Darwin Festival
Santos Opening Concert
Creating an explosive start to the 2010 Festival this free family concert stars the favorites and the fabulous discoveries of Indigenous performers from the NT and around Australia.
Hot from their success at The Dreaming Festival come the ladies from our 2008 sell-out sensation Liberty Songs: featuring Shellie Morris, Leah Flanagan and Lou Bennett with members of Darwin's Liberian community including the ever popular African Gospel Choir and Liberian Culture Dance Group.
Emma Donovan is one of Australia's finest Indigenous voices. Her rich, exquisite performance seamlessly blends roots, reggae and gospel into smooth soul. Emma continues to have a major impact on Australian stages and in the international arena.
In what is possibly the most anticipated debut live performance ever seen at this gig, Ramingining's Dunganda Street Sounds erupts onto the scene with Señor and countless other tunes accompanied by flashy music videos, this mob is set to rock the house!
The concert will also feature musician and AFL star Russell Roberston and guitarist Phil Ceberano.
Dunganda Street Sounds is supported by Fred Hollows Foundation.
Bring a picnic rug. Food and drinks on sale. No BYO Alcohol.
Date: Thu 12 August
Time: 6.30pm, gates open 5.30pm
Duration: 2 hrs 30 mins
Venue: The Amphitheatre, Botanic Gardens
FREE
Sponsored by
Map
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Getting There
Free Shuttle Buses
Free shuttle buses operate from 5.30 - 6pm from Darwin City via McMinn Street to the Amphitheatre.
After the show, free buses depart the venue for Casuarina, Palmerston and Darwin Interchanges.
Emma Donovan
Emma Donovan has established herself as one of Australia’s finest Indigenous singer/songwriters. With the inclusion of her traditional language Gumbayngirr in her songs, Emma is committed to educating the global community to understand more about Aboriginal culture and spirituality.
Originally from Northern NSW; Emma has performed across the globe treating audiences to her rich soulful voice as a solo artist, and as part of the award winning Black Arm Band. Seamlessly blending genres from roots, reggae and gospel to smooth soul; Emma continues to have a major impact both on the Australian main stream stage and in the international arena!
Her vast concert experiences have taken her to the Royal Concert Hall London, Musee de Quai Branli Paris, Benaki Museum Athens, Tjibaou Cultural Centre New Caledonia, Festival of Pacific Arts Palau, Treaty Grounds of Waitangi New Zealand, the Sydney Opera House and recently to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
She travels extensively across Australia to Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Yarrabah, Cairns, Broome, Katherine, Nitmilluk, Fitzroy Crossing, Alice Springs and the Torres Strait having performed with and alongside some of Australia’s most respected artists such as Frank Yamma, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Christine Anu, Paul Kelly, Tiddas, Yothu Yindi, Ursula Yovich, Casey Donovan, Shellie Morris & Jimmy Little.
Emma’s current 5 track EP entitled Ngarraanga (Remember) or Ngarraanga Ngiinundi Yuludarra (Remember Your Dreaming) is Emma’s tribute to the Stolen Generations. The songs include Emma’s traditional language intercepted with spoken word by Uncle Harry Buchanan and features backing vocals by Gary Pinto (CBD) and Juanita Tippins. The video for Ngarraanga was shot at Carriageworks in Redfern in Sydney and showcases the extraordinary talent of Torres Strait Islander dancer, Albert David, inter-woven with archival footage.
Ngarraanga was launched to media in Australia to coincide with National Sorry Day on May 26th 2009.
Emma won Best Female Artist and Best R&B Single at the inaugural 2009 BUMP Awards for Ngarraanga which was also nominated for 2 Deadly Awards for Single of the Year and Best Female Artist. Most recently Emma won the Adult Contemporary genre for Commercial Radio Australia’s NA2R (New Artists 2 Radio competition) for her forthcoming single CHANGES picking up airplay across the country on major commercial networks. EMMA DONOVAN is the first Indigenous Artist ever to win NA2R!
Both of Emma’s current singles, NGARRAANGA & CHANGES were nominated in the 2010 Top 5 Australian Independent MusicOz Awards.
Liberty Songs
A stirring and honest cross-cultural performance based on the shared experiences of a group of Liberian women who arrived in the Northern Territory as refugees and Aboriginal singer songwriters: Shellie Morris (Wardaman/Yanyuwa), Lou Bennett (Yorta-Torta Dja Dja) and Leah Flanagan (Torres Strait Islands).
Liberty Songs draws on the inspiring experiences and remarkable musical traditions of both cultures.
Russell Robertson
It was television that first brought Russell Robertson to the public eye. He was drafted to the Melbourne Football Club from Tasmania's under 18s after recruiters saw him featured in a home video on the Footy Show's 'Almost Football Legends'.
Making his debut in 1997, Robertson soon became known as one of the game's best high-flying forwards, taking numerous marks of the week and twice leading club goal kicking.
The 2003 Best & Fairest winner had a golden year in 2005, playing for Australia in the International Rules series against Ireland. He was named the Leading Goal Kicker that year, an accolade he had previously enjoyed in 2001.
In 2007 Robertson experienced a setback after a strong start to the season. An awkward landing during the Melbourne vs Hawks game saw him injuring the medial ligament in his knee, missing seven weeks of football.
Having been a contestant in 2008 singing on the hit television show It Takes Two with partner Kate Ceberano, Russell has recently finished a stint also singing on Kate's last album 'So Much Beauty', whilst in waiting for his own album to be released.
