Songs from the Stations
Wajarra as Sung by Ronnie Wavehill Wirrpnga, Topsy Dodd Ngarnjal and Dandy Danbayarri at Kalkaringi
By Myfany Turpin and Felicity Meakins, with photography by Brenda L Croft
Book now available!!
The Gurindji people of the Northern Territory are best known throughout Australia for leading the 1966 Wave Hill walk-off, when Aboriginal station workers went on strike from Wave Hill Station. The strike, led by Vincent Lingiari, would become the first major victory of the Indigenous land rights movement. The walk-off was driven by the harsh treatment of Aboriginal workers, and this has been the focus of discussions of station life.
The songs on this website reflect another side of life on Wave Hill Station. Throughout the decades of mistreatment, the station was also a place of vibrant ceremonial practices and persistent musical traditions. Station workers were members of many different Aboriginal groups – Gurindji, Mudburra, Bilinarra, Ngarinyman, Wanyjirra, Warlpiri, Nyininy – who travelled between cattle stations frequently. As a result, the Vestey stations, including Wave Hill, became a crossroads of musical styles.
This website is a companion to the book Songs from the Stations by Myfany Turpin and Felicity Meakins, with photographs by Brenda L. Croft (forthcoming from Sydney Universtiy Press). The book is the first detailed documentation of the public songs of this period as performed by the Gurindji. The music is ‘traditional’ in that it does not borrow from Western musical forms; it is also an entirely oral tradition. Many people may know that traditional songs link Aboriginal people to their land and religion; fewer people may realise that there are also traditional songs performed simply for entertainment. These songs once played an important part of everyday life for Aboriginal men, women and children acros the country and many were shared relatively freely. In Gurindji this genre of entertainment songs is called wajarra.
Songs from the Stations presents musical and textual analysis of the five sets of wajarra songs below. These five song sets were recorded at Kalkaringi in 1998, 2007, 2015 and 2016. Together they comprise 50 verses and 229 individual song items. The main performers in these recordings are Ronnie Wavehill Wirrpngayarri Jangala, Topsy Dodd Ngarnjalngali Nangari, and Dandy Danbayarri Jukurtayi. A full list of additonal performers and contributors to the project can be found in the book.
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The Mintiwarra song set (15 verses, 72 song items)
| Verse 1 ‘Tarnpala’ | Mintiwarra1.1 | Play |
| Verse 2 ‘Lila-lila’ | Mintiwarra2.1 | Play |
| Mintiwarra2.2 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.3 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.4 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.5 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.6 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.7 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.8 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra2.9 | Play | |
| Verse 3 ‘Yarlukunya’ | Mintiwarra3.1 | Play |
| Verse 4 ‘Makurila’ | Mintiwarra4.1 | Play |
| Verse 5 ‘Piningala’ | Mintiwarra5.1 | Play |
| Verse 6 ‘Wartuwarra’ | Mintiwarra6.1 | Play |
| Mintiwarra6.2 | Play | |
| Verse 7 ‘Rarri-rarri’ | Mintiwarra7.1 | Play |
| Verse 8 ‘Mangkurila’ | Mintiwarra8.1 | Play |
| Verse 9 ‘Jalyulyulyulyu’ | Mintiwarra9.1 | Play |
| Verse 10 ‘Ngkaya Warlungka’ | Mintiwarra10.1 | Play |
| Mintiwarra10.2 | Play | |
| Verse 11 ‘Wantuwarra nyawa’ | Mintiwarra11.1 | Play |
| Mintiwarra11.2 | Play | |
| Mintiwarra11.3 | Play | |
| Verse 12 ‘Murrku-marta’ | Mintiwarra12.1 | Play |
| Verse 13 ‘Milkunya’ | Mintiwarra13.1 | Play |
| Verse 14 ‘Kurluturra’ | Mintiwarra14.1 | Play |
| Verse 15 ‘Marlakurla’ | Mintiwarra15.1 | Play |
| Mintiwarra video performances | ||
The Kamul song set (6 verses, 32 song items)
| Verse 1 ‘Waljankarra’ | Kamul1.1 | Play |
| Kamul1.2 | Play | |
| Verse 2 ‘Karima rrangkana’ | Kamul2.1 | Play |
| Verse 3 ‘Warlimirriri’ | Kamul3.1 | Play |
| Verse 4 ‘Jarlilangka’ | Kamul4.1 | Play |
| Verse 5 ‘Japi-japi Jangala’ | Kamul5.1 | Play |
| Kamul5.2 | Play | |
| Verse 6 ‘Palkarrala’ | Kamul6.1 | Play |
| Kamul video performances | ||
The Freedom Day song set (9 verses, 21 song items)
| Verse 1 ‘Palngalangalarna’ | Freedom1.1 | Play |
| Freedom1.2 | Play | |
| Verse 2 ‘Parrinyamparna’ | Freedom2.1 | Play |
| Verse 3 ‘Ngurramananyangka’ | Freedom3.1 | Play |
| Verse 4 ‘Yirtingki’ | (song not available) | |
| Verse 5 ‘Kananyjimpa’ | (song not available) | |
| Verse 6 ‘Wanampita’ | Freedom6.1 | Play |
| Verse 7 ‘Majilkana’ | Freedom7.1 | Play |
| Verse 8 ‘Janajanala’ | Freedom8.1 | Play |
| Verse 9 ‘Jipinpana’ | Freedom9.1 | Play |
| Freedom Day video performances | ||
The Laka song set (15 verses, 92 song items)
| Verse 1 ‘Warriwankanya’ | Laka1.1 | Play |
| Verse 2 ‘Nyurti-nyurti’ | Laka2.1 | Play |
| Verse 3 ‘Kuyartin’ | Laka3.1 | Play |
| Verse 4 ‘Jarrawarti’ | Laka4.1 | Play |
| Verse 5 ‘Kujanpa-kujanpa’ | Laka5.1 | Play |
| Laka5.2 | Play | |
| Verse 6 ‘Ngarili-ngarili’ | Laka6.1 | Play |
| Verse 7 ‘Yampi-yampila’ | Laka7.1 | Play |
| Verse 8 ‘Yampirrikurla’ | Laka8.1 | Play |
| Verse 9 ‘Jilkamintila’ | Laka9.1 | Play |
| Verse 10 ‘Yuwanja-wanja’ | Laka10.1 | Play |
| Verse 11 ‘Yarraltingura’ | Laka11.1 | Play |
| Verse 12 ‘Kanjurrpanaw’ | Laka12.1 | Play |
| Verse 13 ‘Pinarraya’ | Laka13.1 | Play |
| Verse 14 ‘Tinjarra-tinja’ | Laka14.1 | Play |
| Verse 15 ‘Waljikuna’ | Laka15.1 | Play |
| Laka15.2 | Play | |
| Laka video performances | ||
The Juntara song set (5 verses, 12 song items)
| Verse 1 ‘Raljingkanu’ | Juntara1.1 | Play |
| Verse 2 ‘Jaliwantarra’ | Juntara2.1 | Play |
| Verse 3 ‘Jaalngarangu’ | Juntara3.1 | Play |
| Verse 4 ‘Wangkarrangkarri’ | Juntara4.1 | Play |
| Verse 5 ‘Pungkalangara’ | Juntara5.1 | Play |
| Juntara video performances | ||