Shane Howard and Archie Roach

Archie's journey brings him back home

BY JARED LYNCH Warrnambool Standard 16/04/2009 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2009.  All rights reserved



SOUTH-WEST musicians Archie Roach and Shane Howard are set to take the Melbourne International Arts Festival stage as part of The Black Arm Band's latest production dirtsong when it premiers later this month.The pair are part of an ensemble of musicians from indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds who have contributed songs and will take part in the performance which mixes traditional and contemporary songs from Aboriginal Australia sung in indigenous Australian languages.It is the third production from The Black Arm Band which features many of Australia's premier Aboriginal musicians and is a creative collaboration for indigenous and non-indigenous artists to perform, promote and celebrate indigenous music.With a long history of performing and collaborating with indigenous musicians, Shane Howard said he was pleased to be part of this powerful production which has involved many perfomers reclaiming lost language."It's about dealing with issues of colonialism, loss of language and damage done to culture but it's also about being optimistic, about recovery and restoration," he said."The reclaiming of language is something that's been a bit tricky to be involved in as someone from a non-indigenous background but a lot of the artists are great friends and it's a great privilege and a responsibility I take very seriously."I think it's the most challenging thing I have been involved in artistically, and rewarding too ." Howard said it was particularly moving to see fellow south-west musician and friend Archie Roach sing about his mother's language.Roach was born in Framlingham but taken away and fostered by a non-indigenous family in Melbourne.He spent many years on the streets of Melbourne and Adelaide before he met his partner Ruby Hunter and returned to the south-west to live.Howard said the performance would also feature special guest Jimmy Barnes and the two have been collaborating on music for dirtsong.dirtsong is presented by Melbourne International Arts Festival in association with Arts House and in collaboration with The Black Arm Band. It will be perfomed at the Arts Centre, State Theatre, on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 at 7.30pm.