Indigenous artists based in South Australia have collaborated with the support of a national institute specifically dedicated to supporting and promoting Aboriginal culture to produce a new work featuring a host of emerging and established talent.
The Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute joined forces with the collective to produce Still Stylin 2020, a music video clip that is a celebration of surviving, thriving, culture and creation in the face of adversity.
Tandanya’s creative producer for performance and events, Sasha Zhara said that while closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a priority for the institute to continue to engage with artists and ensure it provided paid opportunities for them to create new work within the space.
"It was about showcasing the diversity of this space and celebrating South Australia's First Nations artists from across a variation of art forms while giving the community a sense of pride and positive creativity in a time when people were isolated," Ms Zhara told NITV News on Tuesday.
The music video features Larrakia nation hip hop artist Jimblah, who has created a mash-up of four reimagined hit tracks previously performed by, Christine Anu.
Jimblah composed the music and directed, filmed and edited the music video, utilising popular songs ‘Island Home’, ‘Stylin’ up’, ‘Sunshine On A Rainy Day’ and ‘Party’.
The video was filmed on Ngarrindjeri Country, Kaurna Country and Peramangk Country, with many of the scenes also filmed on-site at the Tandanya space.
Ms Zhara said the use of Christine Anu's music was an opportunity to pay homage to one of the most iconic Indigenous artists in Australia.
"She's got so many incredible songs, we didn't know how to choose just one ... It's about reemerging her work in a whole lot of imaginative ways".
The clip features performing artists including Ellie May, Nathan May, Katie Aspel, J Milla X, hip hop crew Sonz of Serpent and Zaachariaha Fielding of Electric Fields.
Visual artworks also feature heavily in the clip from the likes of Thomas Readett, Elizabeth Close, Shane Cook and Carly Dodd, while dance performances are provided by Rikki Milera-Wilson, Amber Ahang and Wakara Gondarra, of dance troupe Djuki Mala.
Ms Zhara said the diverse selection of artists who contributed to the project showcased the diverse demographic of emerging and developed Indigenous artists practising their work in South Australian.
She said the video clip and the collaborative environment it was produced in would also assist in bringing some young developing talent to the public's attention.
"We've seen some beautiful organic mentoring opportunities and everyone was just excited to come together and be creative in different ways," she said.
