And so the story goes…

Nicky Bomba kicked off his musical life as a drummer in his brother’s high school band when he was 6 years old playing local clubs and parties. 

Morphing into a Maltese version of the Jackson 5 they performed for the dance crazy Maltese Community in Melbourne, recording a single with a Singing Priest that went to Number 1 in Malta for 8 weeks!

The music bug was well entrenched when he turned professional at the age of 16, embarking on his first national tour, writing his first songs, learning new instruments and venturing into the world of recording.

He has played in and formed numerous outfits over the years constantly expanding his musical palette covering many musical styles and delving into an expansive array of ethnic music.

Developing his craft as a Drummer, Composer, Producer and Studio Engineer, Nicky dove into the world of Reggae, Ska, World Music and Funk becoming an active, prolific force in the genre. He formed the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Bomba (FunkReggae), Banana Oil (Jazz), The Truth (Funk), Bustamento (Calypso/Mento) while collaborating with Dereb Desalegn (Ethiopian), Laroz Haim (Electro Reggae Dub) and Ross Hannaford (Blues/Reggae) to name a few.

His pivotal role as a drummer for John Butler Trio (3 albums/5 world tours) dovetailed into his position as bandleader/conductor/composer for the 23 piece Melbourne Ska Orchestra(11 albums/2 x ARIA’s/International Touring). His latest venture – Nicky Bomba Solo, is 2 albums in alongside international touring.

Nicky’s love for capturing music is heavily influenced by the old school reggae producers of the 60’s with their vast catalogues and active work ethic.

His first studio was an 8 track analog affair with a vintage desk and a handful of microphones – enough to get the party started! This fuelled his desire to create his own label and release music without red tape, generating his own transmissions – and so – Transmitter Records was born! 

His new studio is nestled in the mountains of Victoria with a vast array of vintage instruments and classic studio gear. 2024 celebrates the newly energised Transmitter Records with new releases and classic albums from the archives. Boomshakalaka!