BuÅ‹gul ~ Gurrumul’s ‘Djarimirri’ (Child of the Rainbow)
NIMA & APRA Awards 2021
The National Indigenous Music Awards will again be staged at the Darwin Amphitheatre on 7th August, with a live broadcast via NITV and online platforms.
Organisers have said, “NIMAs will incorporate contributions from across the country, building on last year’s record-breaking audience and bringing the magic of the night to the living rooms and phones of all Australians.”
Creative Director, Ben Graetz returns along with new Associate Creative Director, Nina Fitzgerald and NIMAs veteran, Romana Paulson stepping into the Project Manager role.
Ben Graetz is a descendant of the Iwaidja and Malak Malak clans in the Northern Territory and of Badu Island in the Torres Straits, who has worked in the performing arts sector for close to twenty-four years, as a vibrant artist, performer, director, producer, writer, MC and artistic director.
Nina Fitzgerald is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who has recently returned home to Darwin after eight years studying and working in Melbourne.
Romana Paulson is of Bundjalung, Mununjali & Wiradjuri descent from Yugembah Country and is also of the South Pacific ni-Vanuatu Islanders.
She has worked on the event for the last four years as part of the Agentur team, this year as Project Manager.
“2020 was a year like no other and morphing what has always been an amazing night of connection and togetherness into a completely virtual event was a challenging but rewarding experience,” said Ben Graetz.
“This year however, we can return bigger and better than ever, creating a stunning physical event once more and using the learning of last year’s record-breaking virtual audience to retain the best elements of both worlds… under the stars here on Larrakia Country.”
The 2020 virtual event was the biggest in the NIMA’s history, reaching over 250,000 people with broadcasts on NITV, Double J, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, featuring live online performances, including Archie Roach, Miiesha, Thelma Plum, Mambali, JK-47 and more.
Nominations for Indigenous releases and artists across seven categories, from artist and album of the year, to Indigenous language and community clip of the year closed on 28th May.
APRA AWARDS ON GADIGAL LAND
Elder statesman of music, Bunna Lawrie was honoured at the APRA Music Awards held on Wednesday 28th April at the ICC in Sydney.
APRA members chose ‘Gadigal Land’ as the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year.
Written by Bunna Lawrie, Rob Hirst and Gadigal poet, Joel Davison, the song is an uncompromising recount of what happened in Gadigal country, and elsewhere in Australia, since 1788.
The song was Midnight Oil’s first single in 17 years, and is part of The Makarrata Project, a themed mini album of collaborations with Indigenous artists.
Performing a unique version of ‘Gadigal Land’ on the night was respected Aboriginal Gadigal elder, Uncle Allen Madden.
Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst with Joel Davison & Bunna Lawrie
TOP END
FESTIVITIES
While the cold winter weather shuts down the southern states for festivals, the Top End of OZ gears up for some fabudeadly events. The 2021 Darwin Festival will kick off on the 5th August with a huge free Opening Night Concert at The Amphitheatre, which will be transformed into a meeting place of dance, song and ritual. The audience will experience the traditional songs, dances and paintings that inspired Gurrumul’s ‘Djarimirri’ (Child of the Rainbow), in a live performance by YolÅ‹u dancers, songmen and the Darwin Symphony Orchestra. Created by a collaborative mob of artists in North East Arnhem Land with the YunupiÅ‹u family, BuÅ‹gul is a “ceremonial celebration of Gurrumul’s seminal final album, a landmark in Australian music.” “It transcends its author’s death and celebrates his life, by bringing together western music and his family’s musical and cultural traditions,” organisers explained. Music by Geoffrey Gurrumul YunupiÅ‹u, Erkki Veltheim & Michael Hohnen is the foundation for the dance pieces. ‘Djarimirri’ was Gurrumul’s self-proclaimed gift to the world, as he always wanted people around the planet to experience and appreciate Aboriginal culture. By combining traditional songs and harmonised chants from his time-honoured YolÅ‹u life with spellbinding orchestral compositions he reached out to people from all walks of life. This performance, not only honours Gurrumul’s musical legacy, but his family has added a “further cultural and visual dimension to this historic work, performing the songlines that have forged their identity and every aspect of their existence since the beginning of time.” Other festival events with Indigenous content include the contemporary music program at the INPEX Sunset Stage, kicking off on Friday 6th with Woorabinda singer-songwriter Miiesha. Having listened to much R’n’B, gospel and soul, this Pitjantjatjara/Torres Strait Islander songwoman is proud to use her voice a tribal messenger. Miiesha’s first single ‘Black Privilege’ caused quite a buzz with her reputation growing after the release of her debut album last year. Described by triple j as, “A release every Australian should hear, Miiesha's debut album, Nyaaringu is filled with world-class R’n’B and neo-soul, the album captures the complexity of the Indigenous experience in intensely personal, passionate songs.” Jurrungu Ngan-ga – literally ‘Straight Talk’, is a powerful and provocative new dance work that “tears down walls and builds bridges in a frank conversation with the Australian psyche.” Inspired by perspectives on incarceration by Yawuru leader Patrick Dodson and Kurdish-Iranian writer and former Manus Island detainee Behrouz Boochani, the show has been three years in development in the company’s dual homes of Broome and Sydney. This multimedia dance theatre piece explores the outrageous disproportion of Indigenous Australians in custody and the detainees’ degrading life inside Australia’s immigration detention centres. For the past 26 years Marrugeku’s well-regarded intercultural dance theatre has tackled contentious local and global issues based on the fear of cultural difference. Directed by Rachael Maza, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s Heart is a Wasteland combines First Nations’ storytelling with live music, in a “whisky-fuelled battle of egos, which cuts to the country’s heart, recognising everyone’s individual right to love.”
