By Callum Ludwig
Proud Mutti Mutti Songman Kutcha Edwards and his band performed at The Memo in Healesville on a very special NAIDOC Week tour, co-presented by Yarra Ranges Council and Oonah Belonging Place.
From Wednesday through to Sunday, Mr Edwards brought his songs and stories to Williamstown, Bayswater, Dandenong, Healesville and Wonthaggi.
Acting Director of Communities at Yarra Ranges Council Ben Waterhouse said Council were delighted to present Kutcha Edwards at the Memo as a NAIDOC week celebration event.
“Uncle Kutcha received a standing ovation from the audience with audience members describing the event as ‘absolutely beautiful’ and ‘a performance that came straight from the heart, powerful and true’,” he said.
“Yarra Ranges Council is committed to bringing First Nations performers to our community all year round and in the coming months’ audiences will be able to experience outstanding events with performances from Archie Roach and Baker Boy.”
Mr Edwards’ most famous work has come from his appearances in groups like Blackfire and The Black Arm Band, his recent Carpool Koorioke which has featured the likes of Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, Bart Willoughby, and Uncle Jack Charles and his VIPA award-winning theatre work, Songlines of a Mutti Mutti Man. Mr Edwards has also featured in recording collaborations with the likes of Paul Kelly, Paul Hester of Crowded House, and Boom Crash Opera songsmith and producer, Richard Pleasance.
Archie Roach is an Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter, who has been a stolen child, teenage alcoholic, seeker, lover, father, musical and lyrical genius, to social advocate and First Nations leader throughout his life. He will be visiting The Memo in Healesville on Saturday 6 August from 7.30pm to 9.10pm and will be performing his new memoir Tell Me Why (Simon and Schuster),an intimate, moving and often confronting account of his resilience and strength of spirit, and companion album Tell Me Why (Bloodlines), which is considered Mr Roach’s 18 song ‘magnum opus’, including re-imagining eleven songs which have defined his extraordinary career. Tickets for Mr Roach’s event can be bought here: yarraranges.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/75440
Baker Boy is an up-and-coming and award-winning Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor, from Arnhem Land whose lyrics move between English and Yolgnu. He performed at the AFL Grand Final in 2021 and received an Order of Australia in 2021. He is also heading to The Memo in Healesville, on Friday 2 September from 7.30pm to 9pm. Tikcets for Baker Boy’s event can be bought here: yarraranges.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/76406
