Posted on: May 3, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Take some straight up old school soul, some of New York’s most talented musicians and an Australian photographer with an eye-to-die-for. Put them in the world’s most stunning and contrasted country and you have an astounding partnership and some awe-inspiring photographic evidence.

This evidence has been captured in a new photo book titled Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band – in Australia, by Australian born photographer Kisha Bari. The now Brooklyn-based photographer has been a commercial, portrait, fashion and documentary photographer for over ten years.

After a brief meeting with Charles Bradley and the band in Brooklyn 2009, Kisha hit the Australian road with them in late 2010 for a heartfelt musical journey through some of Australia’s most diverse and rugged terrain.

“When I was told that Charles and the boys were touring Australia, I just had to go and capture them all in this landscape,” says Kisha. “I had images in my mind of Charles against the unique red earth of Australia. I had good feeling that the contrast would create some wild and vivid imagery.”

“I have toured with a few bands, but this the most exciting project I have worked on yet,” she continues. “The opportunity to work with such amazing and passionate musicians really was a privilege and I believe it shines through in all of these images. It’s been a real journey.”

At 61 years of age, Brooklyn Soul King, Charles Bradley had never left the United States. He’d never dreamt his music would ever take him anywhere across the oceans, let alone a land as far off and as unknown as Australia.

Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band – in Australia is a 96-page color book available as a limited edition of only 100 books on Daptone Records: http://bit.ly/guc68v

Leave a Comment