Outback (group)
Encyclopedia
Outback was a world music
group founded in the late 80s by multi-instrumentalists Graham Wiggins
and Martin Cradick. The group became famous for its fusing of traditional Australian tribal music, represented primarily through Wiggins's didgeridoo
, with modern Western music, mostly Cradick's acoustic guitar. Before the band dissolved in 1992, it had been joined by Senegal
ese Sagar N'Gom, French violinist Paddy Le Mercier
and drummer Ian Campbell
.
. They immediately started a duo and began playing all over England
. Their success allowed them to release a cassette (released under their own names), Didgeridoo and Guitar, which then helped them finance the production of their first album, Baka, named after a pygmy tribe from Cameroon
and released in 1990 on Hannibal Records
.
Their first album meeting international success, the duo was able to add Senegalese Sagar N'Gom with his West African percussions and Ian Campbell on the drums
. The unusual band would only live for a short time though, producing only one second and final album, Dance the Devil Away, where they are were joined by French
fiddle
r Paddy LeMercier.
The band dissolved in 1992. Martin Cradick soon founded with his wife Su Hart
the group Baka Beyond
, which would later be joined by N'Gom and LeMercier. Graham Wiggins on the other hand founded Dr Didg with Ian Campbell and guitarist Mark Revell.
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
group founded in the late 80s by multi-instrumentalists Graham Wiggins
Graham Wiggins
Graham Wiggins is an American musician. He plays the didgeridoo, keyboards, melodica, sampler, and various percussion instruments with his group, the Boston, Massachusetts-based Dr. Didg. He holds a PhD in solid-state physics from Oxford University, where he earned his nickname while testing his...
and Martin Cradick. The group became famous for its fusing of traditional Australian tribal music, represented primarily through Wiggins's didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
, with modern Western music, mostly Cradick's acoustic guitar. Before the band dissolved in 1992, it had been joined by Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese Sagar N'Gom, French violinist Paddy Le Mercier
Paddy Le Mercier
Patrick 'Paddy' Le Mercier is a French violinist who has played in the French folk band Malicorne. He is now a member of Baka Beyond. He also recorded with the Stonehenge band.-External links:* *...
and drummer Ian Campbell
Ian Campbell
Ian or Iain Campbell may refer to:*Iain Campbell, Scottish footballer*Iain Campbell Smith, Australian diplomat, singer/songwriter and comedian*Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll , Scottish Peer and Chief of Clan Campbell...
.
Biography
The core of the group was formed after Cradick and Wiggins met by chance in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. They immediately started a duo and began playing all over England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Their success allowed them to release a cassette (released under their own names), Didgeridoo and Guitar, which then helped them finance the production of their first album, Baka, named after a pygmy tribe from Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and released in 1990 on Hannibal Records
Hannibal Records
Hannibal Records was a record label and one of the first to work with the World music genre.Hannibal was started by Joe Boyd in 1980. Boyd had produced records by artists such as Nick Drake, The Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention and released recordings by these artists as well as...
.
Their first album meeting international success, the duo was able to add Senegalese Sagar N'Gom with his West African percussions and Ian Campbell on the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. The unusual band would only live for a short time though, producing only one second and final album, Dance the Devil Away, where they are were joined by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
r Paddy LeMercier.
The band dissolved in 1992. Martin Cradick soon founded with his wife Su Hart
Su Hart
Su Hart is a musician, living in Bath, UK, and part of the band Baka Beyond. She frequently travels to other countries to pick up musical influences.She organises events based to do with music, all over the world.-External links:**...
the group Baka Beyond
Baka Beyond
Baka Beyond is a world music group formed in 1992 with members from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures, fusing Celtic and other western music styles with traditional Baka music from Cameroon.-Biography:...
, which would later be joined by N'Gom and LeMercier. Graham Wiggins on the other hand founded Dr Didg with Ian Campbell and guitarist Mark Revell.
Members
- Martin Cradick (Guitar, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, darbuka, bendirBendirThe bendir is a frame drum used as a traditional instrument throughout North Africa. Unlike the tambourine, it has no jingles but most often has a snare stretched across its head, which when the drum is struck with the fingers or palm gives the tone a buzzing quality.The bendir is a frame drum...
, luthar, jenguJenguA jengu is a water spirit and deity in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon, particularly the Duala, Bakweri, and related Sawa peoples. Among the Bakweri, the name is liengu...
, ShakerShaker (percussion)The word shaker describes a large number of percussive musical instruments used for creating rhythm in music.They are so called because the method of creating sound involves shaking them—moving them back and forth rather than striking them. Most may also be struck for a greater accent on certain...
) - Graham WigginsGraham WigginsGraham Wiggins is an American musician. He plays the didgeridoo, keyboards, melodica, sampler, and various percussion instruments with his group, the Boston, Massachusetts-based Dr. Didg. He holds a PhD in solid-state physics from Oxford University, where he earned his nickname while testing his...
(Didgeridoo, melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
) - Sagar N'Gom (DjembeDjembeA djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
, mbalaMbalaMbala is Zambia’s most northerly large town and seat of Mbala District, occupying a strategic location close to the border with Tanzania and controlling the southern approaches to Lake Tanganyika, 40 km by road to the north-east, where the port of Mpulungu is located. It had a population of about...
, tamaTama-Religion:* Tama , part of the soul in the Japanese Shinto faith, roughly equivalent to ghost, spirit, or soul* Tama , a votive deposit or ex-voto used in the Eastern Orthodox Churches...
) - Ian Campbell (Drum kit)
- Paddy Le MercierPaddy Le MercierPatrick 'Paddy' Le Mercier is a French violinist who has played in the French folk band Malicorne. He is now a member of Baka Beyond. He also recorded with the Stonehenge band.-External links:* *...
(violin)
Discography
- 19901990 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
: Baka - 19911991 in musicSee also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
: Dance the Devil Away
External links
- Dr Didg official website
- Baka Beyond official website
- [ Outback at www.allmusic.com]