Skinnyfish Music

Skinnyfish Music
Founded	1999; 26 years ago (1999)
Genre	Indigenous Roots
Country of origin	Australia
Location	Darwin
Official website	www.skinnyfishmusic.com.au

Skinnyfish Music is a Darwin, Australia based independent record label. The label blends traditional Australian First Nations sounds, language, and instrumentation with modern western music genres.

History

Skinnyfish Music was co-founded in 1999 by Mark Grose and Michael Hohnen.[1][2] The label connects remote Indigenous communities to mainstream global music markets[3][4] through business development mentoring, education and promotion.[5]

Skinnyfish undertake extensive community engagement around the production and cultural preservation of First Nations music, through consultation with the musicians, family members and community elders. They also support a model of fostering economic independence in their artists[1] and encourage local music at community events.[6]

In 2009 they struck a deal with Dramatico Entertainment for the Pan-European release of all the label's albums, after the success of "Gurrumul" across Europe [7]

Notable artists associated with Skinnyfish Music

• Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu[8]
• Lonely Boys[4]
• B2M (Bathurst to Melville)
• Saltwater Band
• Mark A Hunter, Songs from the Buffalo Country (2008)[9]
• Nabarlek Band[10]
• Ego Lemos, O Hele Le (2009)
• Wildflower Band
• Manuel Dhurrkay
• June Mills, I'll be the One (2005)[11]
• Mambali Band
• Tom E Lewis
• Dewayne Everettsmith

Community engagement

The label engages with Indigenous communities through touring music groups and artists to festivals, where the main message is of cultural pride, healthy lifestyle education[12] and social change promotion.[1]

The label has also been notable for its championing of fair compensation for artists.[13]

Skinnyfish Music has played a significant role in addressing pressing social issues within remote Indigenous communities.[14][15]

Projects and festivals

• Galiwin'ku Festival - Healthy Lifestyle Festival started in 1998 and was managed by the Ngalkanbuy Health Clinic.[16]
• Barunga Festival - A celebration of remote Indigenous community life, held annually on the Queen's birthday long weekend June in the small community of Barunga.[17]
• Darwin International Jazz & Arts Festival[18] - held on one night in July (the Dinidjanggama heavy dew season) of Garramilla, Gulumoerrgin, Larrakia country[19] Initiatied by Skinnyfish Music in 2023.[20]
• Skinnyfish Sound System - Modern Tribal Late Night Dance Party[21] bringing indigenous musicians from remote Australia to remix their traditional songs to popular beats[22]

Awards and recognition

• 2013 - Grose and Hohnen awarded Australian of the Year for the Northern Territory.[23]
• 2018 - Outstanding Achievement Award, Australian Independent Record Awards.[13]

References

1. "Mark Grose and Michael Hohnen | Australian of the Year". australianoftheyear.org.au. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
2. "About | Skinnyfish". Retrieved 20 October 2024.
3. "Skinnyfish Music - taking an ancient culture to the world". TAG Touring. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
4. "Arnhem Land band share stage with Queens of the Stone Age". ABC News. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
5. "Australian Performing Arts Market". Australian Performing Arts Market. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
6. "Christmas party kicks off Palmerston school holiday program". ABC News. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
7. Tucker, K (23 January 2010). "THE DEAL MAKERS". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 3.
8. "Australian music would not be the same without the National Indigenous Music Awards". ABC News. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
9. ""He encapsulates Old Darwin": the music of Mark A Hunter". ABC listen. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
10. ""The garage band without a garage": The story of Nabarlek". ABC listen. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
11. Barney, Katelyn (2006). "'Women singing up big': the growth of contemporary music recordings by Indigenous Australian women artists". Australian Aboriginal Studies. 1: 50.
12. "Skinnyfish musos and NT remote communities- ackle Covid19 awareness with popular song campaign". NT News.
13. Davies, Brynn (27 July 2018). "AIR Awards winners Skinnyfish and Milk! Records show independent sector is thriving in the face of digital disruption". The Music Network. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
14. "Skinnyfish Music celebrates 20 years of powerful voices". ABC News. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
15. ""They wanted to be role models": The story of Tiwi Islands band B2M". ABC listen. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
16. "Galiwin'ku Festival | Skinnyfish". Retrieved 20 October 2024.
17. "Barunga Festival | Skinnyfish". Retrieved 20 October 2024.
18. "Darwin International Jazz & Arts Festival | Skinnyfish". Retrieved 20 October 2024.
19. "Darwin International Jazz & Arts Festival". City of Darwin | Darwin Council, Northern Territory. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
20. "Darwin International Jazz Festival to feature musicians, artists, cartoonists and music for dogs". NT News. 2023.
21. "Skinnyfish Sound System | triple j Unearthed". www.abc.net.au. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
22. "Skinnyfish Sound System: traditional Aboriginal music gets the electronic treatment". ABC Radio National. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
23. "Recipients By the Year - Australian of the Year". australianoftheyear.org.au. Retrieved 20 October 2024.

External links

• Skinnyfish Music Label