Dizzy Doolan is many things – hip hop artist, singer-songwriter, emcee, rapper, youth worker, mother.
Dizzy is a warrior, and an absolute credit to her people.What's great about Dizzy's artistry is it's not all about her – through her performances, Dizzy hopes to expand the realm of possibility, encouraging others as if to say: 'Look; this is what Indigenous women are capable of.
Let me help you get on this platform.' Through her multiple endeavours and ventures over the years, Dizzy has grown to become a figure of creative inspiration for young Indigenous women.
So, who better than Dizzy to be curating the first Indigenous women showcase at this year's Australian Women In Music Awards (AWMAs), which she will also co-emcee with Yumi Stymes.
Dubbed 'Love For My Sisters', the showcase boasts a powerful collective of First Nations female performers and DJs. "It's huge," begins Dizzy.
"It's a big deal for our mob. I'm super excited for the line-up and just having the opportunity [to be in] that curation role."
As curator, Dizzy looks at the AWMAs showcase as an opportunity for exposure of Indigenous women in a mainstream setting.
"I'm trying to give those female artists in the industry the type of platform I've seen in the industry for many years – it's [all] about bringing these women to [the] light on the bigger platform," she says.
"Some of them are already respected in the industry in their own right, such as Hot Brown Honey and Shakaya."
As a young woman, Dizzy looked to these two acts as inspiration to venture down her own creative path. "Shakaya are local to Cairns as well, where I'm from.
"It wasn't until I seen two other black women myself, that were on this mainstream platform, and they were from my community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait.
"They looked like me. I was like 'wow' – that was when I was 15 years old, living in the community."
Be it 20 years ago or today, even an appearance of somebody who is from community and from land, it can be a very powerful motivating tool; throw in a performing arts segment on top of that, it could life changing for a young Indigenous woman.
Agreeing, Dizzy says ardently: "That's why I chose carefully who I would love to see at this hip hop showcase.
"We've got Kaylah Truth, DJ Red Belly – Kween G and Lady Lash are doing a collab [performance] on their song, 'For My Sisters'. Lady Lash is also a part of my group, Oetha, an acronym for Our Earth, The Heart Acknowledges."
An inspiring line-up, for sure. And with the AWMAs highlighting more than just Indigenous performers and members of the industry, the event is a focus on all Australian women.
Going into this not only as a curator, but as an MC for the event, it's interesting to hear Dizzy’s thoughts as to how we continue the progressive improvements to equality and acceptance.
"I do think it's important, having our [Indigenous people] own showcases and separately," Dizzy says, "because it's a next level type of thing that this country still hasn't really given us, Indigenous, First Nations women, the opportunity to do.
"We've either got to be mixed with all these other amazing Australian artists, and that's how we come to light, because we're mixed. But I honestly do think there's a lot of growing to do – we need that. We need that for ourselves."
Dizzy agrees that a brighter, wider spotlight needs to be placed on these amazing Indigenous women before we, as a society, can have a conversation about creative segregation or integration.
"For example, my Aunty Savannah, my dad's sister, was a pioneer in this country, one of the first Aboriginal women to be recognised for her singing talent, back in the 1960s.
"She's passed away now. She's never ever got the acknowledgement in this country at all for all of the amazing stuff she’s done. She was a pioneer.”
Savannah was known to highly respected artists like Uncle Archie Roach and Troy Cassar-Daley, who labelled her one of the best blues artists. "That says so much about her talent, and what she did for our mob in this country," Dizzy says.
Sadly, though her stories were rich and full of truth and passion, Savannah's name was little known back then, let alone these days.
There's still a long way to go. "To be able to [acknowledge her] this year, I know my Aunty's gonna be looking down, watching over, so proud, to see her niece is about to do something she should have done.
"I know her spirit is going to be strong with me on the night of the showcase and the ceremony. I think it's so important to keep bringing her up, especially at times like these."
Australian Women In Music Awards conference will take place in Brisbane at Hotel X 17 May (10am-4.30pm), Love For My Sisters showcase at What’s Golden at The Tivoli 17 May and the award ceremony will be at The Tivoli 18 May.
