Sunday, February 12, 2017, 7pm Zellerbach Hall dirtsong

Created by Black Arm Band Original Text Alexis Wright Original Concept Steven Richardson Black Arm Band Artistic Director Artistic Director— dirtsong Fred Leone Musical Director Michael Meagher Arrangements and Orchestrations Andrea Keller, Eugene Ball, and Julien Wilson, with artists of Black Arm Band Lighting Designer Michelle Preshaw Production Management Daniel Gosling Stage Management Brock Brocklesby Audio Engineer Patrick Murray Screen Visuals Natasha Gadd, Rhys Graham, Daybreak Films Producer Sarah Greentree Vocalists James Henry Shellie Morris Troy Brady Nicole Lampton Band Tjupurru , yidaki /didjeribone Michael Meagher, bass Rory McDougall, drums Patrick Wolff, tenor saxophone and Benito Cortez, violin and viola Jacob Smolowe, piano

Black Arm Band is assisted by government through the Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body, and supported by the Victorian government through Arts . This project has been assisted by the Australian government through the Department of Communication and the Arts’ Catalyst—Australian Arts and Culture Fund. This evening’s performance will be performed without intermission and will last approximately 90 minutes. Black Arm Band and Cal Performances wish to gratefully acknowledge that we are standing on the ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. We thank them for the privileged use of their ancestral lands.

Cal Performances Classroom activities with Black Arm Band are generously supported by the Jacques M. Littlefield Foundation. Cal Performances Classroom activities throughout the season are made possible, in part, by Wells Fargo.

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PROGRAM NOTES

he purpose of Black Arm Band is to dirtsong develop, perform, promote, and celebrate Sung in Yorta Yorta Tcontemporary Aboriginal and Torres Written by and Alexis Wright. Strait Islander music and culture to the highest From the Echuca, Barmah region, the heartland degree possible in a wide variety of performance of Yorta Yorta country, this is a song about and community contexts. the connections between people, music, and Established in 2006, Black Arm Band is a country. “Baiyan Woka” is Yorta Yorta for flexible music-theater ensemble that performs “singing for country/land.” This song comes on stages and in community contexts across from the understanding that we all have con - the globe as well as throughout metropolitan, nections—we just have to learn “Gulpa Ngar wal” regional, and remote Australia. The group (deep listening). promotes contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through the creation of Coming Up Close Now large-scale productions, concerts, installations, Devised and arranged by Mark Atkins and and multimedia projects. Julien Wilson. In the spirit of the Wongi word Since 2006, the company has performed “GrunGada” or “gathering” from the Cool - before over one million people in Australia and gardie, Kalgoorlie regions of , worldwide, has provided professional pathways this is an invitation for people, performers, and and opportunities to over 60 artists, and has storytellers to share their experiences, songs, offered community programs that have reached and music—both old and new. over 2,500 participants. Big Law About dirtsong Sung in Alyawarre and Yalanji A musical journey through Australia’s cultural Written by , Deline Briscoe, and heartland, dirtsong is set against a stunning Alexis Wright, based on text by Alexis Wright. backdrop of moving imagery and text inspired The language comes from Kuku Yalanji, the by the words of Miles Franklin Award winner rainforest country of the Daintree. Flanagan Alexis Wright. A collaborative performance has written in the language of her Nana from celebrating music, language, culture, and iden - east of , who was born Ivy Upurla- tity, it features unforgettable songs performed Dempsey; as part of the Stolen Generation her in 11 different Aboriginal languages by some of name was changed to Dorothea (Dempsey) Ber - Australia’s most extraordinary . to. All you people, come and listen to this spiri - Drawn wholly from Aboriginal Australia, dirt - tual connection to land. song mixes traditional approaches and contem - porary songs with existing repertoire and newly Giidang commissioned music to conjure a sense of Sung in Gumbayngirr “country” as not only a geographical place, but Written by Emma Donovan and Alexis Wright. as something much more—personal encoun - Sung in the Gumbayngirr language, which comes ters, memories, obligations, and nature itself. from the mid-north coast of , “Giidang” means “heartbeat,” and the song tells SONGS the story of our connection to “jagun” (“coun - Background and credits for some of the songs try”). How are we the country? How do we keep currently performed in dirtsong : the heartbeat of the country going? We must “ngarraanga” (“listen”). Far Away Home/Gungalaira The women in the song maintain the heart - Sung in English and Bundjalung beat almost like a pulse, and refer to the country From the award-winning film The Tracker, di - as “miminga” (mother). This song calls out like rected by Rolf de Heer. Composed by Graham a mother calls to her children, like a country to Tardif with lyrics by Rolf de Heer. its people.

