Triumphant.. Warren H. Williams and the Warumungu men singers on stage at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre. Pic: Megan Spencer
The Song Peoples Sessions launched at the Desert Harmony Festival in Tennant Creek, on Friday September 2, 2011.
Receiving national attention in newspaper the Melbourne Age, the landmark language preservation project “is a collaboration between traditional and contemporary Australian Indigenous musicians to support the protection of intangible cultural heritage and maintenance of Indigenous languages and traditional song cycles”.
Contemporary Indigenous singers Shellie Morris and Warren H. Williams performed in a concert with their traditional collaborators, the women Yanyuwa singers of Borrolloola, and Warumungu men singers in Tennant Creek, respectively.
The special event – filled with powerful song – marked the official launch of the Warren H. Williams & Warumungu singers CD, with the Yanyuwa album to be launched later in October at another live music event in Tennant Creek, featuring Shellie Morris and the traditional women singers.
The Yanyuwa women and Shellie were also invited to perform their Song Peoples Sessions songs at the 2011 Deadly Awards, at the Sydney Opera House on September 27, 2011.
The event was MC’d with great enthusiasm by local member Hon. Gerry McCarthy with the concert taking place at Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre, in front of a crowd of several hundred people.
A seasoned performer, Warren confessed on the stage to feeling uncharacteristically “nervous” performing “in front of family”. A huge crowd danced towards the end of Warren’s set, as he sang one of his early hits in Warumungu.
Song people... Shellie Morris and the Yanyuwa women singers from Borroloola at Desert Harmony. Pic: Megan Spencer
The launch also marked the end of a unique, year-long musical journey, with producer Patrick McCloskey thanking all involved in the production and the live event, at the end of the night.
The landmark Song Peoples Sessions project is a Barkly Regional Arts and Winanjjikari Music Centre Production, with funding from the Federal and Northern Territory governments.
Read more about the Song Peoples Sessions and 2011 Desert Harmony Arts & Culture Festival.
View the photo album from the Song Peoples Sessions at Desert Harmony on the Music NT Forum.
Words: Megan Spencer. Source: Song Peoples Sessions blog.
Where can I buy Song Peoples Sessions? Heard Shellie and the Ladies at the NAMA and they were great!