MUSIC was its powerful best when it united the Wallaga Lake Koori Village and surrounding non-Aboriginal residents at Friday’s night community concert.
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Described as an overwhelming success and an historic event, more than 300 people of all backgrounds and ages packed the community hall for a concert that celebrated the end of the four-week Grow the Music project in the village.
“The Wallaga mob was very proud and bowled over by the positive community response, and so happy that they had a chance to show such a positive side of their people to everyone,” said Jazz Williams from SE Arts, who together with Grow the Music coordinated the concert.
The Grow the Music project introduced Wallaga youngsters to new musical experiences in intensive music and film workshops, bringing out their talents, and was funded by South East Arts and Arts NSW.
Andrew Gray from SE Arts was among those very pleased with the concert and work of Grow the Music, who he hoped would be back.
In the meantime, SE Arts hoped to continue and foster the continued musical development of the local Aboriginal community.
More familiar with working in the remote outback, Grow the Music directors were excited to bring their powerful music education, designed to instil confidence in people and enrich lives, to the NSW South Coast.
Warren Foster Junior was the MC, and following a Welcome to Country by Gary Campbell there was a performance of the women of the Djaadjawan Dancers.
The youngsters who had participated in Grow the Music then banged their drums, did some acrobatics and sang on stage.
Some of the communities more established Aboriginal performers including Warren Foster, his son Warren Junior performing as Foster the Kid, CJ Leon as Black Elvis and Keene ‘Bundy’ Ballangarry.
Also performing was regular visitor and accomplished musician Shellie Morris, who had the spent the previous week conducting workshops for local Aboriginal musicians at the nearby Umburra Cultural Centre.
Four Winds brought Shellie and fellow indigenous performer Archie Roach to another community concert and lunch at the village hall earlier in the week on Monday.
