The weight of January 26 – and the entire month of January – can weigh heavy on the shoulders of Indigenous people across the country. What is officially celebrated as the national day, ‘Australia Day’, means something very different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For us, it is a day of mourning, or of resistance and survival.
To bring some levity, strength and joy, Sounds of Solidarity invites us all to reflect on the legacy of First Nations music and culture, its influence and its future. Sounds of Solidarity is a three-hour music show on NITV featuring some of the best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and celebrates the powerful and enduring legacy of First Nations music and cultures.
Host of the program, Megan Waters, a Warumungu/Yawuru woman hailing from Larrakia Country in Darwin, says the show is about the coming together of mob within the music and creative industries to focus on the positives of community.
“Obviously Jan 26 or Invasion Day is a really hard day and you start feeling that well before,” Waters tells Missing Perspectives.
“It’s almost like January hits and you start to dread the end of the month because you know what’s coming, so Sounds of Solidarity provides the opportunity for people to actually look forward to something on Invasion Day and celebrate our amazing culture through things like music, which is so special, so beautiful.”
Waters first established a career in the fitness and wellness industry becoming a sought after personal trainer and group coach in Melbourne before she joined as a host on NITV’s AFL show, Yokayi Footy, in 2021. Since then she has established herself as a rising media star.
Reflecting on filming the program in her hometown on Larrakia Country, alongside First Nations artists including rapper Nooky, and singer-songwriter plus formerly of the 2000s pop duo Shakaya, Naomi Wenitong, Waters said the day was full of beautiful moments.
“Spending the day with Nooky and Naomi firstly who are just so talented and so entertaining and deadly in their own rights, to have that moment to share that with them, it’s really important that we can be together during challenging times like this,” she said.
Waters, said hosting with Wenitong in particular was special as a self-confessed Shakaya fangirl – something many young Blak girls of the early 00’s can relate to.
“You know when I was a young girl, Shakaya, that ‘Stop Callin’ Me’ song, I had it on repeat,” laughs Waters.
“That was just such a cool moment to share in that. There was a lot of reminiscing, a lot of talking about their experiences to date in the industry… especially with Naomi as well, because she’s been through so many journeys in terms of different eras.”
Sounds of Solidarity will look back on the legacy of First Nations music – with songs and music videos from legends like Yothu Yindi and Uncle Archie Roach and how their songs have both been shaped by and influenced the political landscape in Australia.
“‘Won’t Stop’ by 3 percent and Jessica Mauboy – that song is so powerful and such an important message behind it and Blackfullas, we’re such storytellers and artists and creatives, and music is a form of art and the music is so meaningful and powerful and there are so many songs,” says Waters.
“One of the songs that I remember specifically standing out for me and also the music video that accompanies it is Ziggy Ramo’s ‘Little Things’ and his rendition of that,” says Waters, “and the music video for that is just incredible.”
Waters adds the range of music that comes from First Nations artists is all encompassing of the Indigenous experience.
“It’s all about storytelling,” she says. “Some of it’s about resistance, some of it’s about celebration, some of it’s about pain and some of it’s about love, it’s the human experience as mob.”
Sounds of Solidarity will also showcase exciting new talent with rising stars like Yolŋu surf-rock band King Stingray and rapper Yung Milla just to name a few, and Waters says celebrating young artists in this way is the key to supporting the future of First Nations music.
“I think the evolution of artistry has come such a long way and we’re seeing so many new artists coming through things like TikTok and social media and stuff like that these days, which is also such a great platform,” said Waters.
“I think, the more exposure and platforms that our young mob, our incredibly talented mob, the more exposure that they get hopefully means the more opportunity that comes.”
For Waters, the highlight of being part of this year’s Sounds of Solidarity more than anything was being back on Country and with community at a time when Darwin was buzzing with Blak energy as filming coincided with the National Indigenous Fashion Awards and The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.
“There was just so much going on, on Larrakia Country at that time, and it was amazing,” said Waters.
“You know, you talk about community, but that’s what it felt like. Obviously with the mob from NITV, we just all had such a fun day together, it didn’t feel like work at all, it felt like I’m here with my sisters, my brothers and we’re celebrating, listening to music and having the biggest yarns.”
Waters hopes the energy that sustained her during recording transcends the TV screen. On a day that can be fraught with anger and sadness, mob can come home from rallies around the country, tune in to the Sounds of Solidarity community with music and laughter.
“It’s a good combination of a bit of serious, because obviously we’re talking about Invasion Day, so there’s that kind of conversation in there and how it makes us feel but then there’s so much lightness and so much joy and there’s a lot of fun and colour as well.”
Watch Sounds of Solidarity on NITV at 2:30pm on Sunday 26th January.