Condobolin is a small town in the west of the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on the Lachlan River. Part of an ongoing mentoring project with Desert Pea Media - ‘Who I Am’ was written, recorded and shot over four days in March 2013.
This Local Community Campaign was developed with funding from the Department of Health and Ageing via Arts Out West and the ‘Spread The Word’ initiative – promoting healthy lifestyle and raising awareness of chronic disease for Indigenous communities in the NSW Central West.
The process began with a visit from local elder Bonnie Merritt, who was interviewed about local social and cultural history. This material was then incorporated into the brainstorming process and informed the content of the song.
Young people then identified the impacts of social and political history on health issues today. They noted the impact of the ration system (flour, sugar, rice, tea, butter) on today's diet - also the effects of poverty, trauma, depression and isolation on today's levels of chronic disease.
The song talks about the necessity to find pride in cultural identity. To learn of your cultural history, and the role of young people to define today's culture in a vibrant, proud and healthy way.
The chorus features Wiradjuri words translated into English – performed by local performance artist Roy Peterson. This song was written as a tool to revive local Wiradjuri language and educate young people through relevant cultural forms.
Special thanks to Roy Peterson, Anna Evans and Heather Blackley.
We pay our respects to the Wiradjuri people - traditional owners of the country upon which this story was told.
lyrics
Its true been here for a long time
My crew got a mad new song line
Truth is that back in the day
My culture quickly stripped away
My aunty was a prisoner on her own land
Life in a tin shack ruled by the white man
Used like an old rag with a dog tag
Goin’ mad got banned just for being who I am
Gee sad - Like ration week
Banned from the café -- nothing to eat
Banned from the cinema, banned from the pool
Banned from the bus gotta walk to school
Coz it's a new age in the Bronx
Chased by the cops - followed in the shops
Yaandi and grog - when's it gunna stop?
From the bottom had to battle to the top
from Song Nation Volume 1,
released July 11, 2014
Toby Finlayson - Director/ Co-Writer
Joel Westlake – Composer / Music Director/ Co-Writer
Josh Nicholas – Music Co-Director/ Mentor
Roy Peterson – Co-Writer/ Mentor
Condobolin Young People – Co-Writers
David Nicholas – Audio Mixing
Creating change through collaborative storytelling - empowering Indigenous young people through truth, hope and a mantra of
positivity.
Our journeyman team of artists work in remote and regional Indigenous communities all over Australia - working with young people, elders, schools, and many more to create dialogue around social and cultural issues, through music, film and performance....more
