Barunga Festival impresses again

The annual Barunga Festival was held from June 8-10, with festival goers from around the country descending on the small Northern Territory community for a weekend of music, traditional dance, sport and local culture.

The community welcomed 4000 visitors, and performers travelled from across Australia and the world to showcase their talents. Festival stalls showcased local art and community initiatives, while sporting teams from a range of communities battled it out in basketball, softball and AFL competitions.

This year’s festival was about celebrating the best of the Northern Territory and remote Australia.Visitors enjoyed performances from the Lonely Boys, Mambali Band, Saltwater, Yirrmal and Shellie Morris to name a few. 

A highlight was a collaboration between B2M, an all-male group from the Tiwi Islands, and the Bunun Taiwanese Children’s Choir. The vocal stylings of the two cultures singing in language left listeners in awe. 

Traditional dance was also on show, with performances from Numbulwar’s Dhumbal Dancers, Rirritjingu Clan Dancers, Port Keats, Gumatj, Bulman and Beswick dancers. 

This year’s festival also marked the 30th anniversary of the Barunga Statement.

In 1988, the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke attended the Barunga Festival and met with thousands of Aboriginal people from around the Northern Territory. He was presented with a statement calling for Indigenous rights and a treaty between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The event inspired the Yothu Yindi song, Treaty.

On the Saturday evening, festivalgoers were treated to an acoustic version of Treaty, sung by Yirrmal Marika, the grandson of the former lead singer of Yothu Yindi, the late Dr M Yunupingu.

The event reflected an outstanding effort by Skinnyfish Music and the organising committee to bring the community together for an exciting, fun and successful event.