The last “Songs for Freedom” concert in Roebourne inspires young Aboriginal musicians

In the remote Aboriginal community of Roebourne, 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, music is one of the residents’ favourite ways to tell stories.

Some of them date back tens of thousands of years, from the time of dreams, others are stories of hope, and still others tell of the more traumatic times in Roebourne's modern history.

For the past 14 years, the Songs for Freedom concert has been the most important event for telling these stories.

But the last Roebourne concert took place over the weekend as organisers look for new horizons.

Singing about “red, dusty dirt”

“Songs for Freedom” has often been used to campaign for changes in Australia’s criminal justice system.

The family of John Pat – whose death in a police cell in Roebourne in 1983 was one of the key cases that led to the establishment of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody – used the concert to urge authorities to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Those bigger political ideas may one day surface in the music of brothers Isaac and Kenton Guiness, but for now the young lads prefer to sing about the simple beauty of Western Australia's rugged north.

“Me [singing] is about the features of Roebourne, like the hills, the red, dusty soil and so on,” said 12-year-old Kenton.

Singing in front of family and friends gives them a sense of belonging.

“Seeing our cousins, our family… that makes us a strong mob,” said 13-year-old Isaac.

On Saturday night, a crowd of about 200 people were eager to hear the duo and several classmates sing lyrics they had written just a few days before.

At first, the children seemed surprised to hear how a microphone amplifies and changes the sound of their singing.

But with the encouragement of professional musicians at their side, they soon found their voice.

“Then we go hunting, hunting and fishing, that’s what I call life,” Kenton sang, singing the last line in chorus.

At the end of the two-song mini-set, the young group received the loudest applause of the evening.

“Beautiful pictures” by young artists

The youth performance was one of the main acts at the closing concert of Songs for Freedom.

Hobart-based artist Sabine Bester is one of the musicians who helped Isaac, Kenton and their colleagues write, produce and perform their own songs.

“I am always amazed at the beautiful pictures that children can produce,” said Ms. Bester.

“Sometimes these beautiful images just come out and one of them was 'Wait for birds to come to you with seeds on your arms' – a little girl whispered that in my ear.

“And I just thought, 'Oh wow, this is just amazing.'”

Ms Bester said it was encouraging to see some of the children she worked with develop their confidence.

“I think it’s great when young people get on stage and perform, even if it’s just for their family,” Ms. Bester said.

“Something they may have been embarrassed to write down on paper, or something they whispered to you in class because they didn't want to tell anyone.”

“But then suddenly it's celebrated in this song form. I think that's something very special and would make her very proud.”

The final concert should leave a lasting legacy

The music from the Songs for Freedom concerts was a great success.

Last year the concert went on a national tour with performances in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

And songs written for the concerts by Roebourne locals were performed by Australian icons such as Paul Kelly.

However, the organizers are limited by their workload and the search for new projects.

“The legacy of this [concert] will last for generations,” said 19-year-old Nina Allen.

Ms. Allen made her first appearance at Songs for Freedom when she was 13, and today she helps younger people gain the confidence to perform.

“There are a lot of young people here who are willing to maintain that legacy and focus more on bringing out the new, but still keeping the old together,” she said.

While Saturday was the last local concert for Songs of Freedom, there will be another performance for the greater Perth audience on October 12.