NEW LOVE SONGS FOR AN OLD LAND

ERIC JOHNSTON LECTURE -DARWIN- NOV 1996

Mandawuy Yunupingu from Yothu Yindi

For a few years, I did the Koori mix radio program in 2BBB Bellingen. I came across this lecture from Mandawuy Yunupingu which I played, and it rocked my world. From a perspective of my relationship to didgeridoo, and relationship to country, it clarified purpose, it was like the lights were turned on. In essence Mandawuy said that whether he was singing with his people at home, or whether singing a rock song in his band Yothu Yindi, he was just finding new ways to sing love songs to an old land, and  the beautiful take away for us all was he encouraged us all to find our own ways to sing love songs to the land. This concept informs so much about relationship to country, to singing up the songlines; and it shatters any limiting beliefs, that says there is one right way to sing up place or songlines or care for relationships or community.

I highly recommend listing to this lecture and if you are only going to listen to one of the parts of this lecture, the …… part is the one where he delves into this subject. That said do take the time if you can, to listen as a whole. It is a seminal lecture so relevant to the healing needed within our communities and the land.

The website Territory Stories https://digitalntl.nt.gov.au/ has the lecture broken into five parts.

You can find more content via the LINK

https://digitalntl.nt.gov.au/?query=Mandawuy%20Yunupingu%20Eric%20Johnston%20levcture