La Danza Poetica #58 A Call To Arms
Opening with the beautiful Song For Elijah (Wrap Our Arms Around You) by Kutcha Edwards with Archie Roach, Emma Donovan, Radical Son, Tjimba Possum Burns, Ilana Atkinson, James Henry, David Bridie, and Brendan Gallagher. This song is dedicated to the memory of a young life tragically lost in Australia, and is also a call for all to help the family in difficult times.
La Danza Poetica #58 is “A Call To Arms”. A depth-charged mix made in the southern summer. As it’s the end of a tumultuous year, I’ve created a tumultuous mix featuring some favourite tracks of 2017 that I haven’t been able to include in the radio show so far. Covering a lot of ground, from wild upbeat global bass to Latin hip hop, Los Angeles poetry and rap, Native American fire, French orchestral beats, very intelligent downbeat soul, and songs for the end of everything.
Our "honoured ghosts" – Allen Ginsberg (he’s been hovering, but he’s not been properly honoured before!), and Léon-Gontran Damas.
Tracklist
Kutcha Edwards, Archie Roach, Emma Donovan, Radical Son, Tjimba Possum Burns, Ilana Atkinson, James Henry, David Bridie, Brendan Gallagher - Song For Elijah (Wrap Our Arms Around You)
Dub Gabriel - Black Magic / White Lies
Léon-Gontran Damas - Si souvent (Pigments)
Oroshy - Treme feat MC R1
Allen Ginsberg - In The Back Of The Real
Klik & Frik - Arenga
Street Poets Inc., Israel "Blue" Hill - Indigenous Medicine
Street Poets Inc., Cameron Swift - Bottom of the Chain
A Tribe Called Red - The Virus (feat. Saul Williams & Chippewa Travellers)
Kali Mutsa & Imaabs - Sierva
Nakury - Al Otro Lado
Îota & Tek - Scatter Feat. Strangelove & Phyllis Ophelia
Ibeyi - Deathless (feat. Kamasi Washington)
LADAMA - Agreste
Mateo Kingman - Respira (Frikstailers Remix)
Filastine & Nova - Glass Seagulls
Street Poets Inc., Cameron Swift & Art Quiros - A History Of Violence
Lando Chill - HeartSpace
Konixion - Cut Off My Eyelids feat. Dr Cello
Allen Ginsberg - A Supermarket In California
Climbing PoeTree - We Survived
Amerigo Gazaway - A Common Wonder: Pop's Rap feat. Lonnie Lynn Sr.
Notes on the show
In August 2016, a 56 year old man hit and killed a 14 year old Aboriginal boy while trying to recover a stolen motorbike. This happened in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The man was found not guilty of manslaughter, but of dangerous driving, and was sentenced to 3 years in prison. This sparked protests in the streets, and highlighted Australia’s problems with racial injustice and racial tensions.
This month a beautiful thing has been made in Elijah’s memory. Kutcha Edwards, a great master of Australian music, has worked with a number of other wonderful artists in creating the song "Song For Elijah (Wrap Our Arms Around You)" in loving memory of the young boy. This song, Kutcha says, is a message from the Dreaming. A song that grew organically and spiritually in the studio, amongst the artists, Archie Roach, Radical Son, Emma Donovan, Tjimba Possum Burns, Ilana Atkinson, James Henry, David Bridie, Nao Anzai and Brendan Gallagher. Archie Roach said the following: "This song is a prayer for Elijah that his journey into the Dreaming is guided by the ancestors, and that our love will encompass his family through this time of mourning."
All proceeds from purchasing "Song For Elijah" go towards supporting Elijah's family. So please visit the wantok music website, that’s wantokmusik.org and buy the track, and donate what you can.
Here is the video:
(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this filmclip contains footage and images of persons who have passed into the Dreaming.)
Main image: Climbing PoeTree
