Isaac Yamma (1940 – January 1990), also spelt Yama, was a country singer from

Central Australia Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and ...

. He is the father of Frank Yamma.

Early life

Isaac Yamma was a

Pitjantjatjara The Pitjantjatjara (; or ) are an Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert near Uluru. They are closely related to the Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra and their languages are, to a large extent, mutually intelligible (all are v ...

man who was born by a waterhole near Docker River ( Kaltukatjara) in 1940.

Career

Yamma started his musical career as a member of Areyonga Desert Tigers. He later performed with his band the Pitjantjatjara Country Band, a band made up of his sons Hector, Frank, Peter, and Paul, and his cousin Russell Yamma. His song were mostly sung in

. He was also a radio host on

CAAMA The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) is an organisation founded in 1980 to expose Aboriginal music and culture to the rest of Australia. It started with 8KIN-FM, the first Aboriginal radio station in the country. Based in ...

Radio 8KIN FM.

Death

Yamma died in January 1990.

Discography

Albums

*''Isaac Yama and the Pitjantjatjara Country Band'' (1987) – CAAMA *''Isaac Yama and the Pitjantjatjara Country Band No.2'' (1987) – CAAMA

Compilations

*''Papal Concert, Alice Springs'' (1982) –

Imparja Imparja Television (IMP) is an independent Australian television station servicing over , across six states and territories of Australia, states and territories: Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Aust ...

*''Desert Songs 1'' (1982) – CAAMA *''Desert Songs 2'' (1983) – CAAMA *''From the Bush'' (1990) – CAAMA *''AIDS: How Could I Know'' (1989) – CAAMA *''25th Anniversary Compilation 2'' (2006) – CAAMA

References

* * *

External links

Isaac Yama and the Pitjantjatjara Country Band No. 2
1987 (cassette cover) 1940 births 1990 deaths Indigenous Australian musicians Australian male songwriters Musicians from the Northern Territory 20th-century Australian guitarists 20th-century Australian male singers Australian male guitarists {{Australia-singer-stub