A new, two-CD release titled 'NIMA Presents The Sound Of Indigenous Australia – Now & Before' showcases for the first time the thriving, contemporary music scene in indigenous Australia and the roots of that scene in the classic songs and artists of the past.
Divided into ‘Now’ and ‘Before’ discs, the collection powerfully opens with A.B. Original’s game changing ‘January 26’ and concludes with Kev Carmody’s iconic Australian classic ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’.
The ‘Now’ disc includes some of Australia’s biggest artists including Jessica Mauboy, Busby Marou, Dan Sultan and Emma Donovan & The Putbacks alongside a range of tomorrow’s stars including Thelma Plum, Emily Wurramara and Robbie Miller.
Young rappers Birdz and Ziggy mix it with up and coming roots artists like Yirrmal, Gawurra and high school singer-songwriter Tia Gostelow as well as electronic artists like Kuren and Electric Fields.
The ‘Before’ disc features Australian icons from across the last few decades; Yothu Yindi’s ‘Treaty’ and Archie Roach’s ‘Took The Children Away’ kick it off; No Fixed Address’ ‘We Have Survived’, Warumpi Band’s ‘’Blackfella/Whitefella’, Christine Anu’s ‘My Island Home’, Coloured Stones’ 'Black Boy’ and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s ‘Wiyathul’ all follow, creating a history of contemporary, indigenous music never before brought together on one album.
“To any young indigenous musicians out there, the sky is the limit. Dream big and create whatever your heart desires.” - Ziggy Ramo
We have a chat to four of the artists featured: Bart Willoughby, Emily Wurramara, Electric Fields and Ziggy.
Bart Willoughby
Where in Australia are you based?Melbourne.
Which Australian Aboriginal tribal group is part of your ancestry and can you tell us a little bit about your history?
Colin Mirning from my mother's side, her dreaming is the Southern right whale and her country is The Great Australian Bight; Kokatha on my father's side which is the wedge-tailed eagle; my father was traditionally raised and is from the Simpson desert.
When and how did your journey with music begin?
My musical journey began early, around six or seven while I was in a children's home. There were pianos and organs around that I began messing around on, then at the age of 16 I was taken from the boys home into CASM (Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music) were Aunty Leala Rankine took me under her wing and I was exposed to all types of instruments.
My first professional performance was with the Salvation Army Band. It was there I met with Les Graham and then in 1978 Rick Harrison, who along with my first cousin John John Miller we formed No Fixed Address.
Growing up, did you have a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander musician that inspired you?
Howard Bellaire came to CASM to teach; when he was introduced as an opera singer we all thought he would be boring, but as soon as he began to speak I was amazed by how knowledgeable he was and his charisma that came from experience performing.
How has your culture and history influenced your songwriting?
In two ways: in a white and in a black way. I have been able to bring my people's message to a white audience and have given hope and a voice to my people by standing firm in my belief in my culture.
How would you like your music to effect the people of the world?
If you can save yourself through music, which is what I did coming out of foster, baby, children's and boys homes and all the horror and trauma experienced. Then you can save others with your message of hope, love and unity.
Aboriginal song and dance has evolved over the years, branching out to hip hop through to rock; what more would you like to see evolve with Aboriginal song and dance in the community?
I would like to see more contemporary hip hop artists with a greater musical range to back-up their words rather than relying on computer-generated sounds. Tjimba from the Yung Warriors is a perfect example of a hip hop artist who has a strong foundation in music and is a multi-instrumentalist, which will allow him to create his own, distinctive style.
What are your future plans for your music?
I have just released a second organ album, 'Resonance', and have combined elements of the bush with opera and would like to explore orchestra-based music further, along with my traditional reggae, rock, roots music. I am continually striving for new and challenging ways to express myself musically and engage and uplift the audience with the new tunes I find.
Emily Wurramara
Where in Australia are you based?In Brisbane.
Which Australian Aboriginal tribal group is part of your ancestry and can you tell us a little bit about your history?
My people are the Warnindilyakwa people from Groote Eylandt in Northern Territory. We still have a very cultural way of living, and growing up I remember the ceremonies and sitting around the campfires and telling stories about mermaids and dreaming stories and going fishing.
When and how did your journey with music begin?
When I moved to Brisbane I pursued music starting with instruments; the first instrument I learnt was in grade 3 and that was the violin.
Growing up, did you have a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander musician that inspired you?
Whenever we were in the troopie my grandparents always played Coloured Stone, Warumpi Band, Saltwater Band, Yothu Yindi; they're all so very inspiring. But it also inspired me as a female to write music.
How has your culture and history influenced your songwriting?
It's been a major influence because it's a part of me and being able to write songs and share my language and stories from my people is so special.
How would you like your music to effect the people of the world?
I hope that it provides an insight on a young indigenous woman and shared perspectives that allow the listeners to open up their minds and want to learn more about indigenous culture.
The National Indigenous Music Awards were held recently; do you think NIMA creates more acknowledgment and understanding for indigenous music?
Most definitely. It's such an important platform to recognise our artists in Australia that are doing such amazing and magical things with their music. It makes me feel super proud to know I am surrounded by these amazing artists.
