Carinda Christie to perform at Northern Australian Festival of Arts in Townsville

Carinda Christie, a singer-songwriter from the scenic Atherton Tablelands, is gearing up to bring her raw and relatable storytelling to Townsville’s Northern Australian Festival of Arts for the very first time.

Carinda Christie is playing shows at the upcoming NAFA 2024.

Using her personal experiences as inspiration, singer-songwriter Carinda Christie says she enjoys connecting with audiences through storytelling.

Based in the Atherton Tablelands in the mountains on her cow, ginger and garlic farm, her life revolves around music, family, animals and nature.

With six albums and 30 years performing experience, Ms Christie is excited for her first ever Northern Australian Festival of Arts.

The festival, to be held in Townsville from September 26 to October 13, is an annual celebration of arts and culture.

Ms Christie said her life experiences and location play a big part in her songwriting.

She cites musicians such as Janice Joplin, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Amy Winehouse as big inspirations.

“I write a lot about my life. So if you listen to my songs, you’ll hear about that in my music,” she said.

Carinda Christie is playing shows at the upcoming NAFA 2024.

Performing with a guitar and kickbox, Ms Christie is essentially a one-woman band. Accompanying her on stage at NAFA will be her longtime band member Jason Donnelly, who was born and raised in Townsville and now lives on the Atherton Tablelands.

Creating a connection with the crowd is Ms Christie’s favourite part of performing.

“I love it when I get a great crowd, and I can give all my energy, and I see how it hits people. It’s so great when people come up to me after a show and tell me how much a song meant to them or made them feel a certain way,” she said.

Ms Christie said several of her songs feature hardships she has experienced, including her mother passing away and the loss of twins when she was 21 weeks pregnant.

She said she loves performing at small, intimate venues in regional places.

“I love that I play lots of little venues, I call it ‘collecting people’. I start playing, and a few people come and walk past and stop, and then at the end, the place is packed. I’ve collected them with my vocals and the music that I’m playing,” she said.

“My performance at NAFA will be a majority of originals and me telling a bit of the story about my life. I might throw in a couple of little covers that people will love, too.”

Carinda Christie will perform at the Northern Australian Festival of Arts on September 28 and 29. For tickets and more information visit the NAFA website.

Originally published as Carinda Christie to perform at Northern Australian Festival of Arts in Townsville