Andrew Gurruwiwi Band will be performing in Cairns for the very first time at Tanks Art Centre this Saturday.
The Band has hit the road and is playing festivals and shows across the east coast this year - including in Gimuy at the Tanks Arts Centre.
Led by Gurruwiwi - a Yolngu Elder with a passion to make people dance while sharing his culture - the Band is a high-energy, eight-piece funk band who have honed their chops on the beach at Birrtjimi and in the dirt of Yirrkala, a remote NT community in northeast Arnhem Land.
Together the Band write real funk jams in their native tongue, Yolngu Matha. Their sound is truly fresh - Yolngu Funk - a style only hinted at previously on the impossible-to-find pair of 7-inches cut by George Rrurrambu & Birdwave, that now go for hundreds of dollars on Discogs.
In 2023 the band performed their dynamic live show to VIVID Sydney, Garrmalang, Parrtjima, PFFF, Golden Plains Festivals where they captivated crowds, having audience members instantly on their feet dancing. In 2023 the band was also granted the APRA/AMCOS Professional Developmental Award.
Andrew Gurruwiwi Band performing at a previous gig. (Image: Instagram @andrewgurruwiwiband)
After having released their debut album, 'Sing Your Own Song', in July 2024, the bands popularity has grown. Described as an album laden with infectious grooves and impressive musicianship, the band strived to fill the album with nothing but feel-good tunes. Gurruwiwi's influences are also wider than the Arafura Sea – among his inspirations are the rhythms of Africa, Jamaica, India, Mexico, blues, rock and flamenco.
The band features Andrew Minyapa Gurruwiwi, Dion Marimunuk Gurruwiwi, PJ White, Andrew Grimes, Alex Bukulaitjpi, Gathapurru Munuŋgurr, and Vadim Just-Constant.
When speaking to Gurruwiwi on the bands upcoming performance at Tanks Art Centre, the talented musician said he is looking forward to perform with his band for the first time in Cairns.
"Can't wait to go on the trip with my band. It's the first time for us to play in Cairns, we're very excited to be there, and especially to be playing at Tanks. We really want to connect with our Indigenous families over there, to share our and our stories and songlines through the music," Gurruwiwi told Style Up.
"We've had such a great start to the year, a lot of touring. We played Illawarra Folk Festival, St Kilda Festival, WOMADelaide, and we just got home from our first international tour to the Marshall Islands, which was so much fun. The band is sounding really powerful, and we can't wait to play for you at the Tanks. Yo Manymak."
Andrew Gurruwiwi Band will perform at Tanks Art Centre on the 3rd of May, 2025.
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