Joe Geia
Joe Geia | |
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Birth name | Joseph Benjamin Geia |
Born | 1959 (age 64–65) Ingham, Queensland, Australia |
Origin | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
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Years active | 1977–present |
Website | joegeia |
Joseph Benjamin Geia (born 1959) is an
Biography
Joe Geia was born in 1959 in
Geia is a composer, guitarist, singer and didgeridoo player and has been recognised as one of the most influential figures in the development of contemporary Indigenous music. In the late 1970s he was a member of a Kuku Yalanji dance troupe. He moved to Adelaide to attend the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) at the University of Adelaide.[2]
While at CASM he joined the Aboriginal band, No Fixed Address, in 1982 providing vocals, percussion and didgeridoo.[3][4] As a member of the group he was recorded on their studio album, From My Eyes (August 1982).[3] Geia left in mid-1983 to live in Sydney where he formed a reggae band, Nya Nunga.[3][4]
In 1985 he disbanded Nya Nunga and relocated to Melbourne where he formed Prince Nayh and the Slaves of Sin with Peter Camm on guitar, Chris Coyne on saxophone, Barry Denik on bass guitar, Rob Dixon on keyboards, Steve Hewitt on trumpet, Des McKenna on drums (ex-Lavidia Sage), John Petros on guitar, and Koori Brother William on vocals.
Geia was granted $90,000 by the
Geia has been cited as an important influence by almost every Aboriginal musician to achieve prominence since that time. He has worked with many other Australian musicians including a long-term close relationship with ARIA award-winning Tasmanian band Wild Pumpkins at Midnight, who often appeared as his backing band in various combinations. In 1995 Geia toured Europe with members of Wild Pumpkins under the name Joe Geia and the Black Snake Orchestra. They performed in Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. In 1996 he was a guest vocalist on the song "Pretty Valley," based on the oral history of a massacre of tribal people in New South Wales. Produced by Tony Cohen, it featured on the Wild Pumpkins' album Sad Trees, released by Way Over There, 1996. Wild Pumpkins guitarist Nick Larkins has been a regular member of Geia's live band since 1995, and contributed to his most recent album.
Geia released a second album, Tribal Journey, in 1996, through Larrikin/
Stylistically Geia's songs fit the category of
Discography
Albums
Title | Details |
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Yil Lull |
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Tribal Journey |
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Nunga, Koori & Murri Love |
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References
- ^ 107.9 ABC Ballarat (Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC)). Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the originalon 16 May 2003.
- ^ a b c McFarlane, 'No Fixed Address' entry. Archived from the original on 9 August 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Australian Rock Database entries:
- Joe Geia: – Holmgren, Magnus. "Joe Geia". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- No Fixed Address (1982–83): – Holmgren, Magnus. "No Fixed Address". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- Shane Howard and Friends (1986–87), Shane Howard Band (1987–88, 1991): – Holmgren, Magnus; Pertout, Alex. "Shane Howard". hem.passagen.se. Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'Shane Howard' entry. Archived from the original on 23 August 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "State Library of Victoria: Joe Geia's Uncle Willie Tour picture"
- ^ National Library of Australia: Nunga, Koori & a Murri love – Joe Geia
External links
- Official website
- The Age: With pride and defiance, 14 October 2006