NGURRU-MILMARRAMIRIW : Wrong Skin
(dance)
Working with Australia's indigenous communities was one of the great privileges and pleasures for Basil in his career in Australia. Ngurru-milmarrmiriw [Wrong Skin] is a collaboration between the Elcho Island community and Elders with award-winning director Nigel Jamieson to create a Romeo and Juliet tale of forbidden love in a community where the complex laws of ‘skin’ and clan define all relationships. Just off the coast of Arnhem Land in northern Australia, Elcho Island is a remote community of little more than 2,000 where the majority of islanders are under 21 - yet their Yolngu culture is connecting profoundly with peoples everywhere.
It is performed by the wildly spirited Chooky Dancers, who captured 1.4 million YouTube fans worldwide with their exuberant interpretation of Zorba the Greek. Their unbridled interpretations include everything from Bollywood to Taiwanese martial arts alongside traditional creation stories.
Basil created the score and sound design, collaborating closely with the late David Page. One of the more interesting tasks was to re-mix the classic 'Singing In The Rain', and infuse it with the ethereal vocals of an Elcho Island singer. The track can be heard in the second half of the following trailer:
It is performed by the wildly spirited Chooky Dancers, who captured 1.4 million YouTube fans worldwide with their exuberant interpretation of Zorba the Greek. Their unbridled interpretations include everything from Bollywood to Taiwanese martial arts alongside traditional creation stories.
Basil created the score and sound design, collaborating closely with the late David Page. One of the more interesting tasks was to re-mix the classic 'Singing In The Rain', and infuse it with the ethereal vocals of an Elcho Island singer. The track can be heard in the second half of the following trailer:
Produced by Performing Lines, directed by Nigel Jamieson. Sydney Opera House and Darwin Festival.
