Review: Mojo Juju @ QPAC (Brisbane)

‘Native Tongue’ is more than a song and an album. It’s a reconciliation. And, by its existence, an invitation.

The chills start as the title track begins, at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre (19 November), and Mojo Juju is front and centre, dressed in all white. Her brother, Steve, is on drums upstage – five additional voices on stage (Blakbeats choir, part of the QPAC’s creative development programme) make the entire accompaniment for the powerful anthem.

These final ‘Native Tongue’ shows are Mojo’s closing statement about the 2018 album, ending in the same form she began with a series of intimate, story-sharing performances in Melbourne in the lead-up to the LP’s release.

Heavy themes are covered, because heavy themes have been lived: immigration, family displacement and secrets, racism and queerness where the scene was set in Dubbo. . . around the time Pauline Hanson became a household name. “I stuck out like a steamed vege at a Filipino BBQ.”

Image © Clea Thorne

In the middle of ‘Something Wrong’, the first of two special guests appears – a melting pot of jazz, hip hop and soul incarnate known as MIRRAH. “As you can see, not the only ‘blasian’ in the house,” chuckles Mojo. It’s a new word for some of us, but contextually received when witnessing the diverse cultural heritages in the stage lights.

The narrative continues with a personal history spanning all ‘categories’ of ostracism, including the challenging point of casual micro-aggression such as “nah, but where are you really from?”.

“I made a promise to myself that never again would I make myself smaller so that someone else was more comfortable in their own ignorance,” says Mojo, concluding a story about a conversation that happened on a plane.

“Wherever it’s possible and wherever it’s appropriate I will use my voice for those who don’t have the opportunity for their voice to be heard,” with one further, take home or take-travelling message. “Most important of all - always take the aisle seat.”

Click here for more photos from the show.

Mojo picks up a guitar for ‘Shut Your Mouth’, and most songs hereon. “I have tried, tried to get along, maybe if I took the time to get to know ya, I’d find out I was wrong.”

Image © Clea Thorne

Interspersed with the music and Mojo’s own dialogue, are recorded words of family members, in Tagalog, Spanish and English (the show opened with a Wiradjuri welcome, the language of Mojo’s mother’s ancestors), some of which also appeared on the album.

Younger brother, Steve tells his story in person – in English, and how he was shielded from a lot of discrimination in his earliest years by having two older siblings. He, like Mojo, laments the fact he never learnt their father’s native tongue, Tagalog, while growing up (the standardised version of which makes up Filipino, the joint national language of the Philippines alongside English).

He has been learning Tagalog for the last couple of years, as well as recently adding ‘Wiradjuri’.

“I do not belong inside your narrow definition, I don’t wanna fight but I’ve been put in this position,” ring out the words in ‘Never Again’.

Three songs on the record were a tender trilogy for a family secret that was held generations ago: ‘I Just Wanna Know’, ‘Far Too Late’ and ‘1000 Years’.

Image © Clea Thorne

‘1000 Years’ is an exquisitely sensitive piece, deftly executed – unsurprisingly, as it was one of Mojo’s favourites from this album. It was a record that she never expected anybody to really hear, let alone embrace or acclaim – which is her response to the doubters who criticise the authenticity of her motivation for being so ‘topic inclusive’ and therefore (accidentally) ‘political’.

“It’s not just a political album. . . And it’s not just about my family. I wrote this for all of the [various] First Nations people. This is for you, to bring us all together.”

Joined by the absolute chocolate silk that is the voice of Joshua Tavares, ‘Cold Condition’ highlights the shared-ness of the experience of the complete, singular, First Nations family.

Although we ‘know’ the industry is a hard slog, it’s surprising to hear even someone like bold powerhouse Mojo Juju talk about nearly giving up on music. Thankfully, the only way she could deal with that was by writing a song and that helped heal the doubt: ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.

Image © Clea Thorne

“This album is about letting go of the white noise, and a lot of it is white noise,” there is a pause, followed by knowing applause from the sympathetic audience at this second instalment of the ‘Clancestry – A Celebration of Country’ series for 2019.

‘Native Tongue Reprise’ plays as an outro so we can witness the spoken word of Lay The Mystic (as included on the release) while Mojo Juju, her brother Steve, MIRRAH, Joshua Tavares and the Blakbeats choir pare off the stage.

Just prior, though, with all guests onstage, is ‘History’. “This is a song about learning from the past, looking to the future but standing in the present. . . and I’m gonna be doing more of that.”

The Clancestry series continues until 2 December at QPAC. Mojo Juju plays two more shows for the ‘Native Tongue’ album: Sydney (26 November) and Melbourne (29 November) as well as Queenscliff Music Festival (VIC) tomorrow.