Mitch Tambo & Voice of Lele Were Brought Together by Their Culture - podcast episode cover

Mitch Tambo & Voice of Lele Were Brought Together by Their Culture

Jan 20, 202536 minSeason 3Ep. 53
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Episode description

Husband and wife duo Mitch Tambo + Voice of Lele joins us in studio to talk all about their home life with their 4 girls, and what it's like working and touring together. 

Plus Mitch shares his reason for making his music independently and how he believes Australia isn't quite ready to embrace someone like him just yet. 

And how Mitch and Lele bonded over their strong connection to culture and why they love sharing it so much. 

Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we recorded this podcast, the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past and present. 

LINKS

CREDITS
Hosts: Brooke Blurton and Matty Mills
Guest: Mitch Tambo + Voice of Lele 
Executive Producer: Rachael Hart
Managing Producer: Ricardo Bardon

Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

Welcome to First things first, I'm proplotting. My pronouns are sheena.

Speaker 2

I'm Maddie Mials. My pronouns are he and him. And before we get started, we'd like to acknowledge the custodians of the land on which we record and today we're all in the studio here on Gaddigal Land, so we'd like to pay respects to their elders. And we should just get straight into let's go.

Speaker 3

We have some really exciting guests today. Thank you guys so much for coming in. Who's your mom? We from?

Speaker 4

My name is Lela. I am a very proud West Paplind woman.

Speaker 5

My dad comes from Biak Island in West Papula and my mother is from the one Dummer tribe in West Papula as well.

Speaker 6

Beautiful Yamiyama, I'm miss Tambo praud gonroy man and yes in honor to be here today to share and yarm with you too, deadly mob and by the way, I think it's only right.

Speaker 7

We'll give you your flowers.

Speaker 6

There usually just a winning awards and just doing all kinds of crazy things like.

Speaker 2

It was a bit of a surprise. Honestly, we didn't really know that we're up for that award.

Speaker 1

Funny like we nearly bailed, Like he was wanting to bail, and.

Speaker 2

I was like, the Best Indigenous Podcast Award wasn't like, why don't we just go?

Speaker 1

You know?

Speaker 2

Then the host kateline Brook said, oh, we've only got three awards left and ours was the third last. So it was the Champion Award, which is voted across all nominations, and so it was a big award, you know, it's sort of one of the big ones of the night. And we didn't know we were even in the running. We just sort of why did we sell ourselves short not even put us in, you know, in the running.

Speaker 3

I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker 1

It's like it's been surreal and I'm sure like there's been moments in both of your lives where you like not that I say out, yeah you do before you even in the running, or like you you already kind of like show yourself in the foot before you even like started walking or whatever.

Speaker 3

I don't know. I just felt it was.

Speaker 1

It really was.

Speaker 3

I was gobsmack. I was real, like Oscar Award winning.

Speaker 2

We look, it was dramatic the way that we walked up to that stage was like.

Speaker 1

Because we were actually we were in shock. But thank you.

Speaker 3

Okay, can we do this?

Speaker 2

But thank you so much. Look, I want to put it out there. Mitch and I we go way back.

Speaker 8

Back to the muddy waters of the Peel River.

Speaker 2

Exactly right. I mean, you know, Mitch came into my life when I was a young, little teenager at Pell High School.

Speaker 8

You know, a rebellious adolescent.

Speaker 1

Teller. So your first meeting was with little Maddie.

Speaker 8

With the little Maddie.

Speaker 6

Yeah, and I was what was I like, an aboriginal aide at the school, and Maddie was just this rebellious dude just getting around.

Speaker 7

Causing all kinds of it.

Speaker 6

Was always desined for greatness. But it is funny that we come from that same neck.

Speaker 8

Of the woods.

Speaker 2

Yeah, your mum was my teacher. It's crazy and it's so great to see that. You've obviously gone on to achieve incredible success. You know. One of the first big moments for you was the Australia's Got Talent. Tell me about that experience.

Speaker 6

Yeah, Look, I got asked to uppere on the show after maybe doing like three of my very first live shows as a so called singer songwriter.

Speaker 8

They reached out and.

Speaker 7

Said, let's do it.

Speaker 8

You know, let's see what happens, see if we can survive it.

Speaker 6

And little did I know, some gold confetti was going to rain down upon me and we'll go to the next round and end up taking on your the voice, which was it was a crazy journey.

