One of Australia's iconic storytellers and cultural figures, Archie Roach AM, performed a profound and evocative performance in Tilba on Wednesday, April 13.
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Archie said he enjoyed his visit to the Far South Coast, saying it was special to be near Gulaga.
"It was good to be there and see that part of the country again," he said.
The evening at Tilba Valley Winery and Ale House also featured a performance from the local Djinama Yilaga Choir.
Djinama Yilaga performed various songs, and their harmonious vocals drew people to sit around the stage.
The choir also welcomed Hip Hop artist and Djirringanj man Gabadu on stage to sing with them. Meanwhile artists Melanie Horsnell and Robyn Martin accompanied the choir with their string instruments.
When Archie and his band made their way to the stage, they were welcomed with warm applause.
Over the course of his performance, Archie connected with his crowd, making them laugh through the yarns he shared in-between songs.
"For me it's about singing and telling yarns to people," he said.
Archie said he enjoyed interacting with his audiences during performances.
"It's a two way street you know, it's about the interaction I get from the audience, they give me just as much as I give them and I always look forward to that."
When asked what message Archie would like to pass on in his final tour, he said it was to acknowledge how blessed people in Australia are to live on such beautiful country.
"This is a great and beautiful country and we're blessed to be able to live here and really, we all belong," he said.
"Not just to this country but to each other as Australian people, whether we're first nation or not, we're all a part of it."
Archie said the overall message from his songs, albums and performance was to encourage people to accept history, the whole of it, rather than to focus on certain parts.
"This is Australian history you can't just choose and cherry pick what you like from it," he said.
"If you can accept the whole history, the good and the bad, then you can move on from there."
During his performance at Tilba Winery and Ale House on Wednesday night, Archie sung stories of his own lived experience as a survivor of the Stolen Generations.
"I sing and speak about my own healing and how I had to go through that," he said.
One of the songs Archie performed was Weeping In The Forest, which talked about how the Indigenous families noticed their children had been taken due to the silence.
"They couldn't hear the children laughing in the forest," Archie said.
Archie said he shared his story to show his mindset about his history and encouraged people to embrace their history.
"It's important not to be bitter or point fingers and accuse people all the time, it's happened to a lot of people and we have our own ways of working out things and healing," he said.
"So I guess I share that with people, how that's been a part of my mindset."
Archie's parting message was that it was up to the older generations to share their wisdom and advice to the next generations.
"We need to understand that our next generation needs something positive and some good grounding and it's up to us to give them that," he said.
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