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Singing Bones

Ancestral Creativity and Collaboration
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Singing Bones explores the ancestral songs of Arnhem Land, known as manikay, which carry vital cultural knowledge passed down through generations. It highlights the voices of manikay singers from Ngukurr and their acclaimed collaboration with jazz musicians in the Australian Art Orchestra's project, Crossing Roper Bar. The book provides insights into Wgilak manikay narratives, their social, ceremonial, and linguistic roles, and showcases how this intercultural partnership continues the manikay tradition.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5499
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Ideal for readers interested in Indigenous Australian culture, music enthusiasts, and those researching intercultural artistic collaborations.

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This book documents cross-cultural collaboration between manikay singers from south-east Arnhem Land and the Australian Art Orchestra. The interwoven voices of the project are explored as an example of creative intercultural collaboration and a continuation of the manikay tradition.

Singing Bones explores the critically acclaimed collaboration between manikay singers from Ngukurr and the Australian Art Orchestra.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Manikay are the ancestral songs of Arnhem Land, passed down over generations and containing vital cultural knowledge.

Singing Bones foregrounds the voices of manikay singers from Ngukurr in southeastern Arnhem Land, and charts their critically acclaimed collaboration with jazz musicians from the Australian Art Orchestra, Crossing Roper Bar. It offers an overview of Wgilak manikay narratives and style, including their social, ceremonial and linguistic aspects, and explores the Crossing Roper Bar project as an example of creative intercultural collaboration and a continuation of the manikay tradition.

Series: Indigenous Music of Australia

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  • Singing Bones
    Manikay are the ancestral songs of Arnhem Land, passed down over generations and containing vital cultural knowledge. Singing Bones foregrounds the voices of manikay singers from Ngukurr in southeastern Arnhem Land, and charts their critically acclaimed collaboration with jazz musicians from the Australian Art Orchestra, Crossing Roper Bar. It offers an overview of Wgilak manikay narratives and style, including their...
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    In the early 1990s, the Australian band Yothu Yindi rose to national prominence with hit songs like 'Treaty' and 'Djpana' that would become part of Australia's cultural fabric. With its distinctive blend of global popular styles and rare Indigenous traditions from remote Arnhem Land, international acclaim soon followed, as did a swathe of industry awards and the naming of the...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781743326770

Publisher: Sydney University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 June 2020

Country: Australia

Imprint: Sydney University Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 220

About the Author

Dr Samuel Curkpatrick is a researcher and musician with a particular interest in intercultural collaboration and Indigenous Australian music. He is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash University, and teaches at Stirling Theological College, University of Divinity.

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