Speed Date with Rufino From Rufino And The Coconuts

We like to shake your bones with a touch of dark voodoo magic and throbbing tribal beats. But we’re definitely up for good times, dancing in the sunshine and the moonlight – seductive melodies lilting from our voices, synthesisers or melodicas. We’re fond of a good story; tales of Caribbean dentists, jungle misadventures, cray fishing and near-death-love-making. We love an adventure but are wary of cannibals and evil tropical spirits due to former heartbreak. We carry baggage, but they are pretty nice old stylish suitcases.

2.Keeping Busy

I’m one-fifth of theatrical supergroup Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen, so much of this year has been songwriting and performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. The Coconuts have still managed to delve into their debut record recording – which is sounding superb – as well as doing shows in Sydney for Sydney Festival and Canberra for the Art, Not Apart festival.

3.Best Gig Ever

Well, there was that amazing show on the beach in Trinidad with Eddy Grant and Rita Marley, but we were deported afterwards, so best not relive that too closely. More recently, our packed midnight show at the Spiegeltent at the end of Sydney Festival this year was pretty hard to beat – an amazing mix of fine peoples from the arts and music fans all getting deeply possessed by the music of The Coconuts!

4.Current Playlist

I’ve been having a bit of a love affair with early-’00s groove hip-pop at the moment – Missy Elliot, Snoop and Pharrell, Busta Rhymes… there was something special in those grooves, and you hear them coming back. More recently, last year’s SBTRKT and Jungle records are close to The Coconuts’ heart.

5.Your Ultimate Rider

Most importantly, we will require one coco macaque (a Haitian magic stick for warding off the evil spirits – the stick can also go off on any last-minute errands by itself); one live chicken; the blood of a young goat; a circle of whitened stones; enough wood to make a hot live fire; various bird feathers and clay face-paints to enact backstage rites; and a qualified Vodou priest. It’s amazing how many Australian venues find this difficult to deliver. So we often settle on fancy liquors instead.