Getting To Know Mitch Tambo
World music star Mitch Tambo has never been afraid to put his spin on some of the biggest songs of our time, and now he’s tackling one of Australia’s most iconic tunes – the Christine Anu classic My Island Home. Here the singer tells us about the joy his music brings and being a girl dad to four daughters.
Since the drop of 'You're the Voice,' how do you feel about it garnering new listeners to learn more about language revitalisation?
At first, I wasn’t sure about covering The Voice, it’s such a big song. However, once it started to be used to highlight the issue of domestic violence, I began thinking about it as that’s a cause I’m passionate about. I’m just so stoked that it’s now had more than 1 million streams on Spotify. I love introducing people to something they might not have heard before. It’s also important to my culture that we keep our traditional languages alive.
Can you describe the feeling of performing in Indigenous language with the audience singing back in English?
In my duet of My Island Home with my wife (Pacifica singer Voice of Lele) I sing my part in language, whilst she sings her part in English. Singing in Gamilaraay means there's only a very small group that may understand what I'm singing about. But whether people sing along to my words or the English words, it’s all good! I love seeing people rock out to my performances. My Island Home is such a well-known song and has such beautiful themes about home and belonging I hope people sing along however they want.
As a creative, how have you found this to affect your mental health and personal life?
When I create and perform, I experience a rush that leaves me feeling alive. I believe living with your purpose is incredibly important. If I were stuck in a job with no space to express my creativity, mentally I think that would be pretty hard. Having said that the music industry is a tough business and I’m thankful that my wonderful wife helps keep me grounded.
What is it like being a dad to four daughters and also being a musician at the same time?
It’s beautiful chaos! I have two teenagers aged 19 and 16 and two young ones aged 8 and 3. So on the one hand I’m dealing with boyfriends and curfews, and on the other I’m still talking about Barbie dolls and bedtimes. As I’m often away performing I’m not as home sometimes as much as I’d like, however I make a big effort to spend time with family whenever I’m back.
Do you have any other projects in the works?
I’ve got some festivals coming up – I’ll be performing at Womin Djeka Balnarring Ngargee Festival in Victoria on March 1. I’ll also be hitting the road again with my Walanbaa Youth Tour for my school performances. Plus, I’ve got something really exciting coming up mid-year but that’s a big secret at the moment!
What stimulates your soul?
I've always been passionate about culture, my identity and where I come from. Being able to share that with people through my music makes my soul incredibly happy.
My Island Home duet is out now on streaming platforms, with My Island Home by Mitch Tambo, My Island Home (Ailan Ples Bilong Mi) by Voice of Lele, and My Island Home (West Papua Mix) available from 7 February 2025.