 PROGRAM NOTES

Yarian Mi Tji (What’s My Name) Old Fitzroy Sung in Written by . Written by . A song of questions looking for answers. What is your name, your Gungalairla story, your land? The is Written by . from the Lower , . Dron Wanga Burad Sung in Gumatj Sung in Badjtala Written by Neil Murray. Performed with per - Written by Fred Leone. Badjtala language is from mission from the family of GR Burarrwanga. the Fraser Coast region of South East Queens - This version is dedicated to GRB and sung in land. “Burad” is the white-crested eagle and this Gumatj from the Yolŋu Matha languages of song is a hunting story, telling of how to watch North East Arnhem Land. the eagle find fish. Rainstorm This Land is Mine Sung in Gundjeihmi Written by Paul Kelly and for the Written by Shellie Morris, Mandy Muir, and film , directed by Rachel Alexis Wright. “Rainstorm” is sung in the Perkins. Originally set on Andyamathanha land language from the southern end of Kakadu in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, it reflects National Park (it is still spoken fluently all over on the concepts of possession and belonging. the region). Mandy Muir, with the help of her mother, Jesse Alderson (a Traditional Owner in Kakadu), translated this piece.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Black Arm Band places. BAB develops, performs, promotes, and Black Arm Band (BAB) is an Aboriginal and educates as a vehicle for social change that is Torres Strait Islander organization and one of centered on self-determination, empowerment, Australia’s leading performing arts companies, and the development of community. widely praised for its distinctive music-theater Black Arm Band is a flexible ensemble of performances. The group celebrates Indigenous highly skilled musicians, composers, perform - music, culture, and language through the com - ers, directors, and artistic technicians, working bination of music and uniquely powerful visual together and representing the finest of Aus - imagery. BAB shares the stories and heart of tralian music theater. Indigenous culture with audiences in the spirit of resilience, understanding, hope, and recon - James Henry (vocals ) is a singer/, com - ciliation, and its presentations are a contempo - poser, producer, music director, and accom - rary expressions of more than 40,000 years of plished photographer. He is involved in many living culture. fields of the music industry: as a guitarist on At the heart of BAB’s work is a deep connec - Black Arm Band’s recent tour of the UK; a choir tion with Indigenous communities across Aus - member and guitarist on the Archie Roach Into tralia. The group’s remote music workshops the Bloodstream tour; and as a composer for and performance programs have positively im - various dance and theater pro jects. His skills pacted over 2,500 participants with inspiration have attracted commissions from the City of drawn from the ongoing relationships devel - to compose for experimental media oped throughout these diverse communities, and as music director of the Melbourne Festival and grounded in connections to people and opening ceremonies.

 PLAYBILL ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Troy “Jungaji” Brady (vocals ) keeps cultural tured into music studies at of 17 and fires burning through his lyrics and music, achieved a diploma in world music at EORA presenting his captivating stories around the Centre, Sydney. Eventually, Lampton became world. The Western GuGuYalanji and Birri involved in local music groups in Sydney and Gubba songman shares his tales of country, love, , performing soul, hip-hop, and alterna - and law in language and through contemporary tive styles of music. In 2002 she joined the local folk/roots music. Currently touring as a feature Cairns hip-hop artist Carl Fourmile, support - artist with BAB, as well as performing as a solo ing his music with her soulful melodies. Lamp - artist, he is a consummate performer. Over a ca - ton assists other artists with songwriting and reer of 20 years, he led a number of bands be - music arrangements and has performed as a fore setting out on his own, his current music support act with Jordan Oliver. exploring more deeply his language and con - nection to the country of his ancestors north of Tjupurru (yidaki/didjeribone ) is a proud de - Cairns and Proserpine. scen dant of the Djabera Djabera tribe of the West Australia Kimberleys. He plays a unique Ursula Yovich (vocals ) was recently selected as slide didjeridu named “The Didjeribone” be - one of the “Top 21 Most Iconic Women of the cause it can slide through different notes and Australian Stage”; the six-time Helpmann tones (a cross between a didj and a ). Awards nominee has become one of Australia’s Since bei ng discovered at the Big Sound Festi val most celebrated performers. From Maningrida in Brisbane, Tjupurru has worked with Kaki King in North East Arnhem Land to Carnegie Hall, (USA), Leo (), (France), Yovich has amazed her audiences. She has also Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and many more. He has played significant roles in the feature films Aus - performed at the Jazz in the Domain festival, tralia, directed by Baz Luhrman, Jindabyne (Ray collaborating with the renowned percussionist Laurence), and Around the Block (Sarah Spil - Airto Moreira, and has been invited to appear lane) . Yovich has appeared in the television se - at festivals across Australia, New Cale donia, ries , , and Japan, and the United States His latest The Code, and has performed with every major was produced by Lee Groves (Gwen Ste fani, theater company in Australia. The Black Eyed Peas, Marilyn Manson).