Speaker 7

I obviously let as my wife.

Speaker 6

She was with me throughout this big journey, and I remember sort of taking it on, just going, man, this is kind of like the unsung anthem.

Speaker 9

Of every B and S ball out in the bush.

Speaker 6

I don't know, I don't know how this is going to go for me right now, let's do it. It's like the most karaoke song you'll ever come across.

Speaker 7

And we went for it.

Speaker 9

And yeah, it's just it's been an incredible journey.

Speaker 1

But you translated it, didn't you?

Speaker 3

From my memory, yes.

Speaker 9

Yes, so got the song I was put on the table.

Speaker 7

You know, should we do this?

Speaker 8

I said, yeah, let's do it. So we translated.

Speaker 6

I got with Arnie Burnett Duncan out there and Boggabilla shout out to arn and translate it and put it out there, and the rest is kind of history.

Speaker 1

Where were you sitting like in it were you behind or were you so?

Speaker 4

I wasn't there at the first audition.

Speaker 6

No, you left me to go do a gig and how dare you go to that rod laver and singing and I'm just there alone in some bathroom trying to just remember these lyrics.

Speaker 4

No, but I was. I'm very proud.

Speaker 5

And yeah, I wasn't able to be there for a few of the big performances, but I was definitely there in spirit, and I was always on the phone. I think it was the final I was there in the crowd in the and I thought you got brogged.

Speaker 1

But whoa what year was that?

Speaker 3

Twenty nineteen?

Speaker 1

I was a long time And like, how has music changed like since for you, like from that experience.

Speaker 8

Yeah, look, it's changed heaps.

Speaker 6

Because obviously when I went on there, I had no sort of intention to end, you know, signed one of the biggest record labels in the world and go on this crazy journey.

Speaker 9

At the time, I just really wanted to just share culture and.

Speaker 8

Just really show. My whole intention of going on there was just to show the world and.

Speaker 6

Wider community that our culture is alive, it's thriving, and you know, you can have lights akin and look like me and be a proud blackfellow and carry culture because I think a lot of the times, people you know, that don't know much about us, they look for someone that's visibly black to go I'm going to get culture from you, because you know, but in the way that things have happened, you could see someone that appears that way and they know nothing unfortunately because they've been taken

away or things have happened, or you can see someone like me that's light and you've been lucky to grow up in community and have a great.

Speaker 7

Immersion, you know, and understanding.

Speaker 6

So I just really wanted to get out there and just represent and be true to me and be all of who I am. And I had no idea of what was around the corner and what was about to happen.

Speaker 2

Yeah, well, the nation really connected with that performance. You know, you're the voice. You obviously then went on to perform it around the country, you know, at a big events like the NRL and stuff. So has that moment did you say that was the like the the moment that sort of was the springboard into music for you, because before you're talking about you know, culture is music is our culture, but were you always wanted to be a musician or did you realize something in that moment.

Speaker 8

Yeah.

Speaker 6

Look, it's not the sound arrogant, but I've never once said in my life, hey, I want to be a singer.

Speaker 7

Yeah, I want to be a songwriter.

Speaker 6

From about the age of fifteen, and I knew that for the rest of my life. I just wanted to know and understand who I am as an Aboriginal person and be able.

Speaker 7

To share and celebrate that.

Speaker 6

So when this happened, you know, my first time, you know, actually singing was your the voice in our language, and I'm doing it in front of the whole nation, slash world.

Speaker 7

That was my first time.

Speaker 6

And like, I know it sounds cliche and you see movies and stuff, but I was like five minutes from going out, looking in the mirror, just going come on, man, you have to remember these these lyrics.

Speaker 9

You have to remember it. Yeah, And I got to a point where I was like, well, I'm done.

Speaker 7

Now I've got to go.

Speaker 6

I can't remember a thing, and all of a sudden it just come to me on the stage and I did it, you know, because i'd never actually been really feel like I mean, I mean, my team will like, you know what, because I do sing like one percent of it in English, and that one percent they were like, you know, let's not worry about it. Don't worry about it. It's too much pressure. Because obviously I'm a fluent English speaker, I don't speak Gomroy, but I only ever really grew up singing in Gomroy.

Speaker 7

I never grew up like want to be a singer.

