Rhythm Nation

Biography

Infectious rhythm, worldly lyrics and impassioned musicianship are just the beginning for any Rhythm Nation performance. From Lisbon to Cairns, Dili to Port Louis, Rhythm Nation draws upon a wealth of international musical culture to bring you a melting pot of reggae, samba, funk, salsa, East Timorese folksong and African dance music.

Rhythm Nation is the product of Melbourne’s communal musical scene – at its heart lies the reggae experience of Paulo Almeida (The Dili Allstars), the rock charisma of Colin Badger (Painters and Dockers), and the fiery ardor of songstress Deline Briscoe (The Briscoe Sisters). East Timorese vocalist Almeida is the voice of Rhythm Nation, soaring and weaving through the music in a mixture of English, Portuguese and Tetum, a product of his life experience living in several different countries during his homeland’s occupation by Indonesia.

“The band is more than the sum of its parts, though,” says Almeida. “It’s about having a good time, having a dance, and enjoying the global mixture of music that we’ve found here in Melbourne.”