A favourite Manawatū singer is returning this weekend with some original material that references life growing up in Palmerston North.
Tura ‘Bullfrog’ Rata began his blues career as a busker in the 1980s and has become one of New Zealand’s best known blues performers.
“Struck by an ambulance at four years old’ is the opening line of Botanical Road, a song that promises to feature in this weekend’s set at Hokowhitu Bowling Club.
Botanical Road is a song from his new album ‘One Fine Day’, described as an eclectic mix of ska and rock tunes with an underlying blues feel throughout.
He said he will play songs from the new album as well as his previous album ‘Chasing the Gazelle’, alongside a bunch of newer yet-to-be-recorded tunes.
These days Bullfrog Rata is based in Wellington and said he’s been busy writing the new material. He said the new album is very much a solo project, but with contributions from many musical friends.
Blues master Bullfrog Rata. Photo / Ronald Laing
He laughed when he revealed there might be one guitar solo in the whole performance - but why hog the stage when the shows promises to feature, trumpet, saxophones, trombone, harmonica, keyboards - even cello?
Cuba Express features Patrick Bleakely on double bass, Geoff Culverwell on trumpet and Abe Bailey on drums. Bleakely and Culverwell both feature prominently on the new album.
Geoff Culverwell is known for being a prolific musician.
Bent Horseshoe’s Steve Tolley said the show will be a “lively and danceable night of fandango and frippery” and that he and Bullfrong Rata go way back.
“Bullfrog was our first official band way back when we had the Cafe at Tokomaru in 2008 and infact we go back a lot longer than that. He has always been a great supporter of us and we of him,” he said.
Bent Horseshoe Cafe had a big following in Tokomaru, which continued when gigs moved to the Hokowhitu Bowling Club in 2018.
“This will be the first time he will play this material in Palmerston North. He will be bringing a great band with some of the best musicians from Wellington.”
Selected songs from Bullfrog Rata’s latest CD will be released as singles on all major streaming platforms over the next few months.