Speaker 6

So the idea of singing in English was really exposing and just like so much anxiety around that where singing in language just feels like I'm just being me, just tell them story.

Speaker 9

So the last minute they just don't worry about it, just dance.

Speaker 7

I was come too fad, now I've got to do it.

Speaker 6

So my first time like singing in English English on a stage was on the show.

Speaker 7

And just doing it.

Speaker 6

Wow.

Speaker 2

And then obviously from that moment, you've worked very closely together. Yes, you've traveled a lot, you've toured, you've released music. You have a way of releasing iconic covers, yes, you know. So what is it about taking a song that is so iconic that everyone knows and then putting like a first nation spin on it? Yes, is important to you? Mo?

Speaker 8

Yeah, look.

Speaker 6

I think at the time, it was like, you know, why do I want it to do this? Like I said before, it's like the biggest unsung anthem of the country.

Speaker 9

But it's also like everyone karaoke this sub is.

Speaker 6

Getting absolutely annihilated and people just get pulled apart for doing it.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 6

Yeah, So when it come to the table, I was like, well, what's it really about? And the story that was given to me was about being a voice against domestic violence and stepping out, and I could relate to that, but I was like, you know what, there's so many of our mob struggle and we're sover representing all these high statistics.

I just want to be a voice that the sooner we can just come together and love one another, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, in class Like the sooner we can just create a beautiful platform for the kids of our community and let that flow out.

Speaker 7

To all kids that they can just be all of who they are.

Speaker 6

You know, you don't have to be that kid that's you know, hiding in the closet and doesn't want to come out and you know, identify as gay or whatever it is, and all of a sudden, you know, they take their life. If we could just create something that was built on that love and acceptance, like we'll just be keeping kids, and kids could celebrate all of who.

Speaker 7

They are, and you know, it would flow out that.

Speaker 6

You know, there could be a young Muslim sister and a hit job that wants to wrap in her lingo and she can step out, you know, just be who you are. And it was crazy, like after it. The love that flooded in initially was out of this world because I thought, man, I'm going to I'm just gonna

get handed. And there was this one night, wasn't there Lello where I got this like voice message on Facebook and this is this sounds like I'm stereotyping, but it sounded like some old farmer dude out in the middle of nowhere that rang me late at night.

Speaker 9

This old ringer, you know, maybe Caucasian background.

Speaker 1

Like that would typically love that song, yeah, and be very attached to it exactly.

Speaker 6

And he he goes, Mitch May, I'm just cooling your mate, you're the voice, mate.

Speaker 9

Just want to say thank you so much, mate, and then he just goes.

Speaker 7

Anyway, mate, love you good night.

Speaker 4

Were Wow and midnight It's crazy.

Speaker 6

I'm like running out to listen. Yeah, I probably had a couple of timers, you know, the vibes out in the middle of somewhere and had another fellow reach out. I thought initially it was going to be that style, and he actually goes you know, I've been a ring of my whole life, mustering cattle with lots of black fellows. I've always felt this really weird connection to the land. I saw you get up, you know, with fair skin,

and so proud of you. And I've got my kids to go on an ancestry search founds out like you know, one of our grandfathers or whatever was oborriginal and now understand why I've had this connection to you, your people and culture. And just thanks for stepping out and doing the thing.

Speaker 3

Song been crazy, that's crazy, blessed. Like John Van is real sick.

Speaker 1

At the moment.

Speaker 2

Well, I think he's come on the other side of it now he's sort of on his healing journey.

Speaker 8

Yeah.

Speaker 2

Just and guy Sebastian just did that tribute at the logo.

Speaker 7

Yes, beautiful tribute.

Speaker 2

It would have been amazing for you to step out.

Speaker 8

Where was I matter? You need to put a word, you know what? When they were singing.

Speaker 2

When she came out singing the voice, I was like, wouldn't it be amazing for you to come out and sing a bit in language you know next time?

Speaker 6

Totally, And I mean, you know, I've been blessed to obviously sing it with John and Brian May from Queen and blessed early in John and you know through the campaign and stuff. When John was crook, they asked me to front of his bed and sing on his behalf. So I've been really blessed in the sense.

Speaker 7

To have his backing.

Speaker 6

And I think he's a really big advocate for our people for positive change and letting that wind shift in the right direction for us, which is great.

