Main River Band is one of the Kimberley region’s most popular groups writing songs that describe the love for their country, people and families. Based in the remote Girriyoowa community nearly two hours east of Fitzroy Crossing, the band doesn’t have ready access to the professional recording studios that are thousands of kilometres away in Darwin or Perth.
Like other much-loved local artists Billard Boyz and Cliffside Reggae, Main River Band had an album ready to go, but nowhere to record it. With CBF support, these musicians gathered in Fitzroy Crossing for five days where Pilbara and Kimberley Aboriginal Media (PAKAM) music engineer Billy Jo Shoveller recorded ten tracks.
The collection is being shared on remote community radio via the PAKAM Radio network and on Indigitube, Soundcloud and ICTV. Songs that reflect life in the north-west of Western Australia are not usually played on radio stations or networks. This music can now be heard across the region and further afield.
“The PAKAM network prides itself on supporting our local remote community artists, who have limited recording opportunities, to produce and distribute their music”. – Neil Turner, PAKAM
Watch Main River Band’s Yiyili
The Main River Band recording session was funded through a CBF Content grant in 2019. We run two Content grant rounds each year, usually in January and July. You can check when our next grant round is open on the key dates page.
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Photo: members of Main River Band