A Lajamanu Kind Of Summer

What has this summer got in stall for the North Tanami Band ?

We spoke with Rex Patterson from the band to find out.

This well-respected Northern Territory band comes from Lajamanu, 800kms north-west of Alice Springs. The band is made up of Rex, and his two sons Zack and Matthew, Rex’s brother Hector, Dwayne Gibson and Jarmen Kelly.

This summer Rex and his sons will be enjoying a local summer, engaging in their favourite summer activities of hunting, fishing and swimming.

When it has been raining Rex and his sons hunt for goanna and when it cools off they hunt for turkey and kangaroo. They also like to throw in a line and try their luck for some brim, catfish or barramundi. After a long hot summer’s day they like to cool off at the river or dam.

Food-wise, summer always means plenty of bush banana, tomatoes and berries.

And if a shopping trip is on the cards, the crew will have a nine-hour journey to the big smoke of Darwin or a five to six-hour journey to Katherine, the nearest town.

This summer the band will also be doing some preliminary work on their fourth album, to be released in 2001. Their language is Walpiri, and many of their recordings are sung in this language. It is important for the North Tanami Band to help keep the Walpiri language alive.

The North Tanami Band sing about the land, the law, the culture and the education of kids growing up in today’s society. The band has a reggae/ska sound with a hint of their own brand of Aboriginal rock.

A happy summer to the North Tanami Band of Lajamanu from all of us here at Deadly Vibe.