Desert Sevenz - 'Fly Back Home'

'Fly Back Home' was the second production created during a four week Desert Pea Media mentoring program in the extremely remote Indigenous community of Ampilatwatja, in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory in 2013.

Winner of the 2014 Indigenous Music Award for 'Community Music Clip of the Year' - A partnership with Barkly Shire CDEP, the project focused on two major initiatives on Alyawarr Country - in the communities of Wutunugurra and Ampilatwatja NT, spanning two months in total.

A total of four original songs and music videos will be released in October 2013 on a limited release EP/DVD publication titled 'The Alyawarr Sessions', which will be circulated around Alyawarr communities free of charge, and available online. The package includes a 16 page booklet that documents the community songwriting process, and some cultural information about the focus areas.

Here is a section of text from the booklet focusing on this particular production -

The people of the Alyawarr Aboriginal language group have lived on the edge of the Simpson Desert in the Northern Territory for thousands of generations. Alyawarr language is spoken north west of Alice Springs, in the Utopia homelands, Ammaroo (Ampilatwatja), Wutunugurra (Epenarra), Murray Downs, Alekarenge, Canteen Creek, Alpurruralum (Lake Nash) and also Tennant Creek.

The Alyawarr belief system comes from a complex network of story, song, dance, place, family and a deep connection to country. Storytelling has always been an intrinsic part of Alyawarr culture.

In the initial brainstorming, we identified that the production should focus on CELEBRATING Alyawarr culture - encouraging people to learn and teach the future generations - whilst also re-engaging disengaged young people through popular culture such as hip hop and film. Using the new to teach the old.

Everyone agreed that a strong sense of pride in self, culture and identity will directly affect the cycles of social disadvantage that are painfully prevalent in the Northern Territory - mental illness, alcoholism, substance abuse, incarceration. Through connecting to culture and country - learning the stories and songs of our ancestors - we find strength in self and the confidence to lead our people to a more positive future.

For us, the first step was to use lyrics to 'paint a picture' of Alyawarr lifestyle before European settlement, and capture the beauty and majesty of local culture and country.

Upon consulting with a group of senior elders about cultural pride and traditional story, it was decided, to our amazement, that a rare and powerful community ceremony would be held that week, a cultural event that celebrates the continuing strength and resilience of Alyawarr culture today, and the beautiful and vibrant tradition of Alyawarr storytelling.

After THREE days of preparation and FIVE hours of continuous chanting by a group of elders as they wove the tapestry of the story - a group of Alyawarr men danced the dance of the Emu Dreaming, for the first time in a decade. The dance was led by our program participants - for many it was the first time they had ever been involved in this particular ceremony.

It was a truly extraordinary, powerful and very beautiful event.

The song 'Fly Back Home' is a fusion of contemporary and traditional story that samples on-location recordings of the sacred ceremony of the Emu Dreaming. It is difficult to put to words the honor and gratitude that we all felt to be a part of that moment. The friendships and trust that we shared with the people in Ampilatwatja are strong and life-long.

Much love.

Project Producer/ Director - Toby Finlayson
Lyrics by - Toby Finlayson, Joel 'Roc West' Westlake & Preston Payne
Music Director/ Producer - Joel 'Roc West' Westlake
Music Director/ Producer - Josh Nicholas
Film Director/ Editor - Toby Finlayson
Cinematography - Toby Finlayson
Camera Op - Josh Nicholas
Motion Graphics - Roy Weiland
Audio Mixing/ Mastering - David Nicholas