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Ripple Effect Band: the all-female rock group singing in a language spoken by about 50 people

Playing a saltwater blend of reggae and blues, Ripple Effect Band are the first all-female group from Maningrida, Arnhem Land, where music is traditionally a male pursuit

The band’s origins stretch back to the early 2000s, when Jodie Kell, a Balanda (white person), began teaching music at Maningrida’s local high school. Their debut album, Mayawa (which means “down the beach”), was released this September and tells stories of community and family – from a cyclone that devastated Maningrida in 2006 to remembrances for loved ones who have died. Maningrida has been supportive of Ripple Effect Band; the group performed at the local AFL grand final event last year, where a women’s team competed for the first time.

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