Speaker 2

You know. Yeah, I want to ask you Le obviously, like you know, you've been on this journey together, but before music you always like before the Australia has got talent and before that moment, were you always a singer? Did you always perform?

Speaker 5

I've always been a singer and I've always performed. I've been in the industry for a long time. Before what I'm doing now, I was doing a lot of kind of political activism through music, So I did that advocating for West Papua with a lot of different bands, and I was blessed enough to do it on many stages around the world.

Speaker 3

And yeah, a couple of goals.

Speaker 1

Because you also, you know, did teaching and social work as well. So I'm like, this is the iconic, Like like, I just think, what a boss mix. And did music bring you guys together or did you Yeah?

Speaker 4

The arts definitely, yeah, the arts, yeah, definitely number one.

Speaker 7

Definitely culture.

Speaker 6

I think the thing that really brought us together was seeing how in love we are with our respective cultures, how much we just want to celebrate and share that. And I had no idea really about West Papa until Lela back then probably still had that boy from the.

Speaker 7

Bush kind of totally you know.

Speaker 6

So yeah, to learn about Lell's story and struggle and obviously being a refugee and stuff, I think it really resonated with us in our journey too, you know, so we just yeah, it was like that we met and then we just kept bumping into each other.

Speaker 9

It was like that synchronicity started to happen.

Speaker 7

And then let it chase me.

Speaker 8

And w let me.

Speaker 2

Whatever.

Speaker 8

You actually chased me down, said I like this.

Speaker 2

Exactly what I mean, following me around if somebody stopped.

Speaker 3

And now you have beautiful girls? How many?

Speaker 4

Yes, so we have there's four altogether.

Speaker 5

So when Mitch and I met, I was a single mum with three three daughters and we have one together Phoenix.

Speaker 6

Yeah.

Speaker 2

Is there a lot of singing and get home?

Speaker 4

Yes there is yeah, yeah, family album.

Speaker 5

Our eldest daughter she comes on the road with us as well. She's she sings and she's done some backing vocals and stuff on stage with us.

Speaker 3

So that's been pretty cool.

Speaker 1

My dad honestly says, like, innately, like mob are singers, songwriters, storytellers, all that, but they don't want to like title and they never claim that. But innately we are that. You're not being arrogance, I'm a singer or like, I don't know, it's just like a part of us. It just like flows I guess within us. Yeah, for points in our lives, it's who you are, it's who we are. It's not real life.

Speaker 4

We're born that way. It's not like we had to go and study it and you know, learn about it totally.

Speaker 1

Like I would say, I never sung in my life ever, And I just did finish acting school and I performed and I sang in front of my school cohort and it was the most liberating thing I've ever done. But the thing was, I've always enjoyed singing like I've always and it brings me so much joy. And I didn't want to say that I was a singer because I wasn't good at it. And I'm like, you don't have

to be good at it to enjoy it. So I'm like, well, I am a singer, like I did what I like, you know, So I hate that there's this real thing like if you're not good at it, you can't be it.

Speaker 3

And it's like, well no, but you can enjoy it.

Speaker 2

When you realize that the country or the world resonates with what you're doing. It's putting culture and music and putting it together and then putting it out. There was that something that you thought, oh, okay, well then that's where I'm going to stay and that's what I'm going to put out. No, no, nah.

Speaker 6

So I've made a commitment, like before this even happened, like Lela and I when we first started dating or whatever, we would sit in the car for hours and just talk and speak out what we wanted our lives to be. Like together, if we're together, what we could achieve and what we could do and how we could impact our people and how we could help other people.

Speaker 7

So it's always been about that.

Speaker 6

But what happens is when you bust out into a big machine that the entertainment industry is, it's really quick if you don't have that sense of purpose or self awareness to get molded into what people want you.

Speaker 2

To be totally.

Speaker 6

So I've had a constant fight the whole time of staying true to who I am and keeping my own integrity in my music and keeping my own identity and who I am, because.

Speaker 8

You know, you get pushed in they go, oh, you're the voice a million streams.

Speaker 7

Do more of that, do more of that, but it's.

Speaker 8

Like, well that did that.

Speaker 3

I want to do other things.

