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This is an Australian track.
About 20 years ago Jason Burns returned to Australia after a decade and a half first driving Peugeot 404s across the Sahara and selling them to become taxis, then toiling as a subsistence farmer and raising two children while studying under kora masters in West Africa. Once back in Australia, he began meeting with friends to play music and drink Palm Wine.
Bringing instruments and musical styles from afar and blending them with home culture is reminiscent of the cross-pollination that occurred during the slave trade and gave rise to ‘Palm Wine Music’ in West Africa many years ago. This loose knit group of Aussie musician mates became known as the Palm Wine Ambassadors.
As Jason is quick to point out, the practise of fermenting palm sap into an alcoholic beverage within the trunk of palm plants is not unique to Africa, but is practised in tropical climates worldwide. Similarly the Palm Wine Ambassadors draw musical inspiration from personal experience in many parts of the world. Despite their broad palette of influences there is no pretence to play anything other than Australian music.
About 5 years ago The Palm Wine Ambassadors’ first album was released.
Australian promoters, music industry media and entrepreneurs were typically slow to appreciate what was happening, but the Palm Winos continued to meet, drink and play regardless. They caught the attention of three new members: Multi-lingual vocalist, lyricist, saxophonist and stylist Chris Chandler, Guitarist, producer Azo Bell, and his son, music technologist engineer and kit drummer Josh Bell.
In 2017 they began work on a second album, released in March 2017