Shellie Morris (vocals ) is a proud Yanyuwa and Michael Meagher (music director and bass ) is a Wardaman woman, a multi-award-winning graduate from the Victorian College of the Arts singer/songwriter who creates and sings in 17 and currently plays with Black Arm Band, The Australian Aboriginal languages. She has been Meltdown and Emma Donovan, and The Put - in the spotlight over the years for involvement backs. He has worked as a freelance bassist for with Black Arm Band, and has earned ARIA bands including The Bamboos, The Pigram nominations, the Music Australia Award, and Brothers, Kate Ceberano, and Ross Hanna - the GR Burarrwanga Memorial Award, always ford. In 2011 Meagher performed with inter - working within local communities to empower national superstars Joss Stone, Mavis Staples, and gently effect social c hange. S he is the 2014 and Rickie Lee Jones, through BAB’s Mel - NT Australian of the Year, the 2014 NAIDOC bourne Festival production Notes from the Hard National Artist of the Year, a multi-Deadly Road. He continues to work with a wide array of Award winner, and a driving force for the ac - artists and is also a passionate teacher. claimed album Ngambala Wiji li-Wunungu and the internationally award-winning musical doc - Rory McDougall (drums ) graduated from the u mentary Prison Songs. Victorian College of the Arts in 2000, with a bachelor’s degree in music performance (reper - Nicole Lampton (vocals ) grew up singing toire) and specializing in percussion. He has gospel in choir in her family church. She ven - collaborated with many Australian musicians,

 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

in cluding (of the group Goanna), years. She has extensive experience as a tour The Conglomerate (featuring members of the manager, safety officer, company coordinator, Cat Empire), and the Chris Hale Ensemble, and production manager, and her specialty among many others. McDougall has spent six is stage manage ment. Brocklesby has stage- years as drummer with Black Arm Band and managed many commercial productions but has also worked in the rhythm section for nu - her preference is to work for companies with merous projects featuring artists including the more than money at their heart. She has toured Melbourne hip-hop group T.Z.U, Ross Hanna - extensively—locally, internationally, and to re - ford Trio, Mavis Staples, Joss Stone, Ricki Lee mote communities. Jones, Paul McDermott, HOY, , Kate Ceberano, Rhonda Burchmore, Matt Daniel Gosling (production manager/lighting ) Hether ington, Shane Howard, City City City, has been on the road for the last 10 years, work - David Arden, Illzilla, The Red Eyes, Paul Kelly, ing in a range of roles in lighting, staging, audio, , The Putbacks, Labjacd, San automation, and management. He has been Lazaro, Scott Edgar, Tripod, and The Firemen privileged to work on the Australia television (Bamboos). production RocKwiz and act as crew chief and systems engineer on their national Australian Fred Leone (artistic director of dirtsong) has a tours. He has worked as production manager long history working as a dancer, singer, hip- and lighting designer for KuDeTa Bali’s high hop artist, and MC, as well as an educator work - season dance parties for the last eight years ing in community cultural development and as as well as production manager for the Victorian a youth worker. He is an gifted community Opera and Melbourne Ballet, numerous school leader, with strong Australian Aboriginal, Ton - and pro-am productions, and diverse interna - gan, and South-Sea Islander heritage, and has tional clients on their broadcast and live events also been a guest curator of Clancestry at QPAC. both in Australia and across southeast Asia. Leone is currently developing a new work for the National Theatre of Scotland. Black Arm Band is a flexible ensemble featur - Brock Brocklesby (stage manager/visuals ) has ing a large group of different artists and some worked with BAB since its inception and in artists pictured may not be appearing in these the arts and cultural events landscape for 30 performances. Berkeley RADICAL IMMERSION, INNOVATION, AND INCLUSION is performance by Black Arm Band is part of the 2016/17 Berkeley RADICAL Inclusion strand that spans multiple genres from September 2016 – February 2017. Inclusion performances and activities seek to explore how universal themes can arise from diverse, culturally specific artists or ensembles, and how artists use the idea of inclusion in their creative process. Regardless of cultural backgrounds, audiences can see themselves in such works because the artists intentionally aim for inclusion. Cal Performances’ next Inclusion program takes place on February 18, when e Nile Project returns to Berkeley. An audience favorite in 2015, this remarkable program spotlights artists from the 11 Nile countries and celebrates the rich mix of musical communities gatherered around a shared, precious resource: water. For complete details of all performances and related activities, please visit calperformances.org.

