded the band's second album, 'Go
Bush', which included a rerecorded 'Jailanguru Pakarnu' and the single 'My Island Home' popularly
believed to be a song about Australia. It written by Neil Murray in reference
to Warumpi lead singer George’s
home up at Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern
Territory. In 1995 Christine Anu would record a
version pf ‘My Island Home’ which would earn Neil
Murray the APRA Songwriter Of The Year award.
From mid
1987-1992 Warumpi took a break while the band's
aboriginal members honored family commitments.
Neil Murray used the time to launch his solo recording and performing
career. In 1995 the Warumpi Band embarked on a
six-week Europe performing in Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland, Italy
and the UK. On their return they were inspired to record a third album,
'Too Much Humbug'.
From now
on the Warumpi band remained a casual affair, the
odd gig or mini-tour whenever band members felt the whim, until October
2000 when Neil Murray officially retired from the Warumpi
Band. Neil's final performance with the band was at Broome's Stompem Ground Festival on October 13th.
George Rurrambu continued to perform as a solo artist, and
released an album. In 2007, he returned to his "Island Home" at
Elcho Island in the Eastern Arnhem Region off the Northern Territory when
he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on June 10, 2007, for cultural
reasons now referred to as George Burrarrawanga.
Former Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett described him one of the world's
best performers. Sammy Butcher remains heavily involved with a recording
studio in Alice Springs, bringing the opportunity to record to outback
youth. He has also recorded an album of instrumental guitar songs.
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