Bobby Alu is a Samoan-Australian musician and singer-songwriter.[3] Alu's mother is from Falealili, Samoa, and his father is from Australia.[4][5] He began learning ukelele at age six, and has played drums professionally with Xavier Rudd.[1] Bobby Alu has released four studio albums since 2010.
Bobby Alu | |
|---|---|
 Bobby Alu performing in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Robert Fa'agalu Wall[1] |
| Genres | Tropical folk[2] |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Website | bobbyalu |
Career
editBobby Alu released his eponymous debut album in 2010, and his second album Take It Slow (produced by Paulie Bromley[6]) in 2013.[3] In 2019 Alu released his third album, Flow, which The Australian called "upbeat and uplifting",[7][2] and which Australian radio station Double J included on their list of the 50 best albums of 2019.[8] During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 Alu regularly sang with his mother Foloi. Together they recorded an EP of folk songs sung in Samoan, which was released as Samoa Silasila in 2022.[9]
Keep It Tropical, Alu's fourth album, was released in May 2024.[10] It was described by Songlines magazine as "nothing too demanding, just a finger-tapping sway in a sun-drenched musical hammock."[1] The album charted at #3 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart.[11]
Bobby Alu was nominated for Best International Pacific Artist at the 2019 Pacific Music Awards.[12] Flow was nominated for an Australian Independent Record Award in 2020.[13]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Bobby Alu (2010)
- Take It Slow (2013)
- Flow (2019)
- Keep It Tropical (2024)
Extended plays
edit- Samoa Silasila (2022)
Singles
edit- "Keep It Tropical" (April 2024)[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c Seth Jordan, "Keep It Tropical (review)", Songlines, no. 201 (October 2024), p. 62, ISSN 1464-8113, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ a b "Cold Chisel's ninth album 'Blood Moon': all killer, no filler", The Australian, 2019-12-06, archived from the original on 2023-11-23
- ^ a b "Music is a direct line to the soul for Samoan-Australian musician Bobby Alu", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2023-11-07, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ "Enjoy two live songs by Samoan-Australian musician Bobby Alu and his mum Foloi", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2024-02-27, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ "Pacific Profile: Bobby Alu", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2019-06-03, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ "Bobby Alu wants to Take It Slow", Byron Shire Echo, 2013-09-20, retrieved 2024-11-04
- ^ Dan Condon (2019-10-20), "Bobby Alu – Flow", Double J, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ Dorothy Markek (2019-12-03), "The 50 best albums of 2019", Double J, retrieved 2024-11-03
- ^ "Bobby Alu explores his Samoan heritage by making an album with his mum", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2022-06-10, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ Ewelina Cender Korpak (2024-05-03), "Bobby Alu – Keep It Tropical", CityGuide Rhein-Neckar (in German), retrieved 2024-11-03
- ^ "ARIA Top 209 Australian Albums for week of 13 May 2024", ARIA, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ "2019 Pacific Music Awards Nominees", Pacific Music Awards, retrieved 2024-11-02
- ^ Jasper Bruce (2020-09-01), "Female artists lead nominations for 2020 AIR awards", NME, retrieved 2024-11-04
- ^ Aastik Bairagi (2024-04-06), "Bobby Alu Announces New Album 'Keep It Tropical'", Music Feeds, retrieved 2024-11-03