While the weather couldn’t seem to make up its mind ranging from cloudy with cold swirling winds broken by calm, sunny patches. The skies miraculously cleared the minute the Welcome to Country & Official Opening Ceremony signalled the start of the days’ events.
A great sense of community pride and spirit was on show with over 600 people in attendance at this years’ NaranaFest. The Narana Team and a mob of volunteers produced a world class music event right here, literally in their own backyard at Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre on The Surf Coast Highway.
Joining in the Festival fun were Indigenous students from all over Australia, studying in Melbourne, who bussed down to enjoy a mix of music, traditional dance, art, food and culture. And with arts and crafts market stalls, short films, facepainting, boomerang painting and even Lego acitivities; there was definitely something for everyone at this year’s NaranaFest.
Benny Walker and his band impressed the crowd with a soulful blues tinged vibe early with his latest tracks winning widespread radio airplay they were instantly recognisable. Yirrmal joined by his father Yothu Yindi founding member Witiyana Marika and his new band ‘Yirrmal and the Miliyawutj’ showed just how far he has come as an artist. His debut EP ‘Youngblood’ testament to a young man going places in the music world with a blend of traditional and more contemporary influences.
Emily Wurramurra’s small stature belies a big voice and an even bigger passion for sharing her Culture through song. Swapping between Guitar, Ukulele and Keyboard she undoubtably won many new fans. Covering topics from the importance of preserving language to confronting issues of bullying, some of her in-between song banter was almost as powerful as the songs themselves.
Gawurra was a definite crowd favourite, quietly spoken, it was his sense of humour that shone through, his resonant voice and soulful blend of traditional and contemporary songs in which his culture, songlines, stories and history are deeply embedded. It’s easy to see how he scooped the NIMA awards with 4 gongs including Best New Talent and Best Album for ‘Ratja Yaliyali’. Gawurra closed his set with Yirrmal joining him onstage for a rousing rendition of Shane Howard’s classic Goanna anthem ‘Solid Rock’.
With the bands running slightly behind schedule by the time A.B. Original featuring Briggs and Trials took to the stage, just after 8pm, anticipation was already high. Diehard fans braved the drop in temperature by almost immediately rushing the front of The Boomerang Stage as the incendiary Bad Apples rap duo lit it up. A contrast from the more sedate sounds of earlier in the day The Boomerang Stage became host to a full blown hip hop dance party as the crowd got stuck into the 1-2 punch combination of A.B. Original’s politically charged tracks from their forthcoming ‘Reclaim Australia’ record.
NaranaFest really does allow Narana to engage with the community in a unique way sharing the best of Indigenous Culture, Music & Art at an event that families can enjoy together.
Saturday 5th November, 2016
Written by Lincon Boyd