‘I’m excited about singing songs from my country in such a beautiful venue, in another country so far away,’ says teenaged Aboriginal, Annika. ‘A lot of our songs are about the impacts of colonialism on my people and country, so I think there’s something special about singing them back in London. I wonder what impact our voices will have?’
Annika is part of the Indigenous female youth choir, Marliya, who’ve been wowing audiences across Australia with Spinifex Gum, an energising performance that shares stories of the Yindjibarndi people of the Pilbara region. There are tales of injustice, disenfranchisement, and industrialisation yet the show is a celebratory, charismatic, and a love letter to Pilbara and its communities. Spinifex Gum was born when Felix Riebl of the band The Cat Empire was invited to make several visits to western Pilbara in 2015 – a trip that inspired a friendship with many in the community, and regular return visits.
The song cycle he wrote was based on his ‘experiences and impressions of the Pilbara, and my excitement to work with this group of amazing (mostly teenage) singers,’ he said at the premiere. ‘It’s mostly in English, but uses Yindjibarndi words and references throughout. I didn’t want to shy away from the injustices and hypocrisy I witnessed while staying there, but have tried also to evoke something with moments of lightness and humour as well.’
This will be the first time the Marliya choir has performed Spinifex Gum outside Australia, and the singers say they’re very excited to share their stories. Jaala, 21, says: ‘I am excited that Marliya has the opportunity to share our stories, and the stories of the Yindjibarni community inside the famous Barbican Hall. To have that dialogue with the London audience will be such a fantastic and important night for both us as performers and Indigenous people.’
And while the chance to travel, see new cultures and share their stories in the country that originally colonised Australia is exciting, for Kim, there’s an additional reason she’s looking forward to coming here: ‘I love architecture, so I can’t wait to see what the Barbican looks like in person.’
6 Oct 6pm, Hall
Words by James Drury