Aboriginal song and dance has evolved over the years, branching out to hip hop through to rock; what more would you like to see evolve with Aboriginal song and dance in the community?
I'd love to see more collaborations. It's such a powerful thing to see when you see artists come together and create magic. That commercial radio start to play songs on mainstream radio that allows indigenous music to be exposed to a wider audience. There are so many amazing indigenous musicians that have songs that deserve so much more recognition.
What are your future plans for your music?
I hope to take my music to mainstream and make music that touches people's spirits and hearts, to incorporate more of my language and culture to share with everyone and definitely tour Europe.
Electric Fields
Where in Australia are you based?In Adelaide.
Which Australian Aboriginal tribal group is part of your ancestry and can you tell us a little bit about your history?
Our lead singer and co-songwriter, Zaachariaha Fielding, is Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara and grew up in the remote community of Mimili, South Australia.
When and how did your journey with music begin?
Zaacharaiaha met Michael in Adelaide and began writing songs together in 2015. They released their first EP in July 2016.
Growing up, did you have a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander musician that inspired you?
Christine Anu, Yothu Yindi, Saltwater Band and Archie Roach.
How has your culture and history influenced your songwriting?
By sharing my language through music I have come to the place where Anangu and English can be sung together, and this is a step which lets my language co-exist with English with as much strength and meaning in the wider world of music making.
How would you like your music to effect the people of the world?
With our music we hope to bypass people's learned barriers and send an energy of powerful beauty inside of them. This brings us all together as one, in unity, to connect us.
What are your future plans for your music?
In the next few years we want to bring our music to people in many parts of the world. We'll work with visual elements like costume, lighting and film to accompany the sound both live and online. We also plan a project that is based around collaboration in songwriting and language sharing with other First Nations people from around the world.
Ziggy Ramo
Where in Australia are you based?Whadjuk Noongar country in West Australia.
Which Australian Aboriginal tribal group is part of your ancestry and can you tell us a little bit about your history?
Wik. When my grandmother was stolen she was off country, so for a long time we were not sure of where our ancestral country was. In 2016, through my dad’s work, we discovered our ancestral country was in fact in Aurukun. I have not yet had the privilege to return home, but I long for the day that I can stand on my ancestral country.
My parents also had the honour of being adopted into the Yolngu kinship, so my siblings and I were born into it. As a child, I grew up in Gapuwiyak and the Yolngu culture very much influenced my understanding of my Aboriginaltiy and I am forever thankful for the knowledge and understanding my new family has given me.
When and how did your journey with music begin?
From the day I was born. Growing up in Arnhem Land, music was such a big part of life. My first, vivid memory of music was the feeling the vibrations of song lines entering my body, starting at my toes and consuming my entire being. Since then I have never been able to shake the music bug.
Growing up, did you have a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander musician that inspired you?
Yothu Yindi and Archie Roach. I have the privilege of sharing the stage with Archie at BIGSOUND this year, which is going to be completely surreal. His music has influenced me immensely and I am forever thankful for all the work he did.
How has your culture and history influenced your songwriting?
Everything I do, I do to serve my people. I remember an elder telling me: “Leave the space you occupy better than you found it.” Our culture is so much about giving, so I always give myself to the listener when I write and I am always trying to be the catalyst for positive change with the songs I write.
How would you like your music to effect the people of the world?
I would like to shine a spotlight on the fact that our culture is the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Also, in Australia, we are very quick to call out other countries for the injustices they commit. I echo the words of my amazing forefathers and elders in the fact that we need to address what’s going on in our own backyard before we can ever impact the world, and through my music I hope to continue to spark this dialogue.
The National Indigenous Music Awards were recently held; do you think NIMA creates more acknowledgment and understanding for indigenous music?
Yes, however I would be lying to say I wasn’t disappointed to find out I didn’t get shortlisted for anything. I guess that just shows the strength of indigenous music out there. It makes me want to work harder. I am truly proud to see all the amazing indigenous artists out there killing it and it’s so important to have the NIMAs to acknowledge it.
Australian indigenous music is an integral part of the social and ceremonial tradition of your culture that tells a story through song and dance; what story do you want to tell with your music?
I want to tell the story of our people. We have so many amazing stories to tell and knowing that I have a platform to do so drives me to tell as many as I can. I had the privilege of meeting Elijah Doughty’s mother and I promised her that her son’s death would not be in vain.
I am currently on the Illy regional Australia tour and my band and myself are wearing JUSTICE FOR ELIJAH shirts indefinitely. We as a nation must never normalise what has occurred and still to this day occurs. The murder of a 14-year-old boy will never and can never be accepted. Through my music I will play my role in not allowing this to happen again.
Aboriginal song and dance has evolved over the years, branching out to hip hop through to rock; what would you like to see evolve with Aboriginal song and dance in the community?
Anything and everything. As a people, we are so creative and through our creation we are extremely expressive. I don’t want any limitations on what we can or can’t do as a people, so to any young indigenous musicians out there, the sky is the limit. Dream big and create whatever your heart desires.
What are your future plans for your music?
World domination.
