Paper short abstract:

In this presentation we consider continuity and change in performance and compositional practices across three generations of Inyjalarrku manyardi ‘mermaid dance-songs’ of western Arnhem Land. With insights from songmen, we discuss song creation and the ‘remixing’ of old elements in new songs.

Paper long abstract:

Continuity and change have been key themes in studies of Indigenous Australian music and dance, from the association of particular melodic forms with Dreamings and their country and peoples (Ellis et al., 1992; Barwick, 1995) and Marett (2005); to the understanding by Marett (2000) of wangga as creating a ‘liminal space’ in which important transitions can be enacted; to the insights from song custodians such as Bracknell (2019), Dowding (Treloyn et. al 2017) and Martin (Treloyn et al. 2016) into archival recordings as part of dialogistic revitalisations of song traditions.

In this presentation we consider continuity and change in performance and compositional practices across three generations of Inyjalarrku manyardi ‘mermaid dance-songs’ of western Arnhem Land. Combining insights from Inyjalarrku songmen Rupert and Renfred Manmuru with music analysis, we discuss how recent performance contexts including festivals and academic conferences can be seen as extensions of longstanding practices of ceremonial performance and exchange. Songmen continue receiving Inyjalarrku songs in dreams and order songs in a performance so as to ‘match’ new songs with those of the previous generation. Young people often call out: ‘remix, remix!’, asking songmen to perform new Inyjalarrku songs based on older ones. We consider the textual and musical elements that remain relatively stable across generations, and elements from older songs that change or are ‘remixed’. In this way, we suggest that both continuity and change are vital to sustaining a dialogue between the past, present and future songmen and performers of manyardi.