Dig Deep has been providing an outlet for young, creative people from diverse backgrounds to get together and form a community based around music with a strong focus on hip hop. One of the many talents on display at the Dig Deep concert will be Mary Napaa. Napaa is a recent graduate of the mentoring program and now performs solo as well being the songwriter for Massive Hip Hop Choir. On top of that, she was also nominated as one of The Age’s top 100 most inspiring and influential people of 2011. Not bad eh? For the young singer-songwriter, getting the chance to perform as part of the Dig Deep Refugee Concert is something she is truly excited about.
“Yeah I feel mad excited,” she says candidly. The concert also has a deeper meaning for Napaa as someone who has successfully come through the mentoring program and managed to become a successful musician in her own right. “I guess it’s just given me an opportunity to be a part of something,” Napaa says. “To be a part of helping and sharing my experiences with others around me. So like with me singing and performing it’s like sharing my stories, reaching out.”
As a recent alumni of the Dig Deep mentoring program, Nappa is fully aware of the importance of such a program for instilling confidence and a sense of community in young performers. “Dig Deep is a collaboration of different genres,” she reflects. “It gives us kids opportunities, not [just] kids but students, adults, opportunities to invite people to be ourselves where we’re talking to people throughout the community.”
For Napaa personally, the mentoring program was a huge help in her career, giving her a great amount of support and direction as well as being a great stepping stone into the world of music. “I think it’s helped me tremendously,” she says. “Throughout all the music that I’ve done, I think Dig Deep has really got me out of my comfort zone. It’s helped me a lot with confidence.”
One of the most important aspects of the Dig Deep mentoring program is the way it can provide a sense of community for a whole host of young people who come from a vast number of different backgrounds. It’s a place where they can not only harness their musical skills in a creative and supportive environment but also one where they can meet similar minded people. “I guess it’s being with people that you can really relate with,” agrees Napaa. “Just sharing each other’s stories with each other; you can see the emotion throughout the music. Like everyone has their own style, they’re all unique, everyone’s unique either rapping or singing. That’s what I really like about it. I just love the communication between everyone and its just fun.”
As for any potential young artists out there who are thinking about getting involved with the Dig Deep mentoring program, Napaa has nothing but praise for it and for what it has done for her. “You know there’s just a lot of compassion in it,” she says. “It labels you who you are. For me it’s like, when you sing a line, the emotion that you bring, the emotion that you share with the crowd or throughout everyone is like, it’s a good vibe.”
Refugee Week is an important and vital event on the community calendar and one which can help to spread a positive message about refugees living in this multicultural country of ours. And events such as the Dig Deep Refugee Concert are a fantastic way to show off the talents of young and aspiring musicians from all walks of life as well as providing some great free live entertainment. For Napaa, the final message is simple.
“I guess just using [music] and sharing life. Just doing what I can, what I know.” You can’t argue with that.
BY JAMES NICOLI
