{"id":509,"date":"2020-04-21T16:13:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T16:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ogmios.org\/blog\/?p=509"},"modified":"2020-05-04T11:24:25","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T11:24:25","slug":"jacinta-tobin-and-dharug-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ogmios.org\/blog\/jacinta-tobin-and-dharug-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacinta Tobin and Dharug songs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post, which arose from an interview in Sydney, Australia in 2019 with Indigenous singer-songwriter Jacinta Tobin<\/a> (JT), was contributed by FEL Executive Committee member Eda Derhemi<\/a> (ED). It is an edited version of a story that appeared in Ogmios Newsletter 66<\/a>. (Unless otherwise indicated, photographs are from Jacinta Tobin’s website<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JT: When people ask me \u2018how can I be indigenous and so fair\u2019 or \u2018what part of me is Aboriginal\u2019, I say: \u201cIt\u2019s that part that never left; it\u2019s the part of me that has a deep connection and responsibility to this country\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ED: I first met Jacinta during the 23rd annual conference<\/a> of the Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL) which took place in Sydney, Australia, in December 2019. As bush fires<\/a> grew everyday around Sydney, the Pacific ocean reflected red and smoky skies. The conference dealt with causes of linguistic endangerment and language loss today, and as we met during conference sessions, we thought about consequences as much as causes, and the ecological disaster that was related to that loss. The conference organizers could not have found a better activist to open the conference: she began with a story told in song about how tragic and complex the consequences of language loss are. Her words and songs moved us and framed this international conference in a way that brought the Indigenous Australian voice in to view during the whole conference. Her Aboriginal spirit of the past, which for her lives also as vibrations in the air, has the face of all women, and of community, Earth, and resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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JT: Some of my songs like Blacktown Joe<\/em> were given to me by Aunty Gladys Smith, one of my elders. The Kookaburra song<\/em><\/a> was given to me in language by Aunty Joan Cooper and Aunty Betty Lock. Most of the songs I have written myself, influenced by spirit. Weerawee<\/em> was written with Cindy Laws<\/a> and Michelle Laws. Cindy also gave me the words for Ancestors Plea<\/em> which was given to her by spirits. I’ve also done music with Aboriginal women from other groups, such as Nardi Simpson and Sheily Morris. Recently, my son and I wrote music for his school, Katoomba High School<\/a>, which was given an award. Very proud! I don\u2019t do clubs or pubs; I do community events, and my public is everyone from government departments to non-government, to family and friends\u2019 gatherings, and other communities and councils. I also sing for women, Earth Day, and for schools and universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n