Proud Filipino, Murrawarri and Ngemba composer, rapper, producer and drummer, DOBBY, shares his latest single and video, Ancestor available now via ABC Music, and to be featured on his forthcoming debut album, WARRANGU: River Story, out June 14, 2024.
As a new piece of astute storytelling from DOBBY, Ancestor is layered with cinematic strings and a crisp backbeat. DOBBY looks deep within to usher out a call to his ancestors, echoing the mantra ‘show us the way’ to speak to cultural connection and strength within these times.
DOBBY says on the track, “Ancestor is my musical reconnection with spirit(s). I look inward to find myself within my mind, body and Cultural self, and I call upon the listener to do the same; find yourself, and only then can you truly understand the Country you live on.”
Blending images of dance, Country, and community, the end result brings an intimacy to the track that is utterly breathtaking.
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Most recently, DOBBY announced his debut album titled, WARRANGU: River Story, will be released this June, and celebrated by revealing its first single: Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya. A graceful and textured work, the track features the distinct call and melodic motif of the Pied Butcher Bird. DOBBY’s whip-smart lyrics bounced back and forth across the track’s verses, as he called for systemic and political change.
WARRANGU: River Story, documents the cultural knowledge of the three rivers that form the surrounding tribal boundaries in Brewarrina, the Bogan River to the South, the Culgoa River to the North, and the Barwon River to the East; while shedding light on the over-irrigation and water theft in the region.
Water theft on a grand scale has been occurring in the region for years, causing horrific and irreversible damage to the ecosystem, in particular, over-irrigation and redirection of the waterways known as the Murray Darling Basin for the profit of almonds and cotton. WARRANGU: River Story provides the soundtrack for the community-grown demonstration against this injustice.
DOBBY arrives with a wealth of accolades and experience under his belt, from the 2021-22 New Year’s Eve Fireworks to extensive live performances on festival stages at home, including Splendour in the Grass, BIGSOUND, Bluesfest, PARRTJIMA Festival (NT), OzAsia Festival (SA) and Sydney Opera House. DOBBY has also taken his music to overseas crowds in Germany, UK, USA and Netherlands.
DOBBY’s signature talent, ‘drapping’ sees his lyricism seamlessly blend between his live drumming and provides a sound all of his own. DOBBY was awarded the 2022 NIMA Archie Roach Foundation Award, which recognises emerging First Nations artists who show exceptional talent and promise in their chosen field. His previous track, I CAN’T BREATHE, took home Best Video at the FBi SMAC Awards in 2020 and has since become an anthem for Australia’s Blak Lives Matter movement, used in schools to educate students on the struggles faced by marginalised communities.
As a composer, DOBBY created all the soundscapes for Alice Springs’ highly attended PARRTJIMA festival in 2021 and 2022, while lending his talents to Elevate Sydney for Australia’s inaugural and spectacular 500-strong drone show in 2022 and 2023. DOBBY launches into 2024 today, unleashing a second taste of his debut record, WARRANGU: River Story, and reminding the world of his endless talents with his new single Ancestor.
Buy or stream it here.
