“I grew up with reggae,” Almeida begins. “When I arrived in Australia from East Timor I met a lot of different instrumentalists. I’ve got the guitarist, Colin [Badger], who used to play with Painters and Dockers, I met up with him and introduced him to a lot of reggae and he introduced to me a lot of the rock elements. From that point, I tried to introduce a lot of the Brazilian/Latin pieces. If you were to put me in a corner and ask, ‘What type of music do you play?’ I couldn’t tell you,” he says. “It’s good for festivals – when people come to see us, it’s not the one kind of style we play, you know a bit of reggae or funk or the Brazilian… universal stuff that will make people move.”
Despite the band aiming to create what Almeida describes as uplifting music, the root of the band’s connections comes from a darker, political vein.
“I met up with our guitarist, Colin, when I arrived here in ‘85, I was only 11 or so,” he begins. “I started getting into music here when I was 18… It’s a long story but the brother of the front man from Colin’s band, Painters and Dockers, was actually one of the five journalists killed in East Timor back in 1975. Through that whole East Timor connection, I met all these amazing musicians along the way – meeting Colin and getting together with a bunch of other artists including indigenous artists from the Black Arm Band.”
“Outside of that connection, we do have a couple of traditional East Timorese elements,” he continues. “[We’re] making the music more uplifting and dance-y to help get everyone involved while trying to teach the people how to do the cultural dances, incorporating East Timorese folk dancing with a fusion of a reggae feel.”
Sol Nation have managed to keep busy since they first stated touring in 2009. Working their way around Australia at council-run events, Sol Nation have seen their touring take them to unexpected new territories including playing in New Caledonia in 2012, and with a new EP being released in April, the band have also secured a support slot with Michael Franti and Spearhead in Bendigo around the same time.
“2012 we also played in the Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve which was crazy,” Almeida says. “We’ve been doing those kinds of festivals as its more family and all-ages orientated, but it’s the people at the shows. The reason we play the music is that it makes us feel good when you’re on stage and you see people at the front, in the crowd, and everyone’s happy and having a dance. It’s what keeps me going. Movement is a universal language.”
And in regards to the band’s expectations for the Frankston Waterfront Festival?
“It’s the first time the band’s gonna be playing up that way in Frankston,” he says. “Since the kind of music we play relates to all kinds of ages, everyone will have a good time out in the sun, enjoying the music, having a dance – the whole experience, it’s uplifting.”
BY THOMAS BRAND
