Mimal Daworro - Bulman School | The Song Room

"Mimal Daworro" was written and recorded as part of a workshop run by The Song Room in Bulman School, Northern Territory. The program is generously supported by The Smith Family Katherine.

The Song Room’s first 2023 trip to Bulman took place in the rainy month of February. The road to Bulman was closed due to flooding, but opened in enough time for The Song Room Teaching Artists Steve and Neneh to make the muddy wet trip to Bulman, to catch up with local Mimal Countryman Nathaniel Miller.

Steve, Neneh and Nathaniel worked with the students of Bulman School to write and record a song and to learn basic instrument skills.

The students and community were keen the song represented some of the names of the different clan groups (Dawarro) in Mimal (Fire) Country.

Four of the senior class girls Kelsey, Sheronna, Sharniqua and Nella went to meet Emma and Rob from Mimal Land Management to research the vast number of daworro (clan groups) in the Mimal area.

The students were keen to look at country associated with the clans and get the correct current spelling. (For the record, the spelling shown here comes from the latest Mimal Land Management resources)
The girls chose seven daworro to be mentioned in the song Bularldhdga, Mirradja, Marrangu, Dakkal, Barabba, Wariba and Buluwumwum.

These clan groups represent many of the people in the Bulman Weemol Area and many of the significant elders.

The words for the song were workshopped in a lyric writing class with the children in the Buffalo (Senior) Class.

The Buffalo class also chose instruments to have introductory lessons and help formulate and learn a part for the song. They then recorded those parts.

The Singers came from all of the three classes, Turtle, Croc and Buffalo.

Special thanks to Emma, Rob and Demetrius from the Mimal Land Management team for the Bumboo (Didgeridoo) workshop, support during the week and the loan of the Toyota ute for the video shoot!

This project was provided by The Song Room as a Communities for Children Initiative, funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, and facilitated by The Smith Family Katherine

The Players:

Guitar: Nathaniel
Ukelele: Marius, Caiden (Torah, Owen, Leanna, Floyd in the video and learnt parts)
Drums: Tishanna (Abriel in the video and learnt parts)
Bumboo: Raymond (Demetrius in the video)
Keys: Sheronna, Sharniqua (Kelsey and Nella also learnt these parts)
Congas: Tishanna (Caiden, Abriel, Flynn in the video and learnt these parts)
Bass: Steve (Tyronne in the video and learning the bass)
Singers: Leanna, Kelsey, Sharniqua, Torah, Annie, Savannah, Areesha, Cordelia, Jilleshe, Taneequa, Lexi, Spencer, Keisha, Lando, Kaynen and Nathaniel.
Dingo Howls: Lexi, Spencer.
Dingoes: Turtle Class!

The Song: Mimal Daworro

Verse 1
Dakkal (clan name)
Mibbar Dabu-no Gulin Gulin Hill (wedge tailed eagle eggs – left at Gulin Gulin Hill)
Barabba (clan name)
Watching the blood moon rise behind the trees
Wariba (clan name)
Swimming in Klikklickmada (place name)
Buluwumwum (clan name)
Sitting by the fire, listening to the old people talk

Chorus
Sitting in the back of the Toyota
Looking at the sky and listening to songs
Can you hear me, loud and clear
Mimal daworro, I belong
(Fire) (clan)

Verse 2
Bularlhdja (clan name)
Listening to the dingoes howling at night
Mirradja (clan name)
Fishing at the spring of Bamdibu (place name)
Marranangu (clan name)
Bighetti (place), where all clans meet
Jalji (together)
Mimal daworro, we are on, we are one

Teaching Artists: Steve Lane, Nathaniel Miller, Neneh Lane U’Ren
Audio and Video Produced by Realtone (www.realtone.com.au)
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To learn more about The Song Room and our programs, visit: www.songroom.org.au