Pacific despatches

Lots of stories to tell. It’s been a strange year been away from home and the dogs and donkeys a lot -Timor Leste, Bougainville, Solomons, Tonga and around the traps with Not Drowning, Waving and Telek, Ben and Pius on the Malira tour. One of those times when all the rain falls in the one week. But as intense as it has all been it is shown me further what an astonishing region we find ourselves in

Bougainville and Timor are both fascinating countries having come out the other side of war. The cultural songs and contemporary songs that reflect back on ‘the occupation’ as they call it in Timor or ‘the crisis’ as they call it in Bougainville- The tragedy of war, the peacekeeping process, the ancestral cultural stories and the reawakening leads to a vitality in the songs stories and art. Cultural practice also gets interrupted during war for very practical reasons. You can’t safely walk to the wedding, or the funeral, or the school opening where the songs and dances are performed so the recording or just listening to these songs has vitality to it and a residence far beyond others.  Both countries are gob-smackingly beautiful- with huge stories- Santa Cruz massacre, Balibo, Likica, Panguna mine.

I have also been working hard finishing off four albums from Timor Leste in collaboration with some wonderful producers and artists.

Three albums and a short documentary will all be released in September. The Artists IzuPi and Lolobremu were part of the Hamoris Lian Timor ("Reviving the sounds of Timor") compilation album and tour of last year and they have both made their own wonderful albums drawing on rich stories of coastal heritage and stories from The Occupation which they believe should not be forgotten.

Alongside these will be the groundbreaking release of the Feto Nia Lian, Feto Nia Istoria (Her Voice Her Story) album and documentary, a collaboration between 15 young women artists, Candice Lorrae and Beatrice Lewis(Haiku Hands) and women survivor groups from Timor Leste,  Pirilampu and ACBit. The songs are layered with stories, melodies &vibrancy.

The documentary illustrates an important story from our immediate region.

I was also recently honoured to receive - on behalf of Wantok Music - the Medalha de Mèrito from the president of Timor Leste Joes Ramos-Horta. One of the proudest moments of my life.

Whilst I’m at it, I want to share this wonderful film clip from the Hamoris Lian Timor project. If you could, I would love for you to share it round to whoever you would like to see it- people in Australia need to see and hear our closest neighbours. It’s by Hendrikus Fahik and Angelo Carduso from Suai in Timor Leste. The track "Helele" is a wedding welcome song. That’d be some wedding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VotngbSaft

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