NT artists at Santos Opening Night Concert. Pic: Darwin Festival.

NT acts Duganda Street Sounds, Leah Flanagan and Shellie Morris headed a line up of interstate stars performing at the Opening Night Concert of the 2010 Darwin Festival.

About the artists…

“Hailing from Ramingining in East  Arnhem, Dunganda Street Sounds comprises songwriting team Jason Durrurrnga and Michael Dhuwa along with singers Bobby Bununggurr and Jimmy Djamunba. The group also collaborate with other musicians from the Raminigning community.” Their song ‘Senor’ was nominated in the ‘Song’ and ‘Film Clip Of The Year’ categories at the 2009 Indigenous Music Awards, and was also featured in the 2010 Darwin Festival television commercial. Darwin Festival billed their performance at the Opening Concert as “possibly one of the most anticipated debut live performance ever seen at this gig!”

NT singers Shellie Morris - already a legend in her lifetime – and rising star Leah Flanagan were joined on stage by interstate singer Lou Bennett (ex-Tiddas), reprising their sell-out performance of ‘Liberty Songs’ from the 2008 Festival, alongside “members of Darwin’s Liberian community.. and the African Gospel Choir and Liberian Culture Dance Group.” ‘Liberty Songs’ is a show based on the shared experiences of a group of Liberian women who arrived in the Northern Territory as refugees and Aboriginal singer songwriters: Shellie Morris (Wardaman/Yanyuwa), Lou Bennett (Yorta-Torta Dja Dja) and Leah Flanagan (Darwin).” ‘Liberty Songs’ draws on the “experiences and musical traditions of both cultures.”

The Santos Opening Night Concert took place at The Amphitheatre, Darwin Botanical Gardens, Thursday August 12 from 6.30pm.

More details of the Opening Night Concert for the 2010 Darwin Festival at the website.

Words: Megan Spencer