About Us
A DYNAMITE FORCE IN WORLD MUSIC
“The intensity of the drums combined with the poetics of dance and martial arts was irresistible. The Rhythm Hunters shone and inspired.”
Australian Stage Online
Rhythm Hunters blend sounds from Indonesia, Japan, Africa and modern day Australia to provide cutting edge physical percussion, didgeridoo, Western horns, Asian flute, deep grooves and ethereal soundscapes that mesmerize and captivate. Credentials include main-stage performances at Woodford Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Peat’s Ridge, The Dreaming, National Multicultural Festival, Cygnet Folk Festival, Island Vibe, and Mullumbimby Music Festival.
For special events Rhythm Hunters have performed at venues including Parliament House Canberra, Sydney Town Hall, Crown Casino Melbourne, Dalton House, Government House, The Hilton, Luna Park, The Domain for Sydney’s annual Carols in the Domain as well as being featured nationally on Channel 7’s Sunrise Show.
Rhythm Hunters is like no other group delivering a visual fusion of new approaches to drumming, indigenous songs, sharp melodic breaks with strong influences from the shamanic traditions of Sumatra, Indonesia. Of Acehenese heritage, group leader Rendra Freestone has developed Taiko drumming alongside the shamanic Sufi-like traditions of Indonesia into a show that has been wowing audiences nationwide.
Rhythm Hunters has, power, pizzaz, funk, innovation and hard old school discipline which is being delicately channeled into their irresistible sound and Sweet Indo-Pacific Grooves.
Meet The Hunters
Rendra Freestone
Bass, Percussion, Vocals
Rose Callaghan
Drumkit, Vocals
Luke Fabila
Uke, Percussion, MPC, Drumkit, Vocals
Matthew Lee
Saxophone, Flute, Backing Vocals
Niq Reefman
Trumpet, Backing Vocals
Emily-Rose Sarkova
Keys, Synth, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Abby Constable
Percussion, Backing Vocals
Marina Da Silva
Percussion, Xylophone, Backing Vocals
Artistic inspiration stems from the dream of celebrated multi-instrumentalist Rendra Freestone to create a self-sustaining world music
group that fuses the stateliness of Japanese Taiko drumming with the mystery of indigenous folk music from
the little-known Islamic provinces of West Sumatra and Aceh, Indonesia.