Speaker 6

Yeah, but it's like I understand that, but I'm not just going to do any song because it's going to go, well, I need to do a song if I'm going to flip it that actually can genuinely means something to me

and have essence to it. So, you know, like Great Southern Land that was put on the table for years before I said I really want to go ahead with it because I got to a point and I was like, Okay, I can understand bringing the spirit of our people into it what that means in terms of celebrating this country and the spirit that flows in this country and bringing everyone together, so it all has a place absolutely everybody.

Speaker 7

It's the same thing. It goes without saying how it resonates with my own message and stuff like that. But it's been really difficult.

Speaker 6

There's been with me many times while I've bore my eyes out and things like that, because you're constantly told you know, you're white, you're black.

Speaker 7

Sing like this, sing like that, be like this.

Speaker 6

Heaps of people over here who you think are going to support you and collaborate with you and work with you, you don't hear from They don't get back to you, because you know, you continually stay in true to who you are. And I think sometimes because I'm not angry and we're not bittered together that we celebrate and we push a message of unity and healing and walking through

through truth telling. Some people don't like that, you know, like the amount of times I get labeled as an activist and things like that on piece of paper.

Speaker 7

I'm not an activist. I've never tried to be.

Speaker 6

But as soon as you're a blackfellow and you've got a voice, immediately you're labeled as political.

Speaker 3

And relate to that, you know.

Speaker 9

So I think we've we've really worked hard, hey Lottly.

Speaker 3

To challenge just just stay true to who we are, to get lost.

Speaker 7

Not get lost in it.

Speaker 6

And it can be a lonely journey because you know, when you're like that, you don't often get invited to certain things that you want to be at because you're not fitting the mold and you're not conforming and you know, you're quietly like.

Speaker 1

I find it really difficult sometimes, especially with that activist part that you just said. I think when I was filming The Bachelorette, like I guess, I got kind of thrusted into this crazy world which I often talk had no experience in media. I had no experience, but because I was really passionate about working with young people, and you know, I had a innately we're all poetical being blackfellas, like we we have.

Speaker 3

To stand up for our mob.

Speaker 1

And yeah, I got pushed that activist sort of title too, and I was like, no, I'm just passionate and I just care about my mob and my community, like I want them to do well and like I remember sitting in an interview chair when I was filming The Bachelors a Verse like twenty eighteen, and I was like, Hi, I'm Brooklyn and like, you know, I was like real proud. I'm a proud Abriginal woman, like from West Australia. My mom's young bah blah blah blah. And they were like, can you like speak Aboriginal?

Speaker 2

And I was like.

Speaker 1

I can say hello, Like I was like, I can say more, but I was like fuck you, like and I was like I'm not going to do that, Like that's just yeah, I can say hello, but what is that going to do?

Speaker 3

And I like wore my shirt and they're like that's a really cool shirt, like like like and.

Speaker 1

Then I did another interview and they're like you should wear your like your shirt and I was like, what, like my flag shirt? And it was it was like, this is my first year of season and I thought, I coming back.

Speaker 3

To this show. But I also I think this is what you learn too.

Speaker 1

I learned to navigate those type of so conversations luckily because I had my mob behind me as well, and I could sort of say like, look, we don't really say that.

Speaker 3

You don't say half, you don't say.

Speaker 1

Quarter, you don't say that shit terms like they don't make like you don't call someone a fucking half calff like, And I've challenged that and I'm sure we've had to many times in our life, and I'm so glad I have had that backing.

Speaker 3

And I know some young mob don't have that that I don't know, know in a.

Speaker 1

Screen or that like grit to be like yeah, that's not what we say. The confidence, it's the confidence, just yeah, And I'm glad I did. But there are times when I've had to navigate this world and felt like, fuck, am.

Speaker 3

I just conforming here?

Speaker 1

Because I need that yes, you know, and like I've had to do things like I've had to say yes, I'm like show face do that, like especially in the bachelorette format, it's very fluffy and gross.

Speaker 3

But I'm so glad I did the experiences.

Speaker 1

Now I get to do.

Speaker 6

Choose.

Speaker 1

And I'm sure you guys are at that stage where you're like, no, I'm picking and joy.

Speaker 2

Has there been a moment where you've sort of crossed that line of conforming to something and then gone fuck. I didn't mean too because I think that there's always moments in even in my career where I've sort of gone, you know, like, oh, you have to pick your battles, you know, and it's like, what like, sometimes there's a that you have to No, I wouldn't say that you

have to conform, but sometimes I have. Where I'm going with this young with you mob, is that being a part of a system, a record labels that they're really I think that there's big issues there into.

