AFRO DIZZI ACT A DIFFERENT DRUM Nick Aggs enthusiasm is genuinely infectious. A veteran of the Brisbane music scene, he still finds both inspiration and reward in the simple act of crafting a song. "When we toured North East India and Nepal a few times, it was very interesting for us. You learn about yourself, you learn about different cultures, it's awesome," says Nick. "I actually got a text a few weeks ago from a friend living in India saying he was talking to a percussionist who plays in North East India and the percussionist was still raving about when we were touring in 2003. Now three to four years on he still sees us as being a big inspiration. That is wonderful." Afro Dizzi Act's second album, 'Walkin', documents the group's epic journey throughout North East India. As Nick points out, collaborating with newest addition, master kora player Jali Buba, has given the group a richer sound, one infused with world influences. "A lot of people have asked 'how would you describe your music?' and we have often been described as being fairly eclectic, with elements of different styles," Nick explains. "We eventually arrived at 'World Beats' as being a way to describe our sound. I guess you could say it's beat driven music, which is influenced by music from all over the world." Over the past 18 months, the different members of Afro Dizzi have all dabbled in various side projects; something Nick feels has shaped the creative vision of the new album. "It only contributes to our overall sound," he says. "We are one of these bands that see it as being a really positive thing to go off and explore individually and sometimes we branch off in pairs or threes to do different projects. Usually what we learn from those projects has a positive impact on Afro Dizzi Act. One way to maintain a creative band, to keep it fresh and exciting, is to take other things on." "The best part of my job, I would have to say, is the experience of making music, the actual act of music making, being on stage, surrounded by people you really care about and simply producing sound. Just being part of that phenomena is truly a blessing." Michelle Holme Afro Dizzi Act are launching their new album, 'Walkin', with a series of shows. They'll be performing at the Sound Lounge (Gold Coast) on Friday March 16, The Zoo on Saturday March 17, Sol Bar on Sunday 18 and Monday 19. back to top ^

BACK TO ARCHIVED INTERVIEWS