King Kadu
King Kadu
is originally from Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait,
Ricardo Idagi (King Kadu) has been living on the mainland, in Melbourne,
for the past five years. A prominent Australian Indigenous musician in
Melbourne, Kadu has performed at the Melbourne International Festival,
the Bless Your Big Black Arts Festival and Brunswick Music Festival.
King Kadu’s performance is inspired by his ancestors and the recent
history of the Torres Strait, incorporating authentic Merian music and
traditional instruments such as the Warup - a traditional drum, and the
Gor - a rattle made of seeds.
His performance is a journey of song and dance from pre-European contact
to the influences on the community of the music from the 1920’s
til ’50’s. Kadu’s work documents Meryam international
kinship ties and includes working songs of the pearling and fishing industries.
The stories and songs continue today – snapshots of contemporary
Australian Murray Islander life.
Kadu performs with his uncles, whose island melodies contribute to the
authenticity of the Murray Island song experience. Former Tiddas singer
songwriter, Lou Bennett features on the recently released CD (Listen To
My Drum) and is available to join Kadu on tour.
Kadu’s music blends and overflows with different musical genres
ranging from the ragtime style of JuJu Jive to the funky rhythms of Taybobo.
Mixing traditional chants with melodic guitar and piano accordion creates
a world music style yet to be discovered.
An acclaimed and prominent Torres Strait Islander visual artist, Ricardo’s
artworks have been acquired by the National Galleries of Australia and
Victoria and are included in many private collections. He has been exhibited
at the Linden Gallery, Span Gallery, the Koori Heritage Trust and at many
overseas locations.
