Canberra’s National Folk Festival unveils First Peoples program, showcases more female talent

The 52nd National Folk Festival in Canberra over the Easter long weekend is celebrating Indigenous music with a First Peoples program.

Joe Geia and his band will perform to mark the 30th anniversary of his hit song ‘Yil Lull’ (meaning ‘sing’ in Kuku Yalanji language from North Queensland), which is widely recognised as the unofficial Aboriginal national anthem.

Its message of hope, justice and belonging remains relevant and powerful to this day.

Multi-award-winning WA songman, John Bennett, the “voice of the Kimberley, returns to the capital with his new album Country Is Calling and sidemen David Hyams and Lucky Oceans.

22-year-old Grampians-hailing Melbourne-based singer songwriter Alice Skye, having received national airplay with last year’s singles ‘60%’ and ‘Poetry By Text’ is to release her debut album Friends With Feelings.

Emerging North East Arnhem Land artist, Dhapanbal Yunupiŋu, will launch her debut EP at the festival.

As one of Dr M Yunupiŋu’s six daughters, Dhapanbal grew up surrounded by the lyrics and rhythms of Yothu Yindi, the band her father co-founded, as well as the ‘Milkarri’—female grieving songlines to sing the spirits of the departed back to their ancestral homelands.

Artist and poet Peter Swain on didgeridoo will join Canberra poet John Passant to create a tapestry of song, spoken word and Indigenous poetry.

Indigenous West Australian of the Year 2017 and Noongar singer-songwriter Gina Williams rejoins forces with Guy Ghouse and friends to bring a new album of songs in Noongar language to the festival.

The National Folk Festival has also just announced to its bill two Irish acts.

SON (Susan O’Neill) has picked up fans ofU2’s Bono for her amazing vocal range, guitar technique, loop pedals and trumpet.

Andy Irvine, a towering figure of the international folk scene for 40 years, teams up with Tasmanian folk musician and multi-instrumentalist Luke Plumb.

The National continues to build on its long-time reputation for diversity and inclusion with a stronger-than-ever line-up of female artists as well as artists from all corners of the world.

Irish born Australia-based Aine Tyrrell, discovered by Glen Hansard, recorded an album under the stars, and in abandoned mines in the Australian outback.

“I didn’t know where else to go, I needed to feel my pulse again,” she explained.

Audacious quartet Co-cheòl (it means ‘harmony’ in Scots-Gaelic) perform traditional Scottish, Irish and original music, traversing both a cappella and accompanied songs with sublime musicianship

All-female folk super group The Drowsy Maggies – Jordy Hickey (bass), Ari Lane (vocals, guitar), Rhiannon McArthur (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Cathy Brennan (violin) – recorded their self-titled debut album from last year in lounges and studios across Victoria.

Monique Clare (Folk Alliance Australia’s Young Performer of the Year in 2017) is a classically trained cellist hailing from the foothills of Mount Coot-tha who combines her obsession with Radiohead with ongoing explorations into Scandinavian and American traditional folk.

Playful paisanos Bella Donna Gorgonzola know how to start a party in eight languages with a mix of youthful favourites and drinking hits.

Afro Moses is a multi award-winning artist from Ghana, West Africa, who with his band, delivers a high energy show that crosses styles as African, reggae and funk.

Sydney based Balkanski Bus are a multi-ethnic group who play traditional Balkan (Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Rumanian), Greek, Turkish and Romany music, on a range of traditional and electric instruments.

The Ukulele Republic of Canberra return to perform, andhost one of the festival’s most popular jam sessions—the daily morning National Uke Muster..

The National Folk Festival celebrates music, song, dance, circus, spoken word and film with 200 Australian and international acts.

It runs between March 29 and April 2 at Exhibition Park, and draws 50,000 people.