Northern Territory celebrates new music initiatives

The Northern Territory will this month host its Music NT-organised event, the Original Recipe festival.

Between June 21-28, the event will see 200 artists playing 60 gigs in 35 venues. At the same time, there are scores of other events. These include the NT Song of the Year Awards (June 28), the Hot Shots photo exhibition at the Darwin Entertainment Centre, Secret Recipe workshops, and Alice Springs Songwriters Collective Day (June 22).

Three launches mark the week-long celebrations – the Original Blend program where customers can buy a NT track with their coffee at Eva’s Botanic Gardens Café, the June 27 opening of the Chippo music venue with a hip hop special, and CAAMA Music Snapshot III in Alice Springs on June 21.

"The diversity and size of the Original Recipe program demonstrates the strength of the contemporary music scene in the NT,” said MusicNT Executive Director Mark Smith. “It is the biggest music festival in the Territory and the response we’ve had just goes to show that the NT demands more opportunities and support for local music.”