Chapter IV
Bangamalanha binnadang
Sponsored by Parkes Rotary Club, David Newton representing the Wiradjuris, and Sean James Cassidy went to the Philippines in September, 2011 where they visited Sagada to initiate the fourth exhibition, Bangamalanha Binnadang.
At Sagada, Newton was well received by the Filipinos and was interviewed by the local radio station. He spoke of the similarities in some of the symbols and rituals in the Wiradjuri and the indigenous culture of the northern mountain culture.
Newton said the experience also heightened his awareness of those elements of Wiradjuri culture that were unique.
Lope Bosaing introduced Newton to ancient symbols and modern pottery techniques of the Cordilleras mountain region.
Newton spoke at the Sagadan Indigenous People's Council, of the importance of co-operation between indigenous and non indigenous people in both countries. He said he was honoured to represent the Wiradjuris and privileged to be a guest of the village.
During this Sagadan visit, Bosaing, Capati and Cassidy agreed that there should be more visits to the village, involving indigenous and non indigenous people of the two nations.
Newton returned to Australia, and Cassidy stayed until October. In a meeting with Bosaing and Quiano, he discussed the possibility of bringing to the Philippines artists of other media.
From the Philippines, Cassidy contacted Toby Finlayson of Desert Pea Media proposing musical workshops in indigenous areas of the Cordilleras.
Cassidy, Finlayson, and Joel Westlake, Desert Pea's sound recordist and music producer travelled to the Philippines in February, 2012.
A not-for-profit group, Desert Pea Media, facilitates promotion of indigenous culture, and supports the rehabilitation of indigenous and non indigenous youth through music.
Tina Fernandez and Ub Ubbo organised Finlayson and Westlake to perform their own Hip Hop songs to open Pablo Capati 111 exhibition at the ArtInformal gallery.
Willa Santiago, Cultural Affairs Officer at the Australian Embassy, arranged with the professors of College of Music at the University of the Philippines, to give Desert Pea Media an introduction to Cordilleran music.
Desert Pea Media had used Hip Hop in producing songs giving voice to Australian indigenous youth. The professors were particularly interested in this aspect of Desert Pea Media's work, as the college had in recent years advocated for Hip Hop into their curriculum.
GrainCorp Limited Australia, had sponsored Toby Finlayson and Joel Westlake of Desert Pea Media to travel to the Philippines to produce a world music fusion of modern and traditional indigenous melodies and rhythmns.
Paul Quiano an Iboloi Igorot from the Baguio area of the Cordilleras, Cassidy representing Ub Ubbo, Finlayson and Westlake travelled to the northern province of Banguet.
Dr La Vern Dela Pena and Ms Dayung Yraola of the College of Music liaised with the Cordillera Music Tutorial Research Centre Band, Igorots from Kalinga who reside in Baguio, to work with Desert Pea Media.
The band played and sang Kalingan indigenous music, recorded by Desert Pea Media.
They performed in traditional dress for the video recording of the music, now on YouTube.
Also for this video, Desert Pea Media, made sound recordings of St Louis University Cultural Performance Group at Baguio. Paul Quiano and his family organised the group's participation.
At Sagada Desert Pea Media held a music and lyrics writing workshop, engaging local high school students, through the support of the Office of the Mayor.
The participants set out to compose a song, fusing traditional rythms, musical and poetic methods of conversing, indigenous languages of the Cordillera, and modern world music.
Seeing and hearing the video and music productions, Bosaing called it Daddad-at, an ancient term meaning communication.
Students performed chant singing and hip hop, wearing traditional dress and modern casual clothes.
Back in Manila, Ub Ubbo and Desert Pea Media met members of the Filipino arts foundation, Dakila, which had received Australian Embassy funding.
This group supports disadvantaged people through art workshops and fund raising.
Willa Santiago facilitated the meeting where Dakila, Ub Ubbo and Desert Pea Media discussed co-operation on future projects.
Dakila and Santiago organised a concert where Ub Ubbo member Paul Quiano and some of the leading Filipino musicians performed with a Finlayson and Westlake duo, the Mountain Men, in a sharing of musical talent and experience.
