Sand Tracks 2015 – Tjintu Desert Band and Rayella
In 2015 Sand Tracks toured headliner act Tjintu Desert Band and emerging band Rayella. Tjintu Desert Band was the first band to complete the Sand Tracks cycle.
In 2008, Tjintu Desert Band (then known as Sunshine Reggae Band) was invited to attend Bush Band Business in the Northern Territory. They were selected as the emerging band to support Narbalek on the 2011 Sand Tracks tour. Four years later, they returned as the headline band for the 2015 tour.
Tjintu Desert Band on stage in Alice Springs Bush Bands Bash for the first show of Sand Tracks 2015. Picture by Carla Steele.
Rayella was chosen through Bush Bands Bash as the emerging band for the Sand Tracks tour. Delivering beautiful performances Rayella gained new and enthusiastic fans at every performance.
Over the 20-day tour the two bands travelled 5,018km, visiting 4 communities in 3 states to play for a total audience of 4,100 people, plus delivering 8 workshops to 105 participants. The tour employed 10 artists and 4 crew.
Shows were locally presented in Alice Springs by MusicNT, Amata by the Amata Community Council, Warakurna by the Warakurna Community Council and Warburton (Mirlirrtjarra) by Wilurarra Creative and Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku.
“Daisy Ward who works at the school and is a senior woman in Warakurna came up and hugged me saying it was the best event ever!”
– Mark Smerdon, Tour Manager
“Thank you for this concert. I really needed a good time and that is what we had tonight.”
– Warakurna audience member
The Warakurna crowd goes wild for Sand Tracks. Picture by Mark Smerdon.
