Wuigada is a dedicated space on the front page of the PBS 106.7FM website where First Nations musicians can share and celebrate music made by other First Nations musicians with PBS audiences.
Each week we'll be sharing playlists curated by First Nations musicians, as nominated by other First Nations musicians involved in the project, ensuring that curatorial control of Wuigada is collectively self-determined by First Nations musicians.
Wuigada was named and developed by the highly acclaimed Indigenous singer songwriter, Kutcha Edwards. Wuigada in Mutti Mutti means 'to sing'.
Yorta Yorta guitarist, songwriter and rock legend, Selwyn Burns, is featured in this edition of Wuigada.
Uncle Selwyn was lead guitarist in No Fixed Address from 1983. It was here, and later in Coloured Stone, he co-wrote some of the classics of Aboriginal rock music. Selwyn settled down in the mid-Eighties to raise his family of five boys and two girls (his sons Tjimba and Narjic currently perform as Yung Warriors, and his daughters are painting like their mother, the renowned painter Gabriella Possum).
Throughout the ‘90s, Selwyn revived his musical career with Kutcha Edwards and Grant Hansen in Blackfire, and is currently writing, recording and performing in Coloured Stone.
Please tell us about any of your new (or upcoming) releases:
We’re about to go and do an album as soon as I can get out of Victoria with Coloured Stone again. The lead singer put it all down, so there’s a whole lot of new songs - which we’ve been playing - but the best thing about it is it’s all experimental on the road. One’s called ‘Born Aborigine’, which isn’t recorded yet but I’ve had a lot of thought on it, and by the time it comes out it’s going to be something like the attack of Midnight Oil - just in your face. One of them songs. And the energy of it, too, because as a guitarist, I don’t like to play the one thing where the songs all sounds the same. I like to have variety.
Putting your own music aside, can you choose a song by a First Nations musician or song that has had a big impact on you, and can you tell us about your connection to that song?
No Fixed Address - 'I Can’t Stand and Look'. I think if you listen to that, to me, that was more than ‘We Have Survived’, and “I Am a Black, Black Man" (‘Black Man’s Rights’), and the song I wrote, ‘Pigs’. The song ‘I Can’t Stand and Look’ - what a slap in the face. I think that was when No Fixed Address played in Brisbane against the Commonwealth Games up there, Bob Hawke actually pulled the plug on them when they sung that song. He actually got the police to go up there and arrest No Fixed Address - I think they got arrested, but they were let out. They unplugged them. It was something about inciting a riot, or intent to start a riot, and they were in the middle of ‘I Can’t Stand and Look’.
If you listen to the words of ‘I Can’t Stand and Look’, I mean that’s just… wow. It slapped people in the face, but people put their head down in shame - to look up and say, “Hey, yeah - this is what really happened". Listen to 'I Can't Stand and Look' here.
"I’d like to acknowledge the people that acknowledged the first Australians - to put us on this map - which is the community radio stations. Without your input, we wouldn’t have been able to have the voice ourselves. Thanks PBS for supporting Indigenous culture, language and music over the years. It’s great to have you guys aboard. I’d like to acknowledge PBS’ support, for acknowledging our voice and our music." Selwyn Burns
Now we dive into Selwyn Burns’ top tracks for Wuigada:
Coloured Stone - 'I Miss My Way Of Living'
No audio available. Listen to more Coloured Stone here.
Scrap Metal - 'Sun Don't Shine'
Warumpi band – 'Tjiluru Tjiluru' (go bush album)
Blackfire – 'Why'
No audio available. Read about Blackfire here.
Kev Carmody – 'Thou Shalt Not Steal'
Yothu Yindi – 'Treaty'
Blekbala Mujik – 'Ready For The Loving'
No audio available. Listen to more Blekbala Mujik here.
Kuckles – 'Bran Nue Dae'
Mixed Relations – 'Aboriginal Women'
Mixed Relations – 'Salvation'
No audio available. Read about Mixed Relations here and listen via Spotify.
Jimmy Little – 'Royal Telephone'
Lionel Rose – 'Pick Me On Your Way Down'
Frank Yamma - 'She Cried'
Listen to the Wuigada playlist via YouTube now.
More Wuigada stories: Sue Ray, Troy Jungaji Brady, Dave Arden, Shellie Morris, Deline Briscoe, LJ Hill, Selwyn Burns, Roger Knox and Kutcha Edwards.
Artwork by Dixon Patten.