Above: Warumpi Band in 1981. From left: Gordon Butcher, Neil Murray, Sammy Butcher, Dennis Minor and George Burarrwanga. (Photo: Warner Music)
Something special tonight for “music night” at The Wild Reed . . . It’s the 1987 music video for the Warumpi Band song, “My Island Home.”
The Warumpi Band, which takes its name from the Honey Ant Dreaming site near Papunya in the Northern Territory, developed a unique style of rock music. In 1983, the band members wrote, recorded and released the first rock song in an Aboriginal language, “Jailanguru Pakarnu” (“Out of Jail”). It was voted one of the top ten recordings in the National Film and Sound Archive’s listings, Sounds of Australia, in 2007.
About “My Island Home,” Wikipedia notes the following.
“My Island Home” is a rock song written by Neil Murray for George Burarrwanga. It was originally performed by the Warumpi Band [of which both Murray and Burarrwanga were members]. The song references lead singer Burarrwanga’s home up at Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It was recorded in 1986 and released as a single from their second album, Go Bush!, in January 1987.
It was covered by Christine Anu in 1995; she had been a backing vocalist in Neil Murray and The Rainmakers during 1992–1993.
“My Island Home” won “Song of the Year” at the 1995 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Awards for Anu’s reworked version of the song. It was also listed in the APRA Top 30 Australian songs of all time in 2001.
Related Off-site Links:
Warumpi Band’s Trail-blazing Legacy: “We Just Wanted to Give Our Music to Everybody” – Andrew Stafford (The Guardian, November 19, 2021).
The Origins of Aboriginal Rock Legends the Warumpi Band – ABC Listen (December 27, 2021).
Big Name No Blankets Review – Warumpi Band Musical Is a Joyous, Rollicking Tribute – Cassie Tongue (The Guardian, January 11, 2024).
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Celebrating Mabo
• Recognising and Honoring Australia’s First Naturalists
• Australian Indigenous Culture and the Reality of LGBTI Lives
• Jojo Zaho: “Let Your Faboriginality Shine Through”
• Prayer of the Week – November 14, 2012
• Spirit Dreams
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