The Tribal Warrior

The Tribal Warrior may be the oldest working boat in Australia. Based in Sydney Harbour, she is a unique piece of our maritime history. The boat has been restored and is lovingly cared for by members of the Tribal Warrior Association and the students of the Tribal Warrior Indigenous Maritime Training Program.

The Tribal Warrior Association uses the boat to train Aboriginal youth to attain their Master Class V Commercial Maritime Certificate and other qualifications. The first four students completed the program in November 1999.

Her masts are carved and painted in Aboriginal motifs. On all public occasions and celebrations, the Tribal Warrior flies the Koori Flag. The special events jib sail has the words "It's a Koori harbour" and a Black Duck (Guindaring) painted in Aboriginal design. This is the totem of the Yuin - south coast of New South Wales.

On August 2001, after a departure ceremony at Cockle Bay, the Tribal Warrior and her crew left Sydney Harbour on a voyage to circumnavigate Australia, visiting every major Aboriginal community on Australia's coastline. On her epic voyage, the Tribal Warrior was warmly welcomed in every port by local communitiesand attracted much media attention. The Tribal Warrior returned to Sydney on 9 June 2003 after a momentous 648-day circumnavigation of Australia. The historic voyage of reconciliation marked the first circumnavigation of Australia by an Australian Aboriginal vessel, crewed by First Australian mariners.

WEBSITE:www.tribalwarrior.org

Wayne Quillum - Sorry: More than a Word

Wayne Quilliam 2009 NAIDOC Artist of the Year, is considered one of Australia’s most prominent Aboriginal photographic artists working on the global stage with more than 130 solo and group exhibitions in Australia Europe Asia and the USA 35 in the past 18 months. His recent shows in Berlin and Vienna attracted capacity crowds and were extended for 3 months and featured on BBC television. It was estimated his Sorry more than a Word exhibition at Parliament House in Canberra was seen by more than two hundred thousand people.

“It was an honour to be at the Apology and an even great honour to be asked to put together an exhibition of photographs that captured such a significant moment in time”, Wayne said. “This work is a reflection of peoples emotions representing the essence of the day which is why I titled it “Sorry” more than a word”.

WEBSITE:www.waynequilliamphotography.com.au

Street Warriors

Newcastle boys, the Street Warriors (brothers Abie and Warwick Wright - aka Predator and Wok) headline this year’s Sorry Day 2010 event as they brand the ‘Sorry. Still Living on Borrowed Time!’ 2010 Sorry Day theme with their remake of the Goanna classic, Solid Rock.

The Street Warriors are familiar faces on the Australian hip hop scene and well respected pioneers of Indigenous hip hop - an amazing achievement given that they are only just now releasing their debut album, “Unstoppable Force”, recently launched by the Honourable Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts as part of his Breakthrough Artist initiative at the Carriageworks, Redfern.

“Unstoppable Force” bursts from the speakers with the first track, ‘Firestorm’, providing a mission statement about who the Street Warriors are: ‘step by step you do it, town by town you show it’…this album is the culmination of seven years of hard work and showcases the Street Warriors’ unique energy, realness and ability to still say what they want.

WEBSITE:www.streetwarriors.com.au

Jimmy Little

Jimmy Little, AO is an Australian Aboriginal musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist, whose career has spanned six decades. For many years he was the only Aboriginal star on the Australian music scene.

Jimmy is a very proud Australian who has something in his repertoire to entertain all age groups. In 2004 a public vote named him a “National Living Treasure” and Jimmy received an Australian Order ( AO ) for his life in the entertainment industry and his ongoing work with indigenous education and health. Queensland University of Technology have awarded Jimmy an honorary Doctorate and recently he received the Classic Rock performer MO award of 2004.

WEBSITE:www.jimmylittle.com.au

The Stiff Gins

Diyin: Noun: Aboriginal — Dharug woman, wife. (1788)

Gin: Noun: — an Aboriginal woman (often derogatory). (1789)

Gin: (Standing) Proud and tall, carried by the strength of those who went before. (1999)

Stiff Gins are Nardi Simpson & Kaleena Briggs. In the 11 years since their first meeting at the Eora Centre in Redfern, Stiff Gins have performed at cultural institutes in New Caledonia, Vietnam, Spain, been part of cultural exchanges to Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, UAE & Cyprus, played festivals and shows throughout Canada, the US, Ireland and performed extensively throughout Australia. Stiff Gins are through harmony & song, reclaiming a derogatory term for Aboriginal women, instead declaring its meaning as proud, passionate & talented.