During the musical performance, images of works by Dakila and Ub Ubbo visual artists were projected above the stage.
After three weeks working on the Filipino song project, Desert Pea Media and Cassidy returned to central west NSW, on April 19, 2012, to commence work on a musical project involving Wiradjuri people.
They conducted workshops with indigenous students of Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes, and pupils of Parkes Public School, who provided energetic contributions to the project.
Other participants included indigenous adults who had shared in the Three Rivers event with Centacare.
Desert Pea Media recorded vision and sound in the Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin, and Lake Cargelligo-Murrin Bridge areas.
Cassidy introduced to the production team, Dustin Howerth with whom he had worked on art projects previously.
Howerth had worked in theatre and film productions including Star Wars and Mission Impossible, and provided props for the Desert Pea Media videos.
Dusty Yellow Sunbeams farm studio, near Parkes, hosted the team for the majority of props construction and the final music production.
Well known in the Parkes region, members of Dusty Yellow Sunbeams write and perform folk music, and enthusiastically donate talent and time to fundraising, especially for health related projects.
Parkes Wiradjuri Language Group invited Howerth, Cassidy and Desert Pea Media to a meet and greet evening. The group provides lessons in Wiradjuri language to 1,000 students, in a population of 10,000.
GrainCorp funding was vital to the production of the Cordilleran and Wiradjuri songs.
Parkes based operations manager for GrainCorp, Brent Hornby, said the support for the project was part of the company's commitment to the Reconciliation Action Plan and assisting the regional community.
Hornby said GrainCorp was proud of the relationship the company had built with the Wiradjuri through this project, and hoped it would lead to further artistic and cultural collaboration.
He said also that the Philippines was an important grain customer.
Parkes Little Theatre was the venue for the premiere of the songs on May 4, 2012.
Parkes Rotary, Parkes Shire Council, the Parkes Aboriginal Working Party, Parkes Aboriginal Language Group, Parkes Film Society, as well as GrainCorp supported the premiere.
Most of the Wiradjuri youth involved in the song production, also attended.
On May 5, Dusty Yellow Sunbeams and Mountain Men performed at the Parkes Hotel with other local musicians. Mountain Men songs were a blend of bush and Hip Hop. The audience appreciated their lyrics dealing with country characters and events.
Late in July, 2012, Cassidy, Scott Sauce Towney and Desert Pea Media, went to Manila to complete Bangamalanha Binnadang, with an exhibition of Filipino and Australian indigenous art.
On arrival, the group met up with Dakila who used a performance evening to introduce other members of their group to Ub Ubbo and Desert Pea Media.
Dakila has strong connections with the University of the Philippines history and archaeology departments, as well as music and performing arts.
Desert Pea Media addressed the College of Fine Arts on their musical and filming techniques.
Academics commended Desert Pea Media on retaining the integrity of the indigenous music in the production phases.
Dr Dela Pena praised them for their respect they gave the historic chants, sacred in Filipino culture.
Organisers changed the venue of the art exhibition from the Vargas Museum to the Asian Centre at the university, when the Vargas suffered electricity problems.
Representative of the Asian Centre had long sought to work with the Australian Embassy, sponsors of this NAIDOC Week exhibition.
Australian Embassy and Asian Centre officials opened the exhibition on July 4.
During the evening Desert Pea Media played the video productions of the Wiradjuri and Filipino songs.
Scott Sauce Towney and Lope Bosaing represented the Wiradjuri and Igorot people, and spoke of the importance of events which showcase their culture, and highlight the struggle for its survival.
The Australian returned home on July 6.
In late July, Westlake and Finlayson staged a fundraiser in Sydney called Thriller for Manila, to donate to victoms of recent floods in the Philippines. They raised $1000.
Former Parkes Rotary president, Ken Engsmyr, organised an evening where Cassidy provided a slideshow which included Rotary's contribution to the cultural exchange events.
Scott Sauce Towney spoke of experiences in the Philippines, where he found great inspiration in the indigenous art.
Towney told Rotarians of his gratitude to all individuals and groups who had supported the cultural exchange from its conception to the NAIDOC exhibition at the Asian Centre.
Rotary had donated $1000 to assist participants with travel expenses.
