Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains images and references of deceased persons.
Wuigada is a dedicated space where First Nations musicians can share and celebrate music made by other First Nations musicians with PBS audiences.
Wuigada was named and developed by the highly acclaimed indigenous singer songwriter, Kutcha Edwards. Wuigada in Mutti Mutti means 'to sing'.
In this edition of Wuigada we hear from Robert K. Champion.
A modern-day storyteller, Robert K. Champion moves audiences with his haunting guitar-led songs and compelling narrative tales of life, love and loss across the Australian landscape. Originally from the far west coast of South Australia, Robert is a Gubrun, Kokatha and Mirning man, now living and making music in Narrm. We caught up with Robert, and asked him a few questions as well as his Wuigada song list.
Can you tell us what have you been doing recently?
"The last thing I did recently was the Manta Milmilpa (Sacred Ground) show for YIRRAMBOI Festival at the Melbourne Recital Centre (watch Robert's performance here) which was an eye opening experience that helped me learn more about my people's stories. It helped me turn an idea into an actual show and bring some of the best musos together, helping to make my ideas a reality. Now, I am setting time aside to write new songs for an upcoming album. I am writing songs, creating music and hopefully going to be working with other artists to make the next album happen."
Please tell us about a song by a First Nations musician that has had a big impact on you, and can you tell us about your connection to that song?
"'Black Boy' by Coloured Stone is a song that has had a big impact on me. It is a song I was easily able to connect with being an Aboriginal boy myself when I first heard it. I was about 5 or 6 and I think I saw the video clip first before I heard the song and it was actually the first time I saw other black people performing. It was an introduction to Aboriginal music and planted the seed for other singers and songwriters such as myself and other black musicians.
'Jailangaru Pakarnu' by Warumpi Band is another one that was a big song for me. It is a song about Nungas coming out of jail and they are making their way back to their land and celebrating music by doing shows and performances on the way. It's a fun song because they get out of jail and jump straight into a fast car, collecting their family members and dropping them off along the way too. The imagery of it tells our stories and not just us sitting in the bush or in a shed playing music, but the band are taking us on a journey - they have Sammy Butcher playing guitar at the Papunya airport. The song itself is about being rebellious, being in jail and coming out of jail. It's a fun video clip and it celebrates the humour of hard times, which is what us blackfellas do - we use humour as a coping mechanism.
I also want to mention Tiddas. I discovered Tiddas, meeting them for the first time when my high school band (the Port Lincoln High school Nunga Band) was the opening act for Tiddas and Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter when they performed in Adelaide in 1993. That really helped inspired us young blackfellas to move forward with our own music and become songwriters ourselves and not just play covers. That particular style of music helped us develop our own style. Meeting these people was a great experience for us and how their particular music was the gateway for us to not feel shame (embarrassed or shy). Seeing Coloured Stone, Warumpi Band, Tiddas, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter - they taught us to be strong within ourselves and our culture."
It is with immense pleasure that we share Robert K Champion's s top 10 songs for Wuigada:
Scrap Metal - 'Broken Down Man'
Coloured Stone - 'Black Boy'
Archie Roach - 'From Paradise'
Troy Cassar-Daley - 'Lonesome But Free'
Emma Donovan - 'Changes'
Nancy Bates - 'Old Black Woman'
Warumpi Band - 'Jailangaru Pakarnu'
The MERRg - 'These Little Things'
Ruby Hunter - 'Down City Streets'
Tiddas - 'Anthem'
Chrysophrase Band - 'Tjana-Ann-Wiluara'
Issac Yamma - 'Pitjantjatjara Boy'
Puntji Thompson - 'Patrola Song'
Listen to the Wuigada playlist in full via YouTube now.
Visit all the Wuigada stories, or check out: BUMPY, King Stingray, Lance O'Chin, Izy, Alice Skye, Radical Son, Black Rock Band, Allara, Emma Donovan, Marlene Cummins, Benny Walker, Stiff Gins, Ripple Effect Band, Waveney Yasso, Sue Ray, Troy Jungaji Brady, Dave Arden, Shellie Morris, Deline Briscoe, L.J. Hill, Selwyn Burns, Roger Knox and Kutcha Edwards.
Artwork by Dixon Patten.