WEBSITE: www.stiffgins.net

PEARL Rose Bygrave & Marcia Howard (Ex Goanna)

Around 25 years ago as members of the multi-award winning Goanna, Rose Bygrave and Marcia Howard helped create the unique vocal sound that even now sets them apart from every other Australian act. When the song Solid Rock (written by Shane Howard) first hit the airwaves in the early 80’s, their voices rang out in heartfelt support of Social Justice and Land Rights for Aboriginal people. Since then they have established their individual reputations as acclaimed singer-songwriter, vocalists and performers on the world stage and their allegiance to aboriginal culture and social justice has been unwavering. Marcia’s song Sorry; based on the true story of Margaret Tucker, was first heard in Parliament House on the first National Sorry Day well before the current governments apology, and Rose’s Song Walking Home received good Airplay on the ABC in 2000-01. For decades they have mesmerized audiences with their musical strength, fearless politics and their tender hearts. Their solo CD's have achieved critical acclaim.

WEBSITE:www.pearlmusic.com.au

Robyn Loau

(pron: law-ow) is an exotic diva armed with a soulful voice, haunting melodies and defiant, evocative lyrics.

Robyn’s past lives have seen her presence impact Australian pop culture as lead singer of girl group Girlfriend (Australia’s blue print for the Spice Girls), as star of films such as Idiot Box and Somewhere in the Darkness, as the face and voice of Pacific Island soul/dance opus Siva Pacifica and with her edgy solo releases Sick With Love and Love Addiction.

Robyn has shifted over 500,000 units through Girlfriend, Siva Pacifica and her solo career. Her debut album Malaria: The Lost Album (including the hit single Sick With Love) was recovered in 2008 by GoSet Music and has just been released in China ahead of her forthcoming new album, Only Human, a cinematic concoction of rock, pop and soul.

WEBSITE:www.robynloau.com

Lolo Lovina

With members from Ukraine, Hungary, Brazil and Australia, high energy Gypsy band Lolo Lovina draw influences from across Eastern Europe and Latin America. The bulk of the band’s lyrics are in Rromani, the language of the gypsies. It is from this language that the band derives their name, which means "Red Beer". The band features Rromani singer Sarah Bedak-Rockliffe, violinist Jess Randall (The Crooked Fiddle Band), bassist Rodrigo Salgado from Brasilia, Ukrainian accordionist Leonid Beshei, guitarist David Carr, and Matthew Baistow on tenor banjo. WEBSITE:www.lololovina.com

Marlene Cummins

Marlene Cummins was born in the southwest town of Cunnamulla, Queensland. In the mid 90's Marlene refined her skills as a blues saxophonist, song writer at the Berklee College of Music, Boston USA. Collaborating with some of the greats on the blues & jazz scene her duo song "Feels Like Rain" features jazz guitarist Ray Beadle. Marlene's music caters for broader community audiences reiterating the Aboriginal perspective which is apparent in songs such as "Pension Day Blues" & "Big Shame" in particular. Tap into Marlene's vast knowledge of blues & roots on 93.7 FM every Sunday, 10 am - 12 noon Marloo's Blues, music discussions and dedications from an Indigenous perspective.

Jane Walker

Jane is currently finishing her debut album, Jane introduced audiences to her new material when she performed her song ‘Ancient Land’ (feat. Predator from Street Warriors) at the Dreaming Festival last June. Trained in classical and jazz disciplines including studies at the NSW Conservatorium of Music, Jane sang for two years with Sydney’s a cappella outfit The Café of the Gates of Salvation. She later travelled to Africa and made her first recordings with the legendary Thomas Mapfumo’s band, The Blacks Unlimited, in Zimbabwe. Jane performs with a band, and has enjoyed doing shows with Street Warriors, Karl Broadie, Holly Throsby, SisterMadly, Bertie Blackman, Dolly Rocker Movement, David Lane, Stephen Brandon, Liz Martin, Tania Bowra, Lara Stephen and other talented folk.WEBSITE:www.janewalker.com.au

Leeroy & Samson

Leeroy Cummins is known as one of the best guitarists in the country. Bobby Sampson has been an actor, entertainer and MC for most of his life. Fusing soul and funk rhythms with a melodic acoustic pop sound and uplifting lyrics, theirs is an amazing story of spirit and music overcoming adversity and turning lives around