Mambali are a nine-piece band from Numbulwar, in the Northern Territory a remote coastal community on the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Chris Jaeger from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) had a yarn with Bradley Bara, one of Mambali’s frontmen, to find out more about their music.
The band formed in late 2008 and have been performing at festivals around the Northern Territory since. They started off when the members were all teenagers, with the members jamming together after school.
The group called themselves Mambali after the name of a tribe based in Numbulwar.
For their single Yuwani, which was released earlier this year, Mambali collaborated with fellow Indigenous Australian musician Emily Wurramara.
Growing up, Bradley Bara by local band Yilila, who used to do workshops in schools and teach kids to play music. Mambali is also inspired by Yothu Yindi, who were able to blend Aboriginal Australia’s 60,000 year old culture with contemporary music.
Mambali have just been nominated for the Live Act of the Year award and the Northern Territory Music Awards, something Bradley Bara and the rest of the band are very excited about.
Performing live is important to the band; they love traveling around the Northern Territory and playing in different communities and at different festivals.
Mambali are hoping to release their debut album in mid-2020. Most of the music has been recorded at a small bush studio in Numbulwar and the songs have now been sent off for mixing.
They are hoping to tour nationally off the back of the album. Music is the way Mambali keep their first language Nunggubuyu alive. Through music the band carries and represents their culture.
For their single Yuwani, which was released earlier this year, Mambali collaborated with fellow Indigenous Australian musician Emily Wurramara. The band and Emily are connected through family, songline and ceremony.
Bradley Bara says that collaborating musically was a way for the cultures of Numbulwar and Groote Eylandt to combine in a powerful way.
