20061113NJ Classical Song Traditions of Contemporary Western Arnhem Land in Their Multilingual Context

Audio recording and photographs of an evening performance in between the two main parts of the Nginji mamurrng ceremony (showing the mamurrng staff on one day and giving the mamurrng staff on the final day). See also 'Nginji_mamurrng_photo_metadat.xls' (I think there is also another short video for this session - check) The classical song traditions of Western Arnhem Land are amongst the foremost examples of verbal art in the nine endangered languages of the region, but few people are now competent to perform or comment on them. Typically performed in multi-lingual social contexts, song texts demonstrate unusual linguistic features such as mixtures of languages and a high proportion of esoteric and intimate vocabulary. We will collect, transcribe, translate and analyse song texts and discussions about songs by contemporary performers, and where relevant repatriate and document archival recordings, making our research results available to communities via a network of local digital repositories. Isabel Bickerdike is a postgraduate student at the University of Melbourne, supervised by Linda Barwick and Nick Evans. She was aged 25 in 2006 and was resident at Warruwi from May-November 2006. She is Ngal-bangardi skin, Wurrik clan (Kun-winjku tribe?, given by Mary Gurden-gurden, this is her mother\'s clan). Matthew O\'Keeffe is the pilot resident at Warruwi and a friend of Solomon Ganawa. From time to time he can be heard during this session talking to Solomon. Frank Nabalamirri is circa 70 and resident at Minjilang in 2006/7. He is the current leader of the Nginji songset. He is encouraging his son, Jonathan, who dances the yumparrparr (giant) role for nginji performances, to learn the songs. He is Nangila skin and Yalama clan and has the same mother as Khaki. James Marrwal is aged circa 60 and living in Warruwi in 2006/7. He is one of the main singers of the Nginji songs. Singer of Nginji songs, brother of James Marrwal. Recorded by Isabel Bickerdike at Warruwi in 2006. David Manmurulu (also known as David \"Goodness\" Manmurulu Winunguj) is aged circa 60 and resident at Warruwi in 2006. He is the current leader of the inyjalarrku songs. His skin is Na-wamut and he is Yalama clan and Ngutikin tribe. His father (d. 1990s) was George Winunguj who features in the book Encounter at Nagalarramba. David sings Inyjalarrku songs originally composed by his father and also his own, as well as knowing those originally composed by Winunguj\'s MB G(w)uwatpu(t) number 1, who was the leader of the Meinjinaj people (Kun-barlang tribe). He is married to Jenny Manmurulu who is one of the leaders of women\'s inyjalarrku dancing. He is encouraging his son Rupert, who sometimes plays the yumparrparr (giant)role in the nginji dance, to learn the songs and play didjeridu (arawirr). His other sons Reuben and Ranfred(?sp) also sing and dance. First language is Mawng; speaks Iwaidja; also speaks English very well. Bio Jenny Manmurulu is the wife of David Manmurulu and mother of Rupert Manmurulu. She teaches at the Warruwi school and is an accomplished dancer. empty Rupert Manmurulu is the son of David and Jenny Manmurulu and was aged circa 25 and resident at Warruwi in 2006. He is married to a woman from Elliott and sometimes resides there. His skin is Na-wuyuk and his clan is Yalama, Ngutikin tribe. He sings Inyjalarrku and Nginji songs, and dances the yumparrparr (giant) dance, and also plays didjeridu for those song-sets. He also plays guitar and sings with a band from the Barkly area. Albert Naluraidj (spelling as on LB consent form; Isabel Bickerdike has his surname as \'Nadarraj\') was resident at Warruwi and aged about 60 in 2006. He is the main didjeridu (arawirr) player and occasional singer for the inyjalarrku song-set, and also plays didjeridu for the nginji and ngili song-sets. His skin is Na-wangari and he is Manjdjurlngunj clan and Meyinjdjinadj tribe (Kun-barlang speakers). According to David Manmurulu 3/4/2007 Manjdjurlngunj clan can speak Kun-winjku, Mawng or Kun-barlang. His father was Gwatput number 1, the original composer of the inyjalarrku song-set. Musicians singing Nginji women & girls dancing Nginji songs at night Moses & Matthew O'Keeffe present at the Nginji dancing at night Jacky Brown (?) at the Nginji dancing at night Isabel Bickerdike recording Nginji songs boys dancing Ngili songs at night children present at the Nginji song session Alan and children present at the Nginji song session women & girls dancing Nginji/Ngili songs at night Matthew O'Keeffe dancing Ngili songs with the boys