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Music is Steve’s calling. He started performing in
1962. Immersing himself in the music of
Macedonia, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey his spirit
opened to the hypnotic rhythms,
improvisation and chanting. Listening to the radio, especially
Bob Dylan, Them, Animals, Rolling
Stones, Manfred Mann and Jimi Hendrix inspired him to search
for the roots of the blues. This
journey took him back to the source - West Africa.
Steve is an “Australian Griot” (Black Routes),
a “Blues Shaman” (West), “One of Australia’s
most
eccentric and powerful singer songwriters” (The Age), “One
of the world’s most unique, original,
creative and fascinating songwriters.” (Glitterhouse-DE),
an "Angry Hippy" (Fly Global Music
Culture-UK). His music is tribal folk blues, gospel and
a cappella field hollers, all of which feature in
his live performances and recordings.
He has lived and performed in the USA, West Africa, Europe
and Asia - supporting some of the biggest names in music
(Bob Dylan,
Van Morrison, BB King, Ben Harper, John Hammond, Eric Clapton
and many others). Steve’s influences and inspirations
include
Leadbelly, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Tim Buckley, Captain
Beefheart, Tom Waits, Blind Willie Johnson, Laura Nyro,
John Lee
Hooker, Hamza El Din, Ali Farke Toure, Van Morrison, Bauls
of Bengal, Howling Wolf and Alan Lomax field recordings.
African, Indian, Haitian and Islamic music have a spiritual
and rhythmic influence on his work.
Three lifelong ambitions came true when he toured India in
1997, Pakistan in 2003 and West Africa (Ghana) in 2005. Explorations
into
Vodou, Tantric Buddhism, Sufism, The Bible, Hinduism, Indigenous
Australian and Native American Indian spirituality have affected
him deeply. Steve is passionate about transcending existing
boundaries of genre, geography, culture and context to produce
a cross
cultural synergy.
Loko is a deeply personal journey exploring the mysteries
of life, love, birth, death, sexuality, spirituality, revelations,
religion,
philosophy, epiphanies and any taboos. The words speak of
the
spirit in a primal search for transcendence, invoking sacred
texts and
healing powers. The music is for people who believe. The
rhythms seek to evoke and conjure spiritual forces. Steve
walks the
tightrope between the sacred, the secular, the divine and
the profane. This music goes to the heart because it comes
from
the heart.
Loko was recorded in five hours, all live, first take. Only
percussion was multi layered.
Steve Tallis is a passionate,
fiercely independent and uncompromising musician. His music
is narcotic, bohemian, seductive,
addictive, provocative and impulsive.
press quotes :
“In a musical milieu that values tradition, he is a
bit of a maverick, a loose cannon, a
highly individual performer with a strong sense of self worth.
I’ve never heard anyone
outside the black music idiom perform a cappella field hollers
with such power and
commitment. Intense, uncompromising.” (Rhythms)
“Trance-inducing spiritual music - as original as Captain
Beefheart or Tom Waits. Part
Buddha, Demon, Mad Angel” (The West)
“Challenging, echoes of Bill Laswell.” (Bucketfull of
Brains - UK)
“A free-falling cross between Tim Buckley and Bob Dylan.
Embodiment of the restless,
independent artist.” (Magnet - USA)
“Transcendental, deeply personal lyrics, ecumenical,
uplifting.” (Saturday
Blues)
“Confronting, sensuous, primeval,anarchistic rhythms.” (Rave) |