Speaker 7

Well we're independent. Yeah, so we're independent now.

Speaker 9

But you came from one of the came from the biggest, one of the biggest machines.

Speaker 7

In the world.

Speaker 8

Look my journey on there, it was what it was.

Speaker 6

I'm grateful for it, and I'm as grateful from where I'm at now. You've got to take you know, there's pros and cons with everything.

Speaker 8

And I think with my thing, without.

Speaker 9

Isolating it to the record label and just the industry in general.

Speaker 7

Is I don't fit the mold at all.

Speaker 6

I'm the opposite of what the system wanted from the get go when they started to you know, steal our kids and try to.

Speaker 7

Breed our color out.

Speaker 6

And I'm the complete opposite, because here I stand in front of you, is sitting here with yours.

Speaker 7

I'm very fair skinned.

Speaker 9

The opposite is though inside I'm black.

Speaker 7

As I've been through ceremony.

Speaker 6

I practice culture, I sing in language, but I dress in bright pop style colors. And this nation is just not ready for someone like me. And that's that's always all we get is we love him, but we just don't get it. But if like Pitbull rocked up here Ricky Martin and sung in South American and put.

Speaker 9

On a big pop show, we'd be like, oh, I get it.

Speaker 7

That's cool. But here I come, it's like, oh no, we're thinking that.

Speaker 6

You know, we could probably put Mitch in some more neutral color and we'll think, and you know, let's let's get rid of like the bright purple lights and stuff. Maybe we'll add some more earthy like reds and oranges, make it feel a bit more deserty.

Speaker 8

And yellow all that.

Speaker 2

And that's that's my twin. Someone turns up in red, black and yellow, it's.

Speaker 8

Just you know, and look red black and is great.

Speaker 7

Our mob take a lot of pride in it.

Speaker 8

Red yellow cars. You got to go home.

Speaker 6

But my thing is is that you know, when people have a crack is like, look, if you want to talk about culture, go look outside and look at country, because every color I got on me now is reflective of country, sunset, the sunrise, and everything.

Speaker 7

Don't box me into.

Speaker 6

Red, black, and yellow, because we're actually more than that. That's great, we get to use those three colors to symbolize and reflect us as a whole unity, but it's not.

Speaker 7

It's not all we who we are.

Speaker 9

So yeah, my journey has been very much that, and I think the thing you know that's.

Speaker 6

Been obviously the biggest blessing is to have leloir beside me, because it's been quite dark at times and it's been hectic rollercoaster.

Speaker 8

But when we talk.

Speaker 7

About, yeah, have I ever had to sacrifice who I am?

Speaker 6

Look, there's times where you know, you got to, you got to play the game and smile and stuff. But there's things where I just won't. And they're the things that I've always said to Lelie, I just couldn't sell my soul.

Speaker 7

Just to get you to the next level. I wouldn't be able to look at my daughters.

Speaker 6

So I just have to stay true to who I am and it might take you know, add a couple more k's onto the road, but I'm willing to walk it.

Speaker 9

I guess as a.

Speaker 7

Strained as it can be.

Speaker 6

And for someone like me, I think it's finding acceptance, acceptance in who you are and staying true to who you are, and acceptance that you will never fit in.

All your people will never accept you, and the wider community will never accept you, and You're always just going to walk in the middle and you'll find your people along the way and they will come in all different shape, sizes and colors, and I'll just rock with them and go with that, because I feel like there was time there where I was so upset and disappointed that all of my people we weren't happy and weren't loving acceptance

of me, that it was just killing me. So I had to come to a point where it was like, I's got to be me, and as long as everyone in.

Speaker 7

My household's happy and supportive, that's all I need.

Speaker 6

You know, I think we're in a time, you know, with Lela and her music, she can talk on it. You know, she's probably one of the first ever West Papuans to you know, women to do the style that she's doing and breaking it open and carving out that platform.

And you know, for us too, I think we're always going to have our culture and our law and our ceremonies and all these beautiful ancient practices, but we also have to let go and allow that to manifest and evolve into a contemporary setting so we can continually engage our young people and bring them back. Like I've heard people on red carpets and all kinds of things go. Look, I don't think culture and music and culture in these things, you know, in terms of the radio space they blend or work.

