A ground-breaking album featuring Indigenous music and stories about cultures and traditions from Eden to Nowra is being launched in Nowra next week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
And with Bulla Midhong's launch on Friday, June 28, more than 25 musicians, dancers and singers from three communities will perform songs and stories from the home-grown album.
Two performances at 1pm and 7pm will also showcase visual displays created by the region's young Indigenous artists.
The special event is the result of a two-year project led by arts and social change powerhouse Big hART.
Uniting Yuin country
Bulla Midhong, meaning one and two is three, weaves together key stories from the three main regions of Yuin country, including whale stories from Eden, stories of Gulaga (mother mountain) from Wallaga Lake, and the black cockatoo story from Nowra.
Through music, narration and exquisite projected imagery, Bulla Midhong celebrates a deep connection to place and continues a long lineage of story-sharing across Yuin country.
The concert follows the success of a series of place-based events held in 2023 at the feet of three mountains, sharing three stories and connecting three communities.
Bulla Midhong's co-director and creative producer Lincoln Smith said the album was "a legacy piece" coming at the end of two years of workshops.
"It's been a beautiful process of collaboration between cultural mentors across the Yuin nation, across Nowra, Wallaga and Eden," Mr Smith said.
An 'ancient ceremonial exchange'
Live performances across the three locations had helped bring the different communities together, Mr Smith said, acting as "a sense of an ancient ceremonial exchange" because people in the different communities knew the same songs and dances, and loved to perform them together.
However the Nowra launch will e the first time songs and dance from the three regions are performed together as a complete picture from Yuin country.
Mr Smith said each community had put together three songs - a cultural song, one written by the region's young people, and one by a mentor.
Some of the cultural songs are traditional - the black cockatoo story from Nowra and the Gulaga creation story from Wallaga Lake.
However the Eden cultural story is a contemporary one, telling or a mother humpback teaching its calf about the traditional names of bays and coves while migrating north.
Acclaimed rap artist involved
Acclaimed rap artist Nooky was involved in the project, adding a rap to the Nowra students put together a song "Mother's Calling" that is included on the album, even though he is not able to attend the launch.
Despite Nooky's absence, the launch is expected to be spectacular.
"There's beautiful contemporary dancing, movement pieces and digital artworks, animations and soundscapes, and some really good live music - there's some amazing musicians that've been working on it,' Mr Smith said.
"It promises to be an experience that will move hearts and minds."
Event host and Thawa cultural leader Nathan Lygon is proud of the work.
"Through these events, we get an opportunity to educate, and invite non-Indigenous people to share our connection, to understand who we are, what we stand for and where we come from, so we're all walking together," he said.
Three acts of music and dance
The launch takes audiences on a journey through the Yuin nation, across three acts of live music and dance, with a backdrop of stunning visuals.
The experience begins in Eden with host Mr Lygon, then travels up the coast to Wallaga Lake with Djiringanj hip-hop artist Warren Foster Jnr before ending with showcasing songs and stories from Nowra, hosted by Gammeya-Dharrawal man Jacob Morris.
Mr Morris said the performances and recording the album had reunited the South Coast and all parts of the Yuin nation.
It was "three different stories, three different communities, but we're all one," he said.
Many students had been involved in the process, and had gained a valuable insight into possible careers in the music industry, Mr Morris added.
The Gadhungal Marring dancers and Ashweeni Mason bring exquisite movement pieces with the concert being masterfully woven together by musical co-directors Syd Green and Sivan Agam.
Project 'highlights strength and resilience'
"Culture is still strong in Yuin Country and this project highlights the strength and resilience of my people," Ms Mason said.
"Being given this platform to tell our stories in a modern way has been the most amazing experience.
"The teachings and learnings to the participants have been invaluable and having them be a part of this project gives me great hope that our traditions and stories will not be forgotten," she said.
