Yawulyu have been passed down through many generations of Warlpiri women. In this book, the juju-ngaliya ‘ritual experts’ from Yuendumu, present four yawulyu song series which follow the journeys of a number of ancestral beings across Warlpiri country. Chapter 1 presents the Minamina yawulyu songs and associated story of a group of ancestral women as they emerge from this site in the far west of Warlpiri country and begin their journey eastwards.
Songs of Home celebrates the significance and richness of Indigenous song, and reminds us of the fundamental connections between singing and home. The project has brought together expert singers from Australia and China – Anmatyerr women singers from Ti-Tree in Central Australia, and Kam women singers from Liping county in Guizhou province, China. The two groups performed jointly during a week long visit to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, at the University of Sydney in April 2017.
Angenty is a sacred waterhole in Anmatyerr and Warlpiri country, to the north of Alice Springs in Central Australia. This book is about a family visit to this place. Men, women and children camped in the riverbed and the elders told stories about the ancestral spirits of this country. The book includes the rhythmic structures, words and interpretations for each song, and is enriched with images, sound recordings and films.
