Caiti Baker is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, harmony arranger, and vocal engineer.

Early life and education

Caiti Baker is from

Darwin, Northern Territory Darwin ( Larrakia: ') is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. The city has nearly 53% of the Northern Territory's population, with 139,902 at the 2021 census. It is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly of the Australi ...

. Her father is a blues musician, and Baker was raised on

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

rock & roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

, and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

and developed a love for R&B and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

in her adolescence. At the age of 12, Baker was given an 8-track digital recorder and she learnt how to write and record songs. Baker says she was inspired by the like

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

, Big Mamma Thornton,

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

and

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

Music career

2009-2014: Sietta

From 2009, Baker and James Mangohig (AKA Kuya James) formed the duo ''Sietta''. Sietta released two studio albums, two extended plays, touring nationally and internationally before splitting in 2014.

2015-2019: Solo work and ''Zinc''

In 2015, Baker signed to Perambulator Records in Darwin. In mid-2015, Baker toured with and supported Dr. G Yunupingu on his The Gospel Album Tour. In 2016, Baker featured the A.B. Original track "Dead in a Minute" before releasing her debut single "Heavy On My Heart" in August 2016. Baker released her debut studio album ''Zinc'' in October 2017 which received 4 Star reviews from Rolling Stone, The Music and the Weekend Australian. ''Zinc'' was Album of the Week on Double J and ABC Darwin and came in at number 44 in Double J's Top 50 Albums of 2017. In that same year, Baker was awarded Northern Territory Best Live Voice of the Year at the

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are annual Australian music awards, established by Heath Media in 2016. They were preceded by the AU Live Music Awards in the previous two years. The awards are given in categories that recognise the best ...

and performed at festivals,

BIGSOUND Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestri ...

, and

WOMADelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of music, arts and dance in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is an event that presents a diverse selection of music from artists around th ...

. In 2018 Baker continued her national tour, which culminated with the release of the B6 project, a collection of songs that serve as an accompaniment to her debut album ''Zinc''. The 3-track EP titled ''B6'' was digitally released, featuring songs left over from ''Zinc''. The AIR Awards ceremony in that same year, included performances from BAD//DREEMS, Baker Boy, Alex the Astronaut, Fanny Lumsden, Stella Donnelly and Caiti Baker. The NT Song of the Year in the Blues and Roots category was awarded to Baker in 2018 with "I Won't Sleep" by Caiti Baker, Greg Baker, James Mangohig, and Michael Hohnen. Baker was awarded Best Live Voice of the NT in the

. Baker released an AIR Award-winning 2019 EP, ''Dust (Part 1)'' and performed at Bluesfest in the same year, she said of Bluesfest, "I kinda grew up at that festival."

2020

The single "Worth It" was released on 8 March 2020,

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

, and was the title track to the podcast ''Birds Eye View'', recorded in collaboration with women in the

Darwin Correctional Centre Darwin Correctional Centre is a minimum-to-maximum security prison approximately by road from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It is managed by Northern Territory Correctional Services, which falls under the territory’s Department of ...

, shining a light inside the prison walls. The podcast went on to win the award for best Australian podcast of the year at the Australian Podcast Awards 2020. Baker produced a live collective show called "The Settle Down Sisters" (six artists) which was performed at the

Darwin Entertainment Centre The Darwin Entertainment Centre is the city's main concert venue and hosts theatre and orchestral performances in Darwin, Australia. The centre is located in the Heart of Darwin's central business district. The Darwin Symphony Orchestra regular ...

and supported

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon Barnes ( Swan; born 28 April 1956) is an Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music a ...

. The Settle Down Sisters is a collective of women from a diverse range of backgrounds in the NT coming together with the common thread of voice, empowerment, laughter, and food. On 19 June 2020, Baker released ''Mary of the North''. Baker dedicated the album to the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

and its unique characters. The album was produced by James Mangohig and featured the single "Carry", a re-recording of the Sietta track "Carry You". Baker said of the album she, "was inspired by the amazing humans that make up my community here in the NT, I want listeners to hear the textures, colours and tones that make this place the incredibly unique and interesting home that it is to many." Despite so many live performances being cancelled in the year 2020 owing to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Aust ...

, including Baker's national tour with

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

, Caiti performed a once only set (twice) with guest musicians from Perth and longtime collaborator, James Mangohig at Nannup Music Festival in February. Caiti was an

artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

on ABC Radio's Double J, In September, Kuya James released an 80s-inspired music video entitled "Rewind Our Love" featuring Caiti Baker & Serina Pech. ''Dust (Part 1)'' won Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP Release in the

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...

. Baker featured on, produced, an vocal engineered on "Wirrimu" with Manuel Dhurrkay and "Buddy's Lullaby" with Noni Eather as part of the ABC's children's album, ''The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies From Northern Australia''.

2021

At the end of January 2021, Baker released "She's Cruel (Acoustic Version) eat. Ben Edgar. In May 2021 Baker travelled interstate for her first post-pandemic performance at the Gold Coast festival Blues on Broadbeach. "Worth it" made number 10 in the "Territory Sounds Countdown 2021" and Baker donated some of the royalties "to the Women of Worth initiative, helping prisoners and ex-prisoners in the community". As part of the

Darwin International Film Festival Darwin may refer to: Common meanings * Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and writer, best known as the originator of the theory of biological evolution by natural selection * Darwin, Northern Territory, a capital city in Australia, ...

, Baker's music video for "Gone", which was directed in 2019 by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, was awarded Best Music Video in the 3rd Capricornia Film Awards.

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. , - ,

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, ''Zinc'' , Best Independent Blues and Roots Album , , - ,

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, ''The Dust (Pt. 1)'' , Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP ,

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. , - ,

, Caiti Baker for

Gurrumul Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (22 January 1971 – 25 July 2017), commonly known as Gurrumul and also referred to since his death as Dr G. Yunupingu, was a Yolŋu Aboriginal Australian musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he played drums, keyboards ...

– '' Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow)'' , Best Cover Art , , -

National Indigenous Music Awards

The

National Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...

(NIMA) is an annual award ceremony and recognises excellence, dedication, innovation and outstanding contribution to the

music industry. , - ,

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, "Dead in a Minute" (A.B. Original featuring Caiti Baker) , Song of the Year , , -

National Live Music Awards

The

(NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia. ! , - , rowspan="2" ,

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, rowspan="2" , Caiti Baker , Live R&B or Soul Act of the Year , , rowspan="2" , , - , Northern Territory Live Voice of the Year , , - , rowspan="3" ,

, rowspan="3" , Caiti Baker , Live Voice of the Year , , rowspan="3" , , - , Live R&B or Soul Act of the Year , , - , Northern Territory Live Voice of the Year , , - ,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, Caiti Baker , Live R&B or Soul Act of the Year , , , - ,

, Caiti Baker , Northern Territory Live Act of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2" ,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, Caiti Baker , Best Live Act in the NT , , rowspan="2" , , - , Caiti Baker , Best Live Voice in the NT ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Caiti Indigenous Australian musicians Living people ARIA Award winners Year of birth missing (living people) Australian women singer-songwriters 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters