Nali & Friends is the sixth studio album and first children's music album by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released on 12 April 2019.[3] While this is Sultan's first children's album, he has previously collaborated with children's music icons The Wiggles and Play School.

Nali & Friends
Studio album by
Released12 April 2019
StudioRed Moon Studios
Length35:23
LabelABC, Universal Music Australia
ProducerJan Skubiszewski
Dan Sultan chronology
Aviary Takes
(2019)
Nali & Friends
(2019)
Dan Sultan
(2023)
Singles from Nali & Friends
  1. "Nali"
    Released: 19 March 2019[1]
  2. "Bwindi"
    Released: 5 April 2019[2]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, the album won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album.[4]

Background and release

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The album's narrative arc follows the journey of hero character Nali, a baby Arctic bird with a crooked wing, who loses her way flying from the North to the South Pole. Along the way she meets different animals from all around the world, from the jungles of Uganda to the highlands of Borneo and the deserts of Australia. The album was co-written with long-time friend and collaborator, filmmaker Rhys Graham, and the stories were inspired by the pair's journey through Uganda and Kenya working with The Thin Green Line Foundation - an international organisation that provides welfare and support to Wildlife Rangers. It was during this trip that Sultan and Graham had the opportunity to get up close with baby animals and observe their quirky personalities[3][5]

In a statement, Sultan said "It was one of the most rewarding musical experiences I've had to date. I like a lot of different types of music, and what was really refreshing for me was this opportunity to dip into so many musical styles, to represent the various characters' stories. There's everything from calypso to flat out honky-tonk to cinematic ballads with strings Artistically it was very fulfilling."[6]

Production

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The album was produced and engineered by Jan Skubiszewski at Red Moon Studios in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria.

Singles

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On 19 March, Sultan released "Nali" as the album's lead single. The song tells the tale of an Artic tern (Nali), who loses her way flying from the North to the South Pole, meeting animals friends from all around the world along the way.[1]

On 5 April, "Bwindi" was released as the album's second single.

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."The Crooked Wing"1:40
2."Nali"1:56
3."The Green Ocean"1:26
4."Bwindi"2:08
5."The Strong Wind"1:54
6."Tembo"1:59
7."The Wide Blue Ocean"0:54
8."Bobby"2:01
9."The Rain Tree"1:01
10."Camilo the Armadillo"1:41
11."The Misty Mountains"1:18
12."Ya Ya"1:37
13."A Tropical Storm"1:38
14."Putu"2:25
15."The Great Red Land"1:08
16."Gulamana"1:51
17."The Tall Forests"1:36
18."Koomba"2:01
19."The Southern Seas"1:27
20."Macca"1:39
21."The Frozen Land"1:08
22."Nali" (reprise)0:55

Charts

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Chart (2019) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[7] 22

Release history

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Country Date Format Label Catalogue
Australia 12 April 2019 Digital download,[8] CD,[3] streaming ABC, Universal Music Australia 7737149

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Dan Sultan Nali". airit. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  2. ^ "New Music Releases for 5 April 2019". noise11. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Nali & Friends CD". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  4. ^ "ARIA Awards: 2019 ARIA Awards Nominated Artists Revealed". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Dan Sultan Is Releasing A Kids' Album (And He Reckons Adults Will Like It Too)". The Music. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Dan Sultan will release a kids' album called Nali and Friends next month". ABC. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  7. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Nali & Friends by Dan Sultan on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved 4 April 2019.