“I told my school’s careers counsellor that I wanted to be a park ranger when I left school,” Bomba says. “I’d been playing music since I was six years old, every weekend with my family. But it wasn’t until I was about 16 that I got to the point where I had to ask myself, ‘Do I actually want to do this?’ I was really into electronics at that time and I absolutely loved playing soccer, so it was a big decision.”
Could Bomba have been the next Steve Jobs? We may never know, but he assures us he made the right choice: “What to do in the future was constantly on my mind, but one day I thought, ‘No more. I’m going to pursue music.’ So I up and left school to head out on tour and finished up Year 11 by correspondence. I wrote my first song on that tour,” he says proudly, “and my musical journey started there.”
Fast forward roughly 35 years and the experience of this intrepid traveller can be heard in every note of Bustamento’s new album Intercontinental Journal 7, out now through his own label, with buddy Joe Camilleri, Transmitter Records. “This record was made to celebrate all the different sounds and sights we’d experienced over the last 12 months travelling the world together. There are seven of us in the band now, and we wanted to hear a journal of our travels through live music. That’s why we chose that title,” Bomba explains.
The eclectic feel of the 11 songs, co-written by the band and co-produced by acclaimed Melbourne producer Robin Mai (John Butler Trio, Augie March, Blue King Brown), showcases Bustamento’s passion for calypso, mento, early reggae and ska music, while cementing their place as one of Australia’s premier touring acts. “There were no rules during the making of this album, we all agreed to have fun and to celebrate our friendship.”
To truly appreciate Bomba’s infectious personality, you have to hear him in action. Music is more than a day job for him, it’s a part of his soul. “When you play music, you’re tapping into something else and sometimes it’s like, ‘Wow, this is beyond any cognitive or scientific explanation.’ I feel like I’m connected to something bigger than myself, and music is the portal for me.
“I like the idea that I can’t really put my finger on it, because that’s the magic, the beauty and the mystery of it.”
During our chat, Bomba would sporadically play a tune on his ukulele, and even with the crude acoustics of the phone line, it sounded rather special. “The ukulele is a beautiful way to start the day,” he says, before describing his delight at the prospect of bringing Bustamento’s vibrant show to the Williamstown RSL and the Caravan Music Club. “We thrive in more acoustically ambient situations, so these venues are going to be tailor-made for us,” Bomba says. “When it’s a bit more intimate like that, it’s a lot more fun.
“When we feel comfortable, relaxed and natural – a lot of funny things come out. Sometimes, I think we joke around too much. Honestly, I love the connection you can have meeting someone for the first time. When you’re finding out about them, they’re finding out about you and the common language is music, it’s a beautiful thing.”
BY NATALIE ROGERS
