Sunday, February 12, 2017, 7pm Zellerbach Hall Black Arm Band dirtsong Created by Black Arm Band Original Text Alexis Wright Original Concept Steven Richardson Black Arm Band Artistic Director Emma Donovan 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 Ursula Yovich Shellie Morris Troy Brady Nicole Lampton Band Tjupurru , yidaki /didjeribone Michael Meagher, bass Rory McDougall, drums Patrick Wolff, tenor saxophone and clarinet Benito Cortez, violin and viola Jacob Smolowe, piano Black Arm Band is assisted by the Australian government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body, and supported by the Victorian government through Arts Victoria. 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. 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 Lou Bennett 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 Western Australia, 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 Leah Flanagan, 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 Alice Springs, 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 musicians. 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 New South Wales, “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 Ngarrindjeri Written by Dan Sultan. Written by Ruby Hunter. A song of questions looking for answers. What is your name, your Gungalairla story, your land? The Ngarrindjeri language is Written by Archie Roach. from the Lower Murray River, South Australia. 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 Kev Carmody for the Written by Shellie Morris, Mandy Muir, and film One Night The Moon, 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/songwriter, 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 - Melbourne 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 the age 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, Cairns, 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 trombone).