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https://www.darwinfestival.org.au
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Gurumul
BARUNGA IN THE BUSH
The Barunga Festival motto is, “Bringing people together through song and dance.”
The mob at Barunga believe that music is such a big part of community life, bringing together artists, performers, songmen and songwomen to share stories and culture with the audience through song and dance, with workshops, acoustic performances, surprise acts and back-to-back community bands on centre stage.
Traditional meets contemporary music on two stages over three nights at the festival, plus an international didjeridu competition and story telling circle.
Nationally acclaimed musicians perform alongside emerging artists from communities at Barunga Festival 11th -13th June just 397 km down The Track (Stuart Highway) from Darwin.
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Barunga Festival Kids ~ photo by D. Preston
UNCLE ARCHIE's LAST ROADTRIP
Last month I caught Archie Roach performing a show based on his new memoir, ‘Tell Me Why’ (Simon and Schuster), at the Kyneton Town Hall, Victoria. 
He was brought onstage in a wheelchair and sang while attached to an oxygen bottle to assist his breathing. Opening with ‘Charcoal Lane’, Uncle Archie introduced this signature song with a rambling story, thus setting the tone for the night. 
His voice these days is deep and guttural, a cross between Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong and Tom Waits, but still sensitive and full of the passion for his tough, yet rewarding life.
Currently Archie is on his final tour sharing stories and songs from his new memoir and companion album, with shows on Thursday July 8th in Perth Concert Hall @ 7:30pm and Friday July 16th at Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide.
Deadly Gigs @ Adelaide Festival Theatre
Celebrating music, culture and connection, Australia’s incredible next generation of First Nations artists perform in this very special event, Deadly Hearts.
Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre on Monday 14th June, this phenomenal festival-style event - inspired by ABC Music’s ‘Deadly Hearts’ albums - features multi award winning musician, writer, performer and artist, Dan Sultan, 2019 National Indigenous Music Awards nominee, Tia Gostelow, 2020 Music Vic award winner for Best Emerging Artist, Kee’ahn, and 2019 Triple J Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative winner, Aodhan.
Hosted by Oxfam Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala viral comedy star Steph Tisdell, Deadly Hearts will be a celebration of identity in homage to those who have shaped and inspired these remarkable artists and showcasing some of the finest musical talent the country has to offer.
Dan Sultan is a multifaceted, multi award winning musician, writer, performer and artist.
Along with many records spanning many different genres and styles, he is also an accomplished author as well as trying his hand at acting. Winning a total of 6 ARIA Awards to date including Best Male Artist, he also boasts an array of other accolades over a time span of more than a decade that showcase his diverse and ever evolving career.
DDan Sultan
Tia Gostelow
Kee’ahn
Aodhan
Tia Gostelow is a singer-songwriter who grew up in the regional QLD town of Mackay. In 2018 Tia released her debut album ‘Thick Skin’ which won ‘Album of the Year’ at the Queensland Music Awards, scored Triple J feature album and saw her sell out a national headline tour in Australia. Kee’ahn released her debut single, 'Better Things', in May 2020 and was immediately thrust into the Australian music psyche with its message becoming a mantra for many struggling through the challenges of lock down and a changed world.
2020 saw her recognised with multiple awards and nominations in the National Indigenous Music Awards and the Music Victoria Awards.
Aodhan won Triple J’s Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative at just 15 with his self-produced ‘When Your Eyes Speak’.
This Dharawal singer/songwriter fuses heartfelt writing with soulful musicality to create beautiful coastal-folk flavoured tunes.
SONGS of DON ~ Mr Walker of Cold Chisel fame
Songs of Don with Emma Donovan, Katie Noonan, Clare Bowditch and Sarah McLeod celebrates the music of Don Walker on Friday 18th June at 7:30PM also in the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Best known as the main songwriter for Cold Chisel, Walker is one of Australia's greatest musical legends and his work is a poignant soundtrack to 20th century Australian lives, and a timeless cultural touchstone. Katie Noonan joins forces with Clare Bowditch, Emma Donovan and Sarah McLeod to perform some of his most iconic songs in the crowd-pleasing show.
GARMA @ GULKULA
The 22nd annual Garma Festival will be a COVID-safe event with strict compliance measures in place to protect the health and safety of those on site, the Yothu Yindi Foundation.
Announcing the dates of Garma 2021, YYF CEO and Festival Director Denise Bowden said there would also be a cap on General Admission and Corporate ticket sales, to help limit the number of people travelling to Arnhem Land from interstate, and accommodate reduced capacity at Gulkula.
"The health and safety of our people and our communities is the number one priority as we plan for this year’s event,” Mrs Bowden said. “YYF is preparing for every possible contingency, and we proceed with an abundance of caution while the pandemic threat remains. We’re consulting with the relevant authorities and agencies as we develop a comprehensive COVID- safe plan, and we look forward to sharing more details of that in the weeks ahead.”
This year’s Garma will take place from Friday 30th July – Monday 2nd August at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land.
UNFORTUNATELY GARMA HAD TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID CASES IN THE N.T.
CLICK ON THE LINK FOR NEWS OF GARMA 2022 > https://www.yyf.com.au
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