ZK was one of my favourite acts on The Voice a couple of years ago. So I’m thrilled to see one half of the duo, Kristal West, has just released a brand new single. “Nibe Nibe” is the first lifted from her EP Remembering Ata, a collection of songs paying tribute to Kristal’s grandfather Eddie Mabo on the 25th anniversary year of the High Court native title ruling.
This beautiful song was penned by Torres Strait Island singer-songwriter King Kadu. Kristal’s worked with the Hummingbird Collective, a group of first nations women. Ruth Ghee, Hummingbird Collective’s musical director, notes “Nibe Nibe highlights the importance of the reviving, maintaining, preserving and sharing languages and culture through music and story-telling with ‘one voice.’” She said the song “was a fitting collaboration as most of the Collective also have family connections to Mer [the native language Kristal speaks]”.
Kristal has spent the last six months working on Remembering Ata to pay tribute to her grandfather and reconnect with her heritage.
“I felt a strong desire to get back to my cultural roots and to find my ‘real’ voice, a voice that is rooted in family, history and culture,” she explained. “After seeking counsel from my grandmother, Bonita Mabo, I felt a deep pull to tell the story of my grandfather and our family and felt that was the best starting point.”
“Nibe Nibe” is such a beautiful song. We need more of this on Australia’s musical landscape, don’t you agree?