 PLAYBILL dirtsong SINGING “COUNTRY” IN NEW WAYS

by Urszula Dawkin

Black Arm Band’s first show, murundak (2006), Remembered and passed on by the old peo - surveyed the depth and breadth of contempo - ple, or reconstructed with the help of early jour - rary Aboriginal music to date; its second, nals and ethnographic records, these recovered Hidden Republic (2008), took a step towards the languages are helping redress the cultural dis - future in its expression of hope “post-apology.” possession suffered by Aboriginal Australia. dirtsong —performed predominantly in Indi - They are also enabling the renewal of an oral genous languages from across Australia— tradition over 40,000 years old. brings past and future together and celebrates The languages in dirtsong come from across language restoration and cultural survival Australia, from the to Tas - through songs that map the “countries” of the mania, and from east to west: Gumatj and band members. Burrarra of Yolŋu Matha from Arnhem Land; Of the hundreds of Aboriginal languages that palawa kani from Tasmania; Yorta Yorta and were spoken before 1788, many have been irre - Mutti Mutti from southern Mungo region; trievably lost or are at risk of disappearing when Ngarrindjeri from the lower Murray River their remaining fluent speakers pass away. But region in South Australia; Gumbayngirr, from some languages survive and are thriving, and north-coast New South Wales; , from many are being recovered, restored, and learned the western Great Australian Bight—and quite anew by younger generations. a few more. Each of the Black Arm Band artists

 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

has their own particular relationship to culture new “territory” encompassing the many land - through language; whether it be long-standing scapes, both physical and cultural, that make up and uninterrupted through generations of fam - this continent. ily, recently recovered, or severed through geo - “The performance is in some senses a map graphical displacement. of Australia,” says Richardson, “but not in the In this sense, dirtsong re-maps and strength - sense that we are trying to represent specific ge - ens these cultural relationships, feeding back ographical locations. Each language is specific into the larger project of language revival in this to a place, but the music perhaps renders a sym - country. Many of the songs are newly commis - bolic portrait of Australia embracing cultural sioned—not just reinforcing or affirming cul - and linguistic diversity.” ture, but actively creating it. This idea of a “map” also suggests the tradi - Black Arm Band artist and Yorta Yorta wo - tional Aboriginal concept of “songlines,” an idea man Lou Bennett sees dirtsong as being much that is complex, but for Lou Ben nett represents more than a concert, and language as much “the connection between the past, the present, more than “words” for the artists in the band. and the future.” “dirtsong is about land, language, and peo - Bennett says that the creation of a songline ple,” says Bennett, “and the connection between does not depend on a traditional approach. the three is innate in us [Aboriginal people]. It’s “Even if I’m using English, [if] I’m using a something that’s always been there, always different type of melody, [if] I’m not necessar - will be in humankind, but in our mob it’s very ily using traditional instruments, it’s still a con - evident in our everyday life. Whether we’re nection to my land, it’s still a connection to my from the cities or the country, we all come from belief system. It’s not just a pop song—it links that earth, we all go back to that earth.” me to that ancestral land.” For many of the band’s members, the cre - Songlines, says Bennett, relate not only to ation of dirtsong was an intense personal expe - time but also to places, “like little veins that run rience—particularly for those who are in the through the country.” process of retrieving their language, or who are “You know, some of those old men and wo - yet to hear their own language spoken. men that travel through bushland, they sing the “We have members within Black Arm Band country; and when they sing the country they that have been dispossessed and removed from know where they are. It’s like a map to them, their countries,” says Bennett, “and also people and that’s more of the depth of what songlines who are still in their countries and still speaking are to me.” their languages fluently—the whole gamut. And Transplanted to a contemporary setting, per - it is such an overwhelming emotional thing to haps there is a relationship between the singing go through that journey [of language recovery], of the old people and the map that Black Arm even by yourself, with your family and com - Band creates through this show. dirtsong ’s title munity—let alone for a particular show.” track, written by Bennett, acknowledges the “Language is belonging,” she says. “It is tast - depth of tradition while retaining a clear focus ing—it is feeling. When I speak and sing my on the present. language I feel at home. I feel a sense of belong - “[The song, ‘dirtsong’] is about the songs that ing, and pride in my language. I also feel a sense come up from the country—that have been of connection to the land where that language coming up from the country for a very long comes from.” time. And if you listen to that country, you hear dirtsong is about telling a story—not only the songs, you hear that oldness, you ‘Gulpa musically, but spiritually—about the meaning Ngarwal’—you start to listen deeply.” of country and the Indigenous relationship to “It’s not just about looking to the past and to the land through time. According to the show’s the ancestors; it’s also happening now. We are original director, Steven Richardson, it charts a still singing our country, but in other ways.”

