Kala Desert Storylines by Chantelle Mulladad Tenor Ukulele

The Kala Tenor Ukulele with Desert StoryLines Logo Bag – featuring *Sunburnt Country* by Chantelle Mulladad – is part of the Desert StoryLines collection, a collaboration between Kala Brand Music, Jacaranda Music, and Keringke Arts. This remarkable series showcases genuine Aboriginal artwork from three talented artists of Santa Teresa, Northern Territory, transforming Kala ukuleles into powerful expressions of culture, storytelling, and connection to Country.

The concept for a ukulele range featuring Aboriginal artwork began in 2008 when Chris Martin, CEO of Martin Guitars, visited Australia and expressed deep admiration for Aboriginal art. This moment inspired Greg Cooper of Jacaranda Music to connect with Keringke Arts — a respected Aboriginal art centre located around 100 km southeast of Alice Springs. With the support of Mike Upton of Kala, this early idea evolved into the Desert StoryLines project.

Artists Margaret Bloomfield, Evelyn Young, and Chantelle Mulladad each created original artworks for the series. Jacaranda Music and Kala Brand Music Co. have formal agreements with Keringke Arts ensuring that every artist receives a 6% royalty from each ukulele sold. Additionally, Kala USA will contribute royalties once the collection launches internationally in December. Every instrument includes a Desert StoryLines logo gig bag and a swing tag sharing the meaning and story behind the artwork.

Describing her piece, Chantelle Mulladad explains:
*“This painting is about the country where I live. We go out into the desert to hunt, and to collect bush foods or firewood. Before the night comes, we would find a place to set up camp. As the sun sets, the old people would tell us stories about this country around the fire light.”*

Each ukulele in the Desert StoryLines range is more than an instrument — it is a living artwork that honours culture, community, and tradition.

Features

* Genuine Aboriginal artwork by Chantelle Mulladad — *Sunburnt Country*
* Part of the Desert StoryLines collaboration between Kala Brand Music, Jacaranda Music & Keringke Arts
* 6% artist royalty on every sale directly supports the artist
* Includes Desert StoryLines logo gig bag and artwork-story swing tag
* Authentic collectible instrument celebrating Aboriginal culture and storytelling
* First shipment arriving October 2025