LOCAL ukulele groups the Minimbah Magic, the Devil’s Pinch CWA (Certified Wellness Ambassadors), and the dotty duo The Wild Women of Armidale have been invited to perform at the Brisbane Ukulele Festival in September.
These entertaining ensembles from Armidale and Uralla have been attracting quite a bit of attention, their low decibel picking and strumming wafting through local markets, as well as the region’s major events.
Minimbah Magic is a dynamic young band who play everything from groovy old surfie tunes to contemporary indigenous rap and funky organic ballads.
This year they have also begun writing their own very cool songs describing their culture and school values.
In recent months, this gifted group of students has performed at community events, including Frog Dreaming Landcare, Reconciliation Week, Sorry Day, NAIDOC Week, Reclaim the Night, Healthy Relationships, Community Health Awareness and many more.
They receive so many requests they cannot play at all of them, or risk missing out on school altogether.
Armidale’s Minimbah Aboriginal Primary School was first introduced to ukulele in mid-2012 and now the program involves all students in their four senior years of primary school.
As well as having fun with instrumental pieces, these talented students learn songs recorded by Aboriginal artists that build their knowledge of culture and history.
The Brisbane Ukulele Festival will be Minimbah Magic’s first experience of performing at a national event and they are looking forward to it with great excitement.
To help fund their accommodation costs at the Brisbane Youth Hostel, they will be busking in the Armidale Mall over the next few weeks.
They hope that generous local people will support them by throwing a few dollars in their hat or leaving a donations for them at Black Dot Music.
Any person or group wishing to sponsor a child with a $50 or $99 donation can contact their ukulele teacher Cathy Welsford on 0417 657 411, email: cathywelsford@bigpond.com or the Minimbah Primary School principal Caroline Briggs on (02) 6772 4853.
