Iain Campbell Smith - ?Australia?s answer to Billy Bragg? March 26, 2006

IOTA
Iain Campbell Smith CD Release of "Bagarap Empires:
Sunday 26 March, 2006
8? 10 pm
2832 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 522-8340
Tickets: $10
Website: http://www.iotaclubandcafe.com/

?Australia?s answer to Billy Bragg? -- Tracy Hefferman, BMA Magazine

Bagarap Empires, Iain Campbell Smith's North American debut CD, won the Screensound Australia Award for Best New CD Release. Bagarap Empires (pron. Buggerup) comprises twelve clean-cut ballads, some in English and some in Melanesian pidgen, telling stories of humour, dignity and
compassion relating to the troubled recent history of Papua New Guinea and the Solomons. Iain became something of a celebrity on Papua New Guinea hosting his own weekly radio program and working with local musicians to release 20,000 copies of a cassette of peace songs in Melanesian
pidgin. The album was produced by Peter Best, the man responsible for soundtracks to a number of major Australian films including Crocodile Dundee. It features contributions from a number of luminaries from the Australian music scene including some delicate piano work from David Bridie composer of the soundtrack to the The Myth of Fingerprints. The songs range in style from blues to pure folk balladry and are all characterized by crisp narrative-driven lyrics and clear melody. The radio track ?Blue Guitar? is a rambling Dylanesque blues ballad describing the chaos and comedy of the Solomon Islands following a coup d?etat. ?Radio Bougainville? is a joyous radio jingle sung in pidgin language that Smith wrote for a local radio station on which he hosted a weekly radio program called ?Satedi Nite Pati?.