WARRANGU; RIVER STORY PERFORMANCE [REVIEW]

The Art Gallery of New South Wales was set ablaze with the performance of Warrangu; River Story by Dobby (@dobbyau). With a full band and projection mapping to boot, the rapper’s latest offering was conceived in hope of inspiring change to the management of local water systems. The evening was produced by Vyva Entertainment (@vyvaent) and backed by elders from the Brewarrina Shire Region, who have given Dobby their blessing in taking up the fight against corporate greed. Projection mapping was handled by Carla Zimbler (@carlazimbler), who brought the artwork of Badger Bates to life as a dynamic backdrop for the performance. 

Dobby performing Warrangu; River Story.

[Image caption: Still from Warrangu; River Story. Photograph by Cassandra Hannagan (@cassandrahannagan)]

The show was a dazzling melange of spoken word, live orchestration and of course, metaphors and similes from the artist himself. Connecting the narrative of the project to each of the three rivers, Dobby was able to strike a balance between an emotional and intellectual plea for change. The string and horn sections gave an earthy weight to the hip-hop tone set by the rapper, who entertained the audience in a charismatic and emotional display. The voice overs of conversations between Indigenous elders and Dobby were particularly poignant, emphasising the recurring theme of ancestry and lineage.

Panel discussion with local Indigenous elders Badger Bates and Bruce Pascoe.

[Image caption: Still from Warrangu; River Story. Photograph by Ama Asemaga (@travellingbreaks)]

After the performance, Dobby was joined onstage by Badger Bates and Bruce Pascoe to discuss some of the issues explored in the performance. Touching on ideas of preservation and deep connection to country, the short panel brought the intellectual hues of the rapper’s performance to centre stage, making sure that the audience was aware of the impacts of the mismanaged waterways. The impassioned words of the elders were received with warmth, ending the night with a reminder to seek change not only for today, but for generations to come.

You can listen to Dobby’s music here.