Bush Bands Bash 2021 Mentors
WARREN H WILLIAMS
Warren H Williams is one of Australia’s most prominent Aboriginal singers and is considered a living legend. He has released 10 albums to date. His album 'Desert Water' debuted at #2 on the ARIA Country albums charts, and the first single “Two Ships” spent 6 weeks at #1 on Tamworth Country Radio.
Warren has distinguished himself as a broadcaster, composer, director and performer: a musician of rare and exceptional talent whose craft is rooted in country – Ntaria. He has been nominated for and won a number of prestigious music awards.
SHELLIE MORRIS
Multi-award-winning singer/songwriter Dr Shellie Morris creates music and sings in around 17 Australian Aboriginal languages, preserving and promoting culture.
A celebrated international touring vocalist, feature performer in Black Arm Band and part of the internationally award-winning musical documentary Prison Songs, she is a varied and captivating artist.
JIMBLAH
A triple threat in his own lane, Jimblah is a producer, MC and vocalist hailing from Larrakia Nation in Top End Northern Territory. An important and powerful voice, Jimblah’s music speaks to decolonisation, challenging listeners to consider their privilege and responsibility.
The most striking thing about Jimblah is not his ability to sing, rap and produce beats, it’s the eyebrow-raising fact he does them all so well. His flow alone outshines most MCs, but his tone and singing style are so memorable, so drenched in soul, it’s music for the heart. Then consider his signature dusty, chopped-up melodic productions and you begin to understand Jimblah is truly a special talent.
SOSEFINA FUAMOLI
Sosefina Fuamoli is a Samoan-Australian music journalist, podcast host and content producer.
As a music journalist, she has profiled artists and events across the U.S., Europe and the U.K. while championing Australian music, emerging artists and above all, a more diverse music culture for over ten years.
Currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Sosefina has been working as a freelance writer. Her work can be read in a variety of titles including Rolling Stone Australia, Beat Magazine, triple j, Junkee, Time Out, and The Big Issue Australia; while recent essays and features have also been published by the Australian Music Vault.
JASON BUTCHER
Jason Butcher comes from a small community with a big music legacy. Papunya is around 300 kms out of Alice Springs and was the birthplace of the legendary Warumpi Band.
Jason is a guitarist and founding member of Tjupi Band, Tjupi play energetic and emotive desert reggae. Singing in Luritja (as well as in English), they are the foremost musical inspiration for people across Central Australia. From growing up learning from the members of Warumpi Band, They form part of the new wave of uniquely Indigenous Australian desert reggae; alongside other musical innovators such as Saltwater Band and Letterstick Band.
Tjupi has released albums and toured nationally, as well as the Solomon Islands. Jason has also played in Neil Murray’s band at the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival and more recently at Garma and Gulf Country Festivals in ‘Friends and Family play Songs of Warumpi Band’.
CASII WILLIAMS
Casii Williams is a Western Aranda woman from Ntaria (Hermannsburg) and has featured on MusicNTs Desert Divas Vol I and II, with “How Can I” going to #1 on the AMRAP national radio charts. Cassi has since released a single, “Fallin Down” with SingHum records, is a featured artist on triplej Unearthed and has gone on to mentor with MusicNTs Divas program along with being a member of the Indigenous Women’s Music Program Reference Group.
Over the past couple of years Casii’s performance credits have included Parrtjima Festival, Nannup Festival, Darwin Fringe Festival, Territory Day celebrations, Bass in the Grass and Freedom Day Festival and she was selected as one of three featured NT artists in Foldback Media’s Regional Roots program. Casii has performed at Bush Bands on a number of occasions, was one of the three featured female soloists in 2018 and has been a Bush Bands mentor since 2019.
ANDERS PFEIFFER
Anders is a multi instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and music industry professional, with over 25 years experience of musical collaboration and performance on stage.
Anders teaches guitar, percussion and banjo, and facilitates workshops in song writing, band development and industry skills for all ages. They freelance as a stage, production and tour manager across festivals, communities, theatres and venues.
Anders has composed and performed on multiple productions and recordings of folk, rock, punk, reggae, alt country and musical theatre. They spent 7 years with the ARIA nominated gypsy deathcore band, The Barons of Tang, as a multi instrumentalist and tour manager for multiple national and international tours. Anders currently lives on Arrernte country in Mparntwe and continues to play a wide range of music with a vast array of collaborators.
