By HARRY CLARKE
ORGANISERS of a unique musical festival hosted by Australia’s largest Aboriginal community promise to continue the event’s century-old tradition for “years ahead”, having welcomed its highest profile performer yet on the week of the Voice referendum.
More than 6,000 locals and visitors enjoyed the 10th instalment of the Yarrabah Music and Cultural Festival, headlined by Australian pop superstar and Indigenous icon Jessica Mauboy.
Mauboy, who’d been booked to perform at Yarrabah but forced to delay her visit during the pandemic years, at long last took the stage Saturday night for what’s believed to have been the town’s biggest live music concert yet.
Mauboy and Aboriginal electronic music duo Electric Fields were the mainstream touring acts on the bill but equal recognition and applause was given to the beloved Yarrabah Brass Band.
The band, comprising orchestral instrumentalists who are local to Yarrabah and surrounds, was what first established in 1911.
Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council mayor Ross Andrews told the Caller the band had spend 40 years in hiatus before being revived a decade ago and becoming the impetus for establishing the festival itself.
“Many of the First Nations communities had brass bands in the early days and Yarrabah was one of them,” Andrews said.
“It was revived a few years ago and that emerged into the Yarrabah Music and Cultural Festival. The Brass Band sparked it – it re-inspired the interest in music, art and culture.
“So we celebrate 10 years today and we look forward to continuing this event for many years ahead.
“It means a lot to the Yarrabah community. Not only are we celebrating a lot of visitors coming to the community but we’re also celebrating art, culture and music.
“They’re important and they’re also part of our healing, so we look forward to this event every year.
“It’s a form of therapy where art, culture, music, dance and language for First Nations people means a lot. We have a spiritual, ancestral connection to music as a therapy for many of our people to heal and celebrate the strength of our culture and our history as First Nations people in our country.
“It’s a survival of those great things and we really enjoy it. When you see families, friends, networking, catching up with eachother, connecting and reconnecting, and you see them in a happy mood – laughter is a form of enjoyment but also healing – it’s great.
“We all enjoy it. Everyone enjoys it.”
The Yarrabah Music and Cultural Festival is part of Queensland Music Festival‘s (QMF) Music Trails initiative, funded by Arts Queensland and the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, to bring high standard music and arts experiences to regional areas.
QMF chief operating officer Daryl Raven (pictured) told the Caller the Yarrabah festival was unique for the fact it entertained locals while attracting visitors to experience Aboriginal culture in a stunning tropical setting.
“QMF’s longstanding partnership with the council is all about creating an event that can celebrate the stories off Yarrabah, but also bring cultural acts and elements in to celebrate with the community,” Raven said.
“It’s paradise by the sea. There’s a feeling that when you come over the hill and onto country that the Gunggandji people and the Yarrabah local people are such a warm and welcoming people, with such a deep story. It’s a privilege for us to be able to come and share that.
“It’s an important story to tell, it’s an important place to tell stories, and for us that makes it really special.”
The 2023 Yarrabah Music and Cultural Festival was held one week out of the referendum on implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament within the Australian Constitution.
It was attended by Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians, who was visiting Yarrabah for the first time.
“What I see is strength, passing on culture and a community that isn proud of who and what you are, so thank you to the community of Yarrabah,” Burney said during an address.
“No matter what your decision about the outcome of the referendum… I know that North Queensland, and in particular this community, will send a strong message to the Australian people.
“We want change, we want a better outcome for Aboriginal people and we also want to see our people recognised in the Australian Constitution.”
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