Research Podcast on Indigenous Music in Sydney
Kobie Dee: Rapping from the Heart
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Kobie Dee is a Gomeroi rapper living in Sydney, on Bidjigal land. He is a hip hop artist with a passion for social change and a drive to make things better for the next generation through community work. His lyrics show a deep passion for Indigenous advocacy and he tells me he only creates music that comes from the heart. He has toured around Australia and performed in Europe for the first time last summer. We talked about his different songs, his passion for hip hop and how Black struggles globally connect him with other up-and-coming artists.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Lez: Practicing Songlines in Sydney
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Lez is a descendent from the Tudulaig people from Zenadth Kes. He has been living in Sydney for years and plays music at Circular Quay, also known as Warrang, in Sydney. I asked him if he was up for a conversation, and he told me he wanted to tell me about his background specifically. That’s what you’re about to listen to. Enjoy.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Jayden Kitchener-Waters: Learning through Country & Language
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Jayden is a Gomeroi man living in Tamworth. He plays guitar and sings, which is how we met as he performed during a NAIDOC 2022 event in Sydney. Jayden works in language and culture revitalization which he is deeply passionate about. He tells me he loves being on Country, as it is his greatest teacher, and he is the biggest fan of country music. The annual Tamworth country music festival is part of his identity.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Radical Son: Reflecting through Lyrics
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Radical Son is a Gamilaroi and Tongan musician based in Sydney. He has an album on his name, Cause ‘n Affect, and performs across Australia at festivals, such as WOMAD in Adelaide, at the APRA Awards, and at the Blak Markets where we met. His lyrics range from deeply personal reflections to an urge for social change. We also talked about the upcoming album that he has been working on over the past few years.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Tyren: Walking and Talking through Redfern
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This episode is a soundwalk again. This time, Tyren takes us on a walk through yet another part of Redfern. Tyren is a Gomeroi man living in Sydney, Australia. He currently follows a Master’s degree in Social Work and is passionate about all things Indigenous advocacy, such as passing down culture to young kids, domestic violence awareness, and policy around Indigenous juvenile programs. He tells me about his many visits to Redfern growing up visiting family, we talk about the things we see and hear (lots of construction!), and about current political movements, such as the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Munkimuk: Living & Breathing First Nations Hip Hop
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Munk, A.K.A. Munkimuk, is a Jardwadjali Koori hip hop artist, rapper, producer, breakdancer, visual artist and composer (what hasn’t he done?!) from Sydney. He co-founded the hip hop group (although he calls it “just his group of mates”) South West Syndicate and has his own program “Making Tracks” on Koori Radio, a First Nations radio station based in Sydney. During our talk, I found out Munk is a well of wisdom when it comes to Indigenous talent who have travelled the world as world class performers. Inspiring others is his biggest passion, and if you’ll stick to the end, you’ll be treated with the South West Syndicate track “Paradise,” featuring Uncle Wes Marne!
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
El Beauty: First Nations Drag
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El Beauty is a First Nations drag queen, based in western Sydney’s Parramatta (Burramatta). She’s also referred to as “the beauty of the West.” She regularly lip-syncs across the city, and today El will talk about her experiences with the art of Indigenous drag.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Luke Patterson: A Soundwalk through Redfern
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Gamilaroi poet and musician Luke Patterson takes us on a walk through Sydney’s inner-western suburb Redfern, built on Gadigal land. Redfern, seen as the heart of Indigenous activism in Sydney, is Luke’s homebase. After we grabbed a quick coffee, Luke told me all about his experiences of living here – as well as in Kurnell, about his idea of Country, about the blending of nature -and urban sounds in his creative work, and last but not least, about his engagement in community projects, such as Ngana Barangarai, publishing poetry by inmates in Junee Correctional Centre.
You will hear our conversation, as well as the sounds of the city. At times, the city sounds take over – if you find this unpleasant to listen to, I invite you to either let it wash over you, or skip ahead a few seconds while we turn a corner. Thanks for listening to our experiment of a conversation between humans, city, and Country.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Yidinji: The Didj & Visual Arts
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Yidinji, who is named after his tribal group near Cairns in Australia, is a visual artist and didgeridoo player. We talked about his style of art, the importance of his – uniquely made – didgeridoo, and his important work with kids and wider communities in the Canberra region through his art gallery: Burrunju Aboriginal Art Gallery. From caring for Country, to busking on the Cairns streets to organising workshops: Yidinji does it all. Do check out the website to see his art!
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Dominic Allen: Experiencing Culture through VR
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In this episode of Movements & Sounds, Dominic Allen shares his work on a multi-platform project he initiated and directed: Carriberrie. Carriberrie showcases song and dance by various Indigenous cultural groups across Australia, which can be watched in planetariums as a fulldome experience, through VR, and is also accessible through an online website. Dominic sheds light on his experiences working with First Nations artists, as a non-First Nations Australian, and explains why VR can be such a powerful tool to bridge understanding and awareness between peoples in Australia and all over the world.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Mi-kaisha: Bringing Musical Joy​
This episode features soul and R&B musician Mi-kaisha, a Darumbal Murri and Tongan artist raised in Sydney who shares her experiences of performing for her community, as well as abroad. She made her dream come true studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and has many achievements in her pocket: she was NAIDOC Youth of the Year in 2019, the same year she released her first EP titled Mi-kaisha, she won FBi Radio’s Next Big Thing Award and has even appeared on Australian X Factor. We’ve talked about her passion for bringing lightness and joy to the world through music, and about taking space when it feels right and what it’s like to navigate white-dominated spaces. Her latest single Brand New was released last year, which you can hear at the end of this episode. Enjoy!
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Cianna Walker: Singing & Activism
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Cianna Walker is a Yuin and Gumbaynggirr musician living in Sydney. Studying Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of music, she is at the start of her music career as a singer. Cianna comes from a long line of Indigenous activists and cultural educators. We talked about her experiences of starting her university endeavour, awkward land acknowledgments, Indigenous languages, and, turns out, Cianna is a lover of movies! Stay tuned until the end to listen to her cover of the song Ngarra Burra Ferra.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
Yulugi: Meeting of Musical Cultures
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Gamilaroi and Wakka Wakka song man and didgeridoo player Gumaroy Newman and British-Australian flutist, pianist, and composer Keyna Wilkins talk about all things Yulugi; an ensemble they have set up about 3 years ago. From fuzzy Capricorn behaviour to the (perhaps Scottish?!) origins of the word “didjeridu,” to the Australian national anthem, we have talked about it all. Most importantly, we talked about how music of the “here and now” can celebrate humans in all our commonalities as well as our differences. Because in the end, we are all (going?) grey. This episode includes one of their songs at the end of our talk as well, make sure to stay tuned!
Little spoiler alert: Jalal Mahamede is now a free man! He was released only a couple of weeks after we recorded this episode.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
DOBBY: Musical Truth-Telling
DOBBY is the first guest of the series! DOBBY is a Filipino and Muruwari musician in Australia. Besides composing, DOBBY plays the drums, he plays piano, and he raps on top of that: calling himself a “drapper.” DOBBY has released several singles such as “I Can’t Breathe” and “Walk Away”, an EP, and he is always involved in various musical and cultural projects such as Ngarra-Burria and is the recipient of the Archie Roach Foundation Award 2022.
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Please be advised that this episode contains references to people who have passed away.
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