 PLAYBILL r e k l a W

a r a S Original Text That Inspired dirtsong by Alexis Wright

Alexis Wright, a member Sea place—looking after em. of the Waanyi nation of Keeping story alive for country, the southern highlands of make it alive—singing the songs, the Gulf of Car pentaria, Living the stories, is one of Australia's finest Holding the knowledge, n writers. Her novel Carpen - Following the story, w o r B

- taria won the Miles Frank- That is the Aboriginal law belonging to us. n o d r lin Award, Aus tralia's most dirtsong—happening now! o G

n prestigious literary prize. a s u

S Country! Country for me! You listening? This is dirtsong—It comes from where we Are you listening to me? bin start off. Coming up close now. Comes from country line. I am country. Listen to me! Long time singing song for country. I am your government—I am the land. dirtsong coming up from where everything This country speaks proper way. start off. Law right up top. It has to be above other laws. Coming up from ancient song for making country good—looking good all of That Canberra law underneath—any the time. Australia law underneath—only little law. Singing it up, singing it up, looking after it well. Yeah, I reckon old Law is everywhere. Should be like that, very important for See it over there in the hill where the old spinifex, gidgee, mulga, spirits live, inside rock, tree, wind, sky, Plenty good food, plant, water hole, all animals and these old ones are coming animal each country place, through the elders singing the country with Sky place, all the knowledge for big law.

 TEXT

I cannot be any other way. We got to make the stories. I am not your way. Sing the stories back. Everyone must listen to the land to live strong. Bring the country back. Singing it up. Land strong with Law. . Indigenous law. Bringing up feeling. He is the right constitution for this country. Feeling it in the heart. I am here. Giving it back to the country. Sitting down here. Listen for the heartbeat. My country, he’s alright, very good. The heartbeat now—with the pulse of the land, I am happy now. The bird; The tree; The grass and the wind. First time I am happy. Bringing it up. I like that country and go back and stay there. It is desert country, all flat, and big range on Dry country some places now side—that far—and all the sandhill going Too much the other way. I don’t know if we will get rain soon. We done ceremony—making corroboree, Who will make it rain? and all that for our own country. I can’t make it rain I know everything: what Dreaming I got, Some of them old people passed away now, law that my father lend me. you know, the rainmakers.

I am here. They been make it rain. Sitting down here. Make it rain and the country come back. Sitting where grandparents’ grandparents lived. You got to look after the rainmakers. Watching my country, watching story— People need to listen creation story, law story. Listen carefully Growing up children. The wind blows strong Growing up country. Through the tree it blows Looking after. Come visiting you Side by side. Spirit talking to you Proper way for this country. It comes in dreams You can hear it too I don’t know what other people do We are made the same, you and I to the country. Hot wind bringing the goose I cannot understand it. Bringing fish It is a crying shame to see the country Rain storm. like this. Yep! We have seen all the change. Alexis Wright’s words written in recognition of There were a lot of good things right through the recorded voices of elders in the books Take this country—but memories now. Power and Story About Feeling by Bill Neidjie. Still though, the Indigenous law for land Alexis Wright is supported by the Writing and stands strong, I don’t know how, but it does. Society Research Centre, College of Arts, Western Sydney University. Black Arm Band also ac - knowledges the generous support of the Central Land Council.

 PLAYBILL