The Lúrra Collective 'Homeland Calling'

In April 2015, Desert Pea Media held a two-week community engagement/song writing project with young people and community representatives in Maningrida, NT – a small and very remote community in Central Western Arnhem Land, NT.

The community of Maningrida is one of the most multilingual places on earth – with 14 different language groups spoken daily.

Aimed at being an exercise in acceptance, this project was the fourth DPM production in Maningrida, and was created with the intention of celebrating he many clan groups of Maningrida, NT. This diversity is a huge part of what makes this particular community so rich vibrant, buta lso a source of conflict and unrest.

At the time, local elders in Maningrida had identified a need to bring the clan groups together for celebration. They wanted to use this production to re-engage and educate young people around cultural identity, kinship systems and building capacity for social development and dialogue.

Through a partnership between Desert Pea Media, The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and local community-driven media organization ‘The Wiwa Project’ - we delivered a project that allowed the people of Maningrida to reflect on the diversity and richness of the many languages and cultural nuances throughout the town.

This project managed to engage a group of very senior and culturally significant ‘song men’ - these men hold the keys to the ancient creation stories that have been kept alive across the ages.

The song features five separate traditional ‘bungul’ songs (60,000 year old ceremonial songs) from of main language groups in Maningrida – acknowledging and celebrating the entire community. The songs, from different countries surrounding Maningrida, were generously offered to the production, as an example of harmony and unity. This inspired the young people to write a rhyme reflecting this sentiment.

The outcome is a remarkable piece of contemporary and historical significance that articulates all languages. Deemed by the elders as an opportunity to support healing and promote strength in diversity for the youth of the community, this project has far exceeded the expectations of its original vision.

The song features some of Australia's best session musicians - Declan Kely (Declan Kelly & The Rising Sun) on drums and Matt Smith (The Strides, Thirsty Merc) on guitar.

The first verse - written by local songwriter and cultural leader Victor Rostron recognizes and names the major language groups in the community.

Barlngadarr
Baraba
Lumbirra
Marlirri
Wurrbarn
Wakmarran
Karrdbarn
Bularrdja
Naburrdo
Bunku
Warrdangu
Warragarrdi
Bullumurr
Nadjodi (Taking care of country.)
Gulmardu
Gurro
Mawalangu
Miridj
Garadjangnu
Mowarlangu

(Thunder and Rain, Walking through the rain
Cut the paperbark and build a shelter
Old people travelling, looking for goanna hole
They start digging in the hole, pulling the goanna out.)


CREDITS

Toby Finlayson - Co-Director/ Co-Writer/ Producer/ DOP/ Editor
Natalie Carey - Co-Director/ Producer/ Performer
Victor Rostron - Co-Director/ Writer/ Performer
Joel Westlake - Music Director/ Composer
Joseph Diddo - Co-Director/ Co-writer/ Performer
Roy Weiland - 2nd Camera/ Motion Graphics/ Colour Grading
David Nicholas - Audio Mixing/ Mastering
Shayne Nabegeyo - Co-writer/ Performer
Jack Natilil - Co-writer/ Performer
Stanley Rankin - Co-writer/ Performer
Crusoe Kurrdal - Co-writer/ Performer
Young people from Maningrida - Performers/ Co-Writers
Declan Kelly - Drums/ Performer
Matt Smith - Guitar