The date of January 26 continues to hold unifying and divisive perspectives amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians who recognise it under different names - Australia Day commemorates this date back in 1788 as the day on which Captain Arthur Phillip formally took possession of Sydney Cove, establishing European Australia; Invasion Day recognises the original invasion of the land by English colonisers and the continued oppression of Indigenous people; Survival Day acknowledges the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture despite the inequalities which still exist.
We spoke with some of our artists who shared their thoughts on why the date of Australia Day needs to be changed.
L-FRESH The LION...
"Celebrating Australia Day on the 26th of January is divisive, disrespectful and in direct contrast with what people regard as its intention. If the intention is to celebrate the Australia of today as a great multicultural and inclusive country, then by its very nature it cannot be celebrated on 26th of January because it excludes Indigenous people who have (for longer than Australia Day has been an official holiday) observed the date as a Day of Mourning, Invasion Day and Survival Day. So, quite obviously, the date needs to change."
OKENYO...
"The current way the nation celebrates Australia Day has never sat right with me. As a nation we drink and eat to excess and many exhibit an aggressive display of patriotism that often leads to bigotry and violence. I've never understood how people can behave in this way and I've never seen January 26 as something to celebrate. I believe it is of utmost importance that we as a nation continually reflect and recognise our past and honour our Indigenous people. One way to do this (and I mean only one, this is just the beginning) is to change the date. We have a responsibility to do so."
B WISE...
"I was born in Australia and I grew up here. It's a place I've always loved and called home. However, I also acknowledge that I am a guest on this land that has a black history. If the traditional owners and custodians of this land mourn on January 26th, what kind of person does that make me if I celebrate? So I say change the date."
In case you missed it, in collaboration with NITV, Urthboy, L-FRESH The LION, Ozi Batla, Thundamentals, Nooky, Birdz, Tasman Keith, Hau, Coda Conduct and Kaylah Truth teamed up to produce the song ' Change the Date'. Check out the 360 degree VR experience video below. The powerful lyrics can be found on NITV's website here.
Santigold dropped her new album 99c early this year and will be touring Australia in two weeks, including Splendour in The Grass and sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. Her single 'Chasing Shadows; is our Zug Zug this week, 'cause it makes us bounce.
She'll be taking OKENYO on tour with her, so check this out and pick up your tickets here before they roll.
Photo by Romain Duquesne Sydney based vocalist and all round multi-faceted artist OKENYO joins the fam. We caught up with her to talk about the origins of her musical career and to get a taste of what's to come from our new and exciting collaboration. How did you get involved with music in your earliest days? Did you always have a creative inkling? I've always sung from an early age but never trained as a singer. My voice has changed a lot over the years and that is due to the different styles I've had to sing in theatre productions. Spanish, French, ballad, soprano, harmonies, belting, et cetera, all these different techniques really challenged and opened up my range in a major way. I really believe everyone can sing, you just have to find your voice. Was there a musical persona developing before OKENYO? At what point did you realise OKENYO was meant to be? I always wrote little bits and pieces but it wasn't until I got the iMaschine app on my phone that I really started putting whole songs together. Having access to making beats was easily a gateway to being more intuitive. I then went on to work more extensively with iMaschine on my laptop. When I toured with Jinja Safari a few years ago, I had more of a persona. I think that was natural for me because of my acting background. These days I'm leaning towards being closer to who I actually am, which is exhilarating but also confronting putting yourself out there. I feel like in the end people will connect more with me if I give them the true me. What drew you to ET and why did you feel it was the right fit for you? I knew they really cared about the artist and want to facilitate that rather that control it. When the signing went public and all the artists posted about me saying welcome, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. I don't think many labels operate on this true family level. It's very heart-warming and that positivity and respect makes me want to do great work. How has your experience been since signing with ET? How was it touring with Urthboy and L-Fresh? I had so much fun!! I was super nervous to see how my solo show would go or if it would work, but once I realised it was working and people are responding to my set really positively I could relax a bit more. Each person on tour was a treat to be around and even though it was the Urthboy tour it feels like a big ET love affair. That is testament to Urthboy though, he is egoless - it's rare.
You’ve been described by many as an exciting new and unique artist who is mysterious and pushing the boundaries of genre.
Mysterious! I'll take that. I'm glad I don't prescribe to one particular genre, it's certainly not intentional. I remember early conversations with some musicians I was working with who were classically trained and they kept saying to me before we'd tried an idea I'd had: "This won't work because A doesn't fit with B." It was really frustrating because I just don't think there are rules. I write from an instinctual place and am still very much learning. It's important to remain the student even when you get to the top of your game.
How would you describe your approach/attitude to music (both production and writing)? What’s motivating you as an artist? Is it the opportunity to push the boundaries, is it about finding yourself, is it about using your voice to the fullest potential?
It's all those things. I think definitely there is a current focus on finding myself and that is with the greater need to then be clearer about what I want to say about the world. I'm probably more political than I was in my 20's and I'm focussing on how to put that into my music in a way that is not token but can have the capacity to make social change. Aim big!
To celebrate the launch of her single, '10 Feet Tall', OKENYO will be performing an intimate gig at Sydney's Oxford Circus, Wednesday July 6. Tickets available through Moshtix.
