Not Drowning, Waving - Malira (Official Audio)

Описание: #notdrowningwaving #malira #davidbridie

'Malira' is taken from Not Drowning, Waving's latest album "Malira".

Buy/listen to Mailra: https://ndw.lnk.to/malira

After a break of over 30 years the Australian ensemble Not Drowning, Waving have re-assembled – initially to celebrate the 35th Anniversary release of the legendary Tabaran album with a series of Concert dates. Joining the band – PNG musician’s who participated in the recording of the Tabaran album – George Telek as well as Pius Wasi & Ben Hakalitz.

During the process an album of new repertoire has taken shape.

“This record started to emerge when we were preparing for a show at the Sydney Festival in January 25” says band lead vocalist David Bridie. “We realised how little we’d actually played together in recent years and so we needed to rehearse the songs from the Tabaran record - although we were happy to find any excuse to play.”

As everyone was spread out around the region, ideas were passed around — played on, shared and shaped — between studios in Rabaul, Moresby, Cairns, Tylden, Naarm and down Gadubanud lands.

“Eventually,” says David “we had created a dozen or so tunes that felt worthy of the Tabaran legacy. Not Tabaran version two but something different.”

That said, Tabaran was a project that forged a lasting friendship between Telek and Not Drowning, Waving frontman David Bridie and it created a unique piece of history between their two countries that has continued to spark many cross-cultural collaborations ever since.
A feature film titled “Abebe, Butterfly Song” tracing that friendship premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2023.

Reflecting a three-decade relationship — more than half their lives — of music, friendship and understanding – it feels right that Malira’s release coincides with 50 years of PNG Independence.
“We hope it reflects the potential of what the relationship between our two countries can be.”

The album line-up includes original NDW members guitarist John Phillips, bassist Rowan McKinnon, Cellist Helen Mountfort, on keyboards and vocals David Bridie and on drums Russel Bradley; and for this record the band also includes long time collaborators George Telek, Pius Wasi and Ben Hakalitz.

Bradley, also a gifted graphic artist, has once again designed the album cover as he has done for the band many times previously. Long time collaborator George Telek features on lead vocals on “Alar”, “Malira”, “Maris”, “A Pir Pir” and “Amarovot”.

"It's really a privilege to be back together again," says Sir George Telek who, together with the musicians of Rabaul, had no idea the Tabaran album would be so successful when it was recorded 35 years ago. For many Australian and international music fans it was their first introduction to Papua New Guinean culture and string band music.

Bridie went on to produce several groundbreaking solo albums for TELEK. The 1997 self-titled album won Best World Music Album at that years ARIA Awards. Telek’s next album Serious Tam was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Bath Recording Studio and released on his Real World label.

When Not Drowning, Waving toured Australia as support act with Talking Heads back in 1992 David Byrne declared Tabaran as his choice of album of the year.

Also contributing to these new tracks are long time collaborators percussionist Ben Hakalitz – a PNG musician based in Cairns who has also been a member of Yothu Yindi and respected and influential PNG musician Pius Wasi.

Backing vocals: Natty Dolaisi, Alice Hurwood, Kirsty Stegwazi, Lisa Wood, Anna Smirk.
Recorded variously at The Donkey Shed (Maering a Lerpean), Andrew Duffield Music,
Andrew McCubbin Field Day Recording Studios, RMIT Studios and Black Label Studio, Kokopo, ENB
Recorded and mixed by Thomas Fenner at the Donkey Shed
Final mixes by Simon Polinski
Mastered by Andy Robinson
Field recordings by John Phillips and David Bridie
Lyrics by George Telek and David Bridie

More from Not Drowning, Waving:   / notdrowningwaving