As a white Australian, I freely admit that I don’t know enough about our Indigenous people, their stories, and the issues they face. Like so many of us, I said I needed to learn more when the Black Lives Matter movement hit the headlines last year, and then life got busy and the media died down and I didn’t do enough. Music can make these stories so accessible though. If, like me, you want to learn more about our Indigenous people, I encourage you to listen to Restless Dream, the new album from Kamileroi elder Bob Weatherall and Brisbane band Halfway, with William Barton.
Six years ago, Halfway and Bob began working together on these songs which tell the story of the Repatriation of Aboriginal Ancestral Remains. As Bob reminds us in the opening number, “Water Horse,” our white ancestors are buried in plots we’ve planned, farewelled in ceremonies of our choosing, and there’s comfort in that. We know where they are. It’s one of those white privileges most of us aren’t even aware of. The remains of our Indigenous people are scattered across the globe, in museums at home and overseas. That’s a confronting thought, but even more so when you understand that Aboriginal religious law dictates that there will be no spiritual peace until the dead are returned to their birthplace and received their traditional last rites.
The painful reality of this situation is realised so poignantly in “The Dawn.” Lines like “We take our ancestors out of the boxes and cradle them in our arms” are gut-wrenchingly poetic. But there’s peace here too, as the album takes us home. The closing number “Bloodlines No. 2” is an uplifting release, full of hope and beauty as the ancestors find peace.
Restless Dream is a concept album like I’ve never heard before. Bob Weatherall’s spoken word is so powerful and William Barton is one of the best didge players in the country. They represent the traditions, while Halfway’s vocals and electric guitars bring these stories into the 21st century. This story starts in the past, but it’s unfolding right now.
Restless Dream is out right now. Bob Weatherall, Halfway, and William Barton will perform the album in its entirety at The Tivoli on September 19 as part of the Brisbane Festival.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
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