Yolngu video

[Aidan Wilson]

Check it out: ABC news have taken up this story, as it appears that the 
Yolngu Zorba dancers have been getting international attention. 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/02/2080356.htm

    *Elcho Island dancers take 'Yolngu Zorba' to the world*

    By Anne Barker

    A group of traditional dancers from Arnhem Land has become a sudden
    smash hit on the internet, with their unique interpretation of Zorba
    the Greek.

    The 10 Yolngu dancers on Elcho Island have decided that dancing is
    the ideal antidote to unemployment.

    Their Zorba dance has gone around the world, and even been screened
    in a public square in Greece.

    The offers are now coming in for the group to perform at music
    festivals.

    They are called the Chooky Dancers, a group of young men and boys
    from Elcho Island, and their interpretation of the Greek Zorba is
    taking the internet world by storm.

    At the recent Ramingining Festival in Arnhem Land, there was not a
    Greek tunic in sight.

    Instead the dancers were like black stick figures, dressed only in
    loincloths and ceremonial paint. But their performance was
    captivating and very funny.

    Frank Djirrimbilpilwuy's son Lionel, who is 19, is the lead dancer
    who came up with the idea of fusing modern Yolngu dance with the
    Greek Zorba.

    "The crowd just loved it, you know. If it's three o'clock in the
    morning, if it's two o'clock in the morning, the crowd just loved
    them," he said.

    "They just pick up whatever style or tune they like to pick, you
    know, as long as it's a fast moving type, up-tempo music style with
    a lot of rhythm.

    "They do it at home, just to keep themselves busy and fit, and main
    thing is to keep themselves away from boredom."

    *International audience*

    This recording of the dance <http://youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw>
    was uploaded to the YouTube website a few days ago. Already, it has
    had 40,000 hits.

    It has even made its way to the island of Kastelorizo in Greece,
    where a cafe owner screened it in the local square.

    "They said that they got it off the YouTube and put it on their town
    square," Mr Djirrimbilpilwuy said.

    "They have a big screen where hundreds of people go through the,
    past the street every day and they had a look at it and the crowd
    just loved it."

    But the Chooky Dancers are about more than just fun.

    Mr Djirrimbilpilwuy says the 10 young men are important role models
    for other youngsters facing a life of unemployment, drugs or ill
    health.

    "The statistics in Aboriginal communities is appalling, and we're
    trying to upgrade or we're trying educate people to promote healthy
    living in the community," he said.

    Now on the strength of the YouTube performance, the Elcho Islanders
    have been invited to dance at a festival in Canberra in February.

    Lilian Gomatos, organiser of Darwin's own Greek festival, Glenti, is
    determined to have them perform there next year.

    "The idea of Glenti is to bring out Greek culture to the wider
    community, and it is wonderful to incorporate the Aboriginal culture
    or any other culture into our Glent," she said.



Claire Bowern wrote:
> It's ironic - I can't get Yolngu radio here either! The station 
> broadcasts at Ramingining, just across the river, so if I sit at the 
> barge ramp with the wind in the right direction I can sometimes hear 
> it, but not usually, and not from my house. This is the sort of thing 
> that I was really hoping the 'intervention' would change (like 
> repeater stations for community radio), but instead it's been an 
> exercise in destroying trust and attempted assimilation.
> Claire
>
>
>  
> On 31/10/2007, *phil cash cash* <cashcash at email.arizona.edu 
> <mailto:cashcash at email.arizona.edu>> wrote:
>
>     Deadly...while viewing this, I also noticed "Yolngu Radio" in the
>     listing and that too is pretty cool...most all in the aboriginal
>     language.
>
>     Phil
>
>
>     Quoting Claire Bowern <anggarrgoon at gmail.com
>     <mailto:anggarrgoon at gmail.com>>:
>
>     > Hi everyone,
>     > My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion
>     Greek/Yolngu (NE
>     > Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
>     > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it
>     because YouTube
>     > is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access)
>     but I'm told
>     > it's quite something!
>     > Enjoy!
>     > Claire
>     > (ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more
>     traditional
>     > Yolngu dancing.)
>
>     <https://www.email.arizona.edu/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DO-MucVWo-Pw>
>
>