ENTERTAINMENT
MANDY NOLAN’S
SOAPBOX
W W W. E C H O. N E T. A U /S OA P - B OX
AUSTRALIA HAS LOST ITS VOICE Last week one of Australia’s most important musicians died. He didn’t trade on rockstar sexuality. He made money but he didn’t buy fancy cars or expensive real estate – his money went back to his community. He didn’t even really do interviews. He was too shy. Years ago when I interviewed him I spoke to his manager. He wasn’t from Melbourne, or Sydney or Adelaide, or any of the usual places world-famous Aussie musicians live. He was from Galiwin’ku community on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhem Land and he made his mark even though he never acquiesced to dominant Anglo culture and sang in English. Dr G sang in his language in a way that was so transcendent it was impossible to listen and not feel transformed. As an outsider I was so moved that his song graciously offered me a chance to step inside and quietly experience the story of this country that existed long before my white ancestors came here. His song has a way of getting inside you. His music came from a place that felt more like the spirit of this country than anything I’ve ever heard, a story whose words I don’t speak or even understand but somehow they find a place in my body. It’s a wail I feel under my skin, his music a soft breeze around my legs that gently pulls to the centre of a mystery I am unable to fathom. It was the music of place. His music felt like something sacred, and hearing him live was nothing short of a privilege for a middle-class white woman living on the coast, far far away from the places he sang to. Singing in his native Yolngu language, this modest and quietly spoken man sold more than half a million copies of his album around the world. He sang for the Queen and yet he spent his last days in an itinerant camp on a Darwin beach before being taken by friends to hospital where he died of renal failure. He was just 46. Dialysis wasn’t available on Elcho Island so he was forced to stay in a long-grass camp. He had suffered from liver- and kidney-related health problems since he contracted Hepatitis B
as a child, thanks to the thirdworld health conditions Indigenous people experience in this country. Forty-six-year-old white men with international music careers don’t die like this.
It’s the consequence of being a black man in a country that doesn’t think it’s racist, that took too long to say Sorry. And when they did say Sorry it became about how wonderful Kevin Rudd was for being part of this ‘seminal’ moment for whitey, celebrating how great we were for apologising. Somehow the pain and trauma of stealing children was overshadowed by how impressed we were with ourselves for finally showing compassion. Showing. Not feeling. Of course it’s not ‘our fault’. Modern Australia has always been uncomfortable with acknowledging their guilt. That a few generations down the track from our racist roots that we still benefit from white privilege derived from invasion, but hey, we’re not responsible for the behaviour of our ancestors! We didn’t do it! But we did. And we still do. We all benefit from Invasion privilege. Generations of trauma have delivered the Indigenous nation of Australia with health inequities that mean they die at least ten years before non-Indigenous Australians. That’s why a man who should have had access to gold-class healthcare dies at 46 of a chronic health condition. That’s what we were saying Sorry for. But Sorry isn’t enough. I remember being taught that it’s not enough to say sorry, you have to change your behaviour. It’s time for a treaty. Australia is the only Commonwealth country that doesn’t have a treaty with its Indigenous peoples. No doubt we’ll eventually negotiate a treaty and then spend the rest of history congratulating ourselves on how inclusive we are. Maybe whitey should meditate on this next time they’re getting a facial or are on a massage table listening to the number-one choice in relaxation music at doctors’ surgeries and wellness clinics around the country: Dr G Yunupingu. How ironic is that? I for one, am very, very Sorry.
40 August 2, 2017 The Byron Shire Echo
RAVEN & INSANITY Doni Raven & the Collective Insanity present original music accompanied by live painting and projection by abstract artist Hamish Gordon. Gordon creates contemporary art before your eyes while the band plays the raw energetic compositions of Doni Raven. Each unique piece of art will be created and auctioned on the night, capturing the intensity and emotion of the music. Special guests Walrus & the Carpenter. Saturday 12 August at Mullumbimby Court House Hotel at 7pm. Tickets $10 at the door.
MADE IN OZ Made In Australia stands alone and unmatched as the nation’s number-one tribute to classic Australian rock. With a wealth of experience performing in signed original recording acts, as well as top-class tribute shows and popular cover bands, members of Made in Australia have toured and performed throughout Australia, Europe, Asia, the UK and New Zealand. As seasoned musicians they have shared the stage with many of this country’s most successful and best-loved performers including Jimmy Barnes, Billy Thorpe, The Angels, Diesel, The Screaming Jets, Choirboys, Jon Stevens and many others. Made in Australia delivers a powerful, high-energy punch and takes great pride in presenting the most authentic live versions of Australia’s most iconic classic rock songs, undoubtedly the closest to the original artists that you will hear anywhere! Featuring many huge hits and revisiting some longlost gems from Australia’s rich musical past, the show contains something to please a wide range of musical tastes and audiences of all ages. Friday 18 August at the Ballina RSL. 8.30pm. $25. Tickets on sale now.
MISS RENEE SIMONE PLAYS ELEMENTS OF BYRON ON FRIDAY
SAE HELPS YOUNG DJ FIND HIS GROOVE Nineteen-year-old student and aspiring DJ from SAE Byron, Karime Baylis, has won a spot at a national DJ Academy in Brisbane. Only 90 were chosen from more than 3,000 applicants. This was quite a testament to Karime’s talent and the skills he’s learnt at SAE.
Can you tell me what you love most about DJ work? I love the fact that you can take two audio sources, blend them together seamlessly and send it out to the crowd to enjoy. What is the kind of music that you like playing? I love playing dubstep, trap, drum and bass but I also enjoy playing house! How has SAE helped you achieve your dream? SAE honoured me with a scholarship to study a Diploma in EMP this year, which has helped me to understand the music industry and understand the structure of a track – which can also help when blending tracks together as a DJ. I love producing my own music as it is a great escape into a creative vortex and is extremely satisfying.
How has being a DJ changed your life?
Being a DJ has opened up so many great opportunities for me, most recently being chosen as a contestant out of thousands of entrants in the national Your Shot DJ Competition. It has also helped to cement what I want to do and has helped me gain confidence and create awesome networks and lifelong friendships. You really look like you get into it when you are up there. What does it feel like to have all those people dancing to the music you are putting out there for them?
If you’re interested in studying audio, film, 3D animation, games or graphic design, SAE Byron is throwing open the doors to their state-of-the-art campus for an OPEN DAY! It’s all happening Saturday 5 August, 11am–3pm. Speak to their experienced team, tour the campus, attend an info session and take part in a series of interactive demonstrations using their high-end equipment and amazing facilities. Saturday 11am–3pm. Visit sae.edu.au or more information.
I love getting into it and giving back to the crowd. It is an incredible feeling knowing that people are loving what I have created for them – it’s a huge rush! What’s next for you? I am DJing at a local Rivers Pulse Youth Event in Nesbitt Park, Lismore, on Saturday 12 August, 11am–4pm, and apart from that I am working on my first EP!
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo