You can almost smell the coconuts and pineapples in the air when Bobby takes the stage with his groove-heavy six-piece band. With ukulele in hand, Bobby delivers a catchy, joyful concoction of songs blending sounds of island flavour, soul-reggae and a soothing splash of pop. Combining a blueprint of his roots – a Polynesian heritage and years of international touring – Bobby’s music satisfies both chilled and dance-happy followers.
With six years of touring and performing as a drummer and percussionist around Australia, New Zealand and Canada with OKA, Kooii, Saritah, Nicky Bomba and Mista Savona, to name a few, he brings a wealth of experience to the solo project he has always nurtured.
Within just over a year of inception, Bobby Alu and his charismatic band have been busy with performances at Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Island Vibe Festival and Australian World Music Expo, as well as support slots for Aussie heavyweights The Beautiful Girls and Blue King Brown. Since then, they recorded a live video for One to Wait and the recent follow-up single Take It or Leave It has been sweeping the airwaves in conjunction with a solid east-coast tour, and more recording is underway…
This weekend you can see Bobby live and you can expect a mix-tape offering a therapeutic dose of reggae rhythms and roots with a distinctive Pacific influence, world beats, ukulele, log drumming, and tantalising percussion solos. The fresh tunes and smooth vocals serve up a sweet summer vibe enhanced by the tight rhythm section delivering deep grooves and a contagious blissful ambience. Strongly fused by world flavours, the sound is influenced by the likes of Bob Marley, Ben Harper, Bill Withers, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Finley Quay. Simply put, Bobby Alu’s playful ‘feel-good’ approach creates an environment to feel joy and see the beauty of life.
Check him out at the Currumbin SoundLounge on Friday.
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