Hand to Earth
Hand to Earth is a call to open ears: eluding genre, traversing continents and fusing ancient and contemporary. At its heart are Yolŋu manikay (song cycles), a 40,000+ year-old oral tradition from South East Arnhem Land, northern Australia. These songs exist to cross vast time and space, to continuously make the continuous – known as raki, the spirit that pulls all together, all performers all listeners.
Hand to Earth developed during an Australia Art Orchestra residency in the remote highlands of Tasmania. Yolŋu songman, Daniel Yipininy Wilfred, and Korean vocalist, Sunny Kim, formed an effortless rapport that spans continents and cultures and yet expresses a deeply human commonality. Their vocal approaches are melded into the atmospheres created by trumpeter/composer Peter Knight, David Yipininy Wilfred on yidaki and Aviva Endean on clarinets, woven into minimalist soundscapes reminiscent of Brain Eno and Jon Hassell.
Daniel sings in language and is the keeper of Yolŋu manikay (songs) from South East Arnhem Land that can be traced back for over 40,000 years. His is the oldest continuously practised music tradition in the world. Sunny sings in English and Korean and intones wordless gestures that invoke raw elemental forces.
‘Daniel Wilfred shares one of the oldest song traditions in the world with us, it’s an extraordinary gift. He has one of those unforgettable voices that feels like it emanates from the earth and changes your body. He has taught us all to listen in new ways.’ - Peter Knight
Hand to Earth expresses something of the here and now in music, and represents contemporary Australia at its best: sophisticated, inclusive, diverse, and forward looking.
“The overall impact of all the musicians coming together with their widely different sounds created an almost hypnotic environment, exposing the ear to unique creations, and opening up the mind to infinite possibilities. ★★★★½“
“Working with the Orchestra, I can share my culture with other musicians, tell them my stories, sing my songs. They learn from me, and I learn from them.”
- Daniel Wilfred
“In our performances, you’re going to experience friendship. And you’ll hear us share ancient ideas and stories, but told in a way that’s quite contemporary.”
- Sunny Kim
“When art making crosses cultures, when art making bridges things that usually divide us, what you end up with is the essence of human connection.”
- Peter Knight
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