www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Warren H Williams and John Williamson join the lineup at Boomerang festival
by Chryss Carr 19 September 2013
B
oomerang Festival, (to be held over the long weekend Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of October at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, the home of Bluesfest) delivers a prestigious and iconic treat, by adding Australian Icon John Williamson AM to its final artist announcement. Warumungu man Warren H Williams has also been added to the line-up. Both artists have been scheduled to perform on the Boomerang Festival main stage on Sunday October 4. As long standing friends, John plans to invite Warren to join him on stage for a song or two.
Warren H Williams The Green Senator from the Ntaria Community of the NT, and Albert Namatjira’s great-nephew, Warren H is an award wining artists who has been a professional musician for the past 20 years but says his whole life has been all about music. His first musical experiences were with his father a member of the Western Aranda Band. Having released eight albums. His latest offering is a move away from country music to a language album Winanjjara, or ‘song man’ in Warumungu language. It was recorded with the song men of Tennant Creek and sung in two of his maternal ancestor’s languages: Warumungu and Western Aranda. The project saw him work with family members from Tennant Creek. Their duet of Raining on the Rock won the best single at the Deadly Sounds Indigenous Awards (1998) and their performance that year at the ARIA Awards is still one of the most talked about performances in the history of the awards. For John his performance at the
Boomerang Festival continues a long standing engagement with Australia’s first peoples. His unofficial anthems, tributes to legends and unsung heroes and tender ballads have captured the spirit of the nation and created a unique connection within the
Page 1
www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Aboriginal community. John Williamson’s hits include True Blue, Old Man Emu, Mallee Boy and many more. Combined these award winning artists bring audiences a taste of the desert, Uluru and the wattle of Cootamundra, promising to be a unique concert in a very special setting. “Whilst John Williamson is scheduled to perform his own show, he has confirmed that he looks forward to inviting Warren to join him for a song or two. It has been some years since they have performed together and this collaboration will be a special experience for all attending the Boomerang Festival.” Rhoda Roberts Boomerang Festival Director Boomerang Festival is the first of its kind, never has an Indigenous festival of this holistic calibre been so accessible, featuring an array of music, dance, theatre, comedy, film and visual arts, along with cultural knowledge exchanges and thought provoking conversations. Boomerang Festival is for all All Australians, held at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm in Byron Bay, NSW, the home of Bluesfest, on the long weekend from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of October – only a couple of weekends away! Boomerang Festival Friday October 4 – Sunday October 6 Tyagarah Tea Farm, Byron Bay Single day, two day and three day passes on sale. Camping available on site. http://www.boomerangfestival.com.au
Page 2
John Willamson It is hard to describe John Williamson and his music without thinking that you have left something out or underrated his contribution and achievements. How do you sum up an artist who has captured a country in song and had such a successful career in one of the most cutthroat industries around? It’s an almost impossible task. Very few artists have experienced and earned the longevity of such a career as John Williamson. It’s quite rare but when you review his albums and songs you can see why. After 43 years in the music industry, touring continuously for that period, John’s career is stronger than ever and he is still writing and recording new songs. But during this time, he has shunned celebrity and resisted offers to take his music to the international stage, preferring to stay true to his passion: Australia. An ARIA Hall of Fame member, John Williamson has won 3 ARIA Awards, 4 APRA Awards, 8 TSA Awards, 8 MO Awards, 24 Golden Guitar Awards and sold more than 4 million albums in Australia earning numerous GOLD and PLATINUM Records. On Australia Day 1992, Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues”.