Speaker 7

It's not about that.

Speaker 6

But for me, it's like, well, well, we need to think bigger than that, because we've got some of the highest suicide rates in the world in our young people. You know, the list goes on and on and on, and a lot of it comes back to that disassociation with identity.

Speaker 7

Belonging, connectedness and knowing who you are.

Speaker 8

And that was my thing.

Speaker 6

Is so many of our mob and you would have seen it growing up, walking around the streets with one leg rolled up with the limp with a fifty cent shirt.

Speaker 9

On, breaking and stealing cars and not knowing who they are.

Speaker 6

My thing was like, oh, I've got to step on this stage and bring all of who I tually am, and that's you know, the contemporary world. It's bright colors, it's fashion, but also rock my head dress and culture because there's actually nothing more gangster than coming.

Speaker 7

From the oldestuman culture on the planet.

Speaker 6

So we've got to rock that and celebrate that. But you know that's a hard thing too for a lot of people to understand. You know, like we're sixty thousand years old, but we're also here in this world and we've got to continually engage our kids back to that fire. And we can only do that through pop culture because that's what they're into, that's what they love.

Speaker 3

I couldn't agree more.

Speaker 1

Look, I feel like identity is so powerful to a young person's like wellbeing.

Speaker 2

Well, speaking of identity, this episode is going to actually go out correspond with twenty six right, So it's a time where the rest of the community seems to have an opinion on our identity. But you've got an exciting project around that time. Please be able to tell us about it.

Speaker 7

You can announce it, okay.

Speaker 5

So we are releasing a duet mid tonight and it is a very very popular song that everybody knows it's our version of My Island Home.

Speaker 8

Stop.

Speaker 1

When you were talking before, I was like, because I know the voice obviously, but I was like the song that I graham was my island Christine.

Speaker 2

Oh, but even before that, yes, hers is the iconic cover, but it's their song. Yeah, how so how did they come about? Why did you choose the song?

Speaker 8

Do you think girl?

Speaker 5

Obviously growing up like, I've been a big a fan of Christine Anu and especially that song, but it also ties our story in together really well. And my island home for me means when I listen to it, I always long for Papua for my home.

Speaker 4

You know, it's so close to Australia. And actually I had this one We had a gig up in where it's it called bam Bamiga. Have you guys been there?

Speaker 5

It's up so that's most northern tip of Australia. Like we got to walk out there and there was a sign saying you're standing on the and you can see the Straits, And for me, I get really emotional because just over the Straits is my country, is where I come from. And I don't know if you guys know much about West Papua, but we've been fighting for our independence for over sixty years.

Speaker 2

And.

Speaker 4

Yeah, we have this.

Speaker 5

Mitch and I often talk about this because we both like, I'm a refugee leaving away from my country. But I know, I know my family, I know my culture really well, and so does Mitch. But he's still as well as a lot of black fellows in this country still often feel like refugees in their own country. Totally, and you know, and we share that connection. So my island home for both of us held really different meanings but the same at the same time, if that makes sense.

Speaker 9

Totally, And I think it was about you know, we talked about it a lot.

Speaker 6

Yeah, and then like when this this come around we decided to do this, it was like, well, you know, we need to do it and release it in you know, today twenty twenty five, because how many people are here now from so many different walks of life.

Speaker 7

They call this place home.

Speaker 6

Like Lett and I'm married, I'm here, my roots are here, but Lels are you know, just over the other side there in West Papua, and she longs for home, but now this place is home. So you know, when you think about it, you know, people come here going around them tinder date, fall in love and they never leave. Some people flee, you know, wartime countries, the refugees like le bound from country to country to make it here

and then everything our people has gone through. But we all stand here together and this is home, and you know what a beautiful home it is. So we wanted to do this song really to just reflect on I suppose you know, Australia has always been multicultural. Before it was colonized, our people were different, we traded, it was multicultural. But really reflect and celebrate on this multicultural.

Speaker 7

Place that it is today that we all live in. I guess.

Speaker 2

So to get you know, to get the rights to a cover what it is about picking up the phone and calling the rumpy band and saying, hey, can we do your song? Or how does it work?

Speaker 8

Yes?

Speaker 6

So we every time we do it, we reach out to the writers, We find out who actually wrote the song and go through the process of you know, we'll send them translations whatever reverse translations, and talk through our intent.

Speaker 7

Yeah, go through a lengthy process to get it approved.

Speaker 9

Sometimes it's quick, but often or not, it takes time.

Speaker 7

And a lot of patients.

Speaker 2

And so I'm guessing there's language from both or oh well, yeah, man, maybe you could something. It's really exciting. I mean it's a really great time also because obviously people our identity, he's a question at this time of years, First Nations people, But it's an empowering anthem for mob but it's also a learning tool, you know, for the rest of the country as well. So what an exciting time for both of you. And it's your first official like duet as both names.

Speaker 6

Would you say, well, we've done a prelude in Christmas chant Iron Carol's last year, so that was kind of like the taste tests there our version of Amazing Grace. It's kind of like you know what people you know, we can we're a husband and wife, would just sing a song, you know, been an island home.

Speaker 8

Yeah, get in there. So yeah, no, it's beautiful and I think it's great.

Speaker 6

I mean, Lela's she's played some of the biggest music festivals in the world and prior to us meeting and stuff, and she's been there supporting me the whole way and traveling and touring. So it's really beautiful that, you know, Lela's got her own project, Voice of Leather, and she's out there doing doing her own thing, and she's got a bunch of songs out, and you know, it's just I love that I get to duet with her and we get to sing it and do this journey together.

Speaker 8

Because you know what, it's so funny every time we go somewhere, let that people.

Speaker 9

Are how do you go working with your wife mate Jez, working with terrible?

Speaker 4

I would not want it any other way. Honestly, it's totally just.

Speaker 8

It's always.

Speaker 6

I mean, talent, get some going confetti, we'll buy some reject shop there come man, walk out of the bush somewhere.

Speaker 1

But.

Speaker 2

Just leave your hair around.

Speaker 8

But before you kick us off, I just want to let you know.

Speaker 9

Last year we did this incredible youth tour.

Speaker 8

It's called the Wollumbar Youth Tour.

Speaker 6

We didn't have one hundred shows, and Lela jumped on that tour because I would do these workshops with kids and youth festivals and would rock out and then all of a sudden, the girls would just be line me and they'd be past me and Beline lellet and just want to know all about it. And she hadn't even spoken to words.

Speaker 7

I was like, you better come on.

Speaker 8

This tour, girl, started singing. So letther done the tour and it was such a success.

Speaker 6

We're going again this year and a whole nother a youth tour, and it's just all about giving back to kids. And we made the commitment that, you know what, it's not just about big stages, that wherever you want us, if we're in your community, we're going to do our best to make it happen. And we're not going to do this, you know, this year, we want to once again just make it all about the youth and the

next generation. And we'll still be doing all our normal shows and adult stuff, but you know, if you're out there, yeah, and you just want us to come party with the next generation, we just want to come and give back and let us doing a bunch of workshops with young sisters as well, because we've seen you know, I don't know about you, brother, but and you just when we when we grew.

Speaker 7

Up, there just wasn't anything for the sisters.

Speaker 8

There was nothing.

Speaker 6

Heaps of like brothers would come in and dance and do stuff, but there really wasn't much.

Speaker 3

No, I agree.

Speaker 6

So it was like Leles, she's doing a bunch with our mob and all kinds of sisters, you know, refugee backgrounds and stuff and the whole party.

Speaker 7

And we're doing our thing together and traveling.

Speaker 9

And we've got our kids on the road, just doing the big juggle.

Speaker 4

Key Carnival.

Speaker 10

We got that Key Carnival sponsored Key Carnival. Come on, sponsors please. I tried that twelve seed Evan, I've got a key now.

Speaker 8

But what we will do is we'll put all the show.

Speaker 2

We'll put some stuff in the show notes to make sure that people have your email, you know that you can connect directly with you or your management and where can they find my Alan home.

Speaker 5

You can go to all platforms, all digital platforms, and we've we've filmed a beautiful visualizer video clip for the and yeah everywhere YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, our socials everywhere.

Speaker 8

Wait wait, you know we're on like this podcast is winning awards.

Speaker 6

You know what I mean? I want you to like intro this Jewet, like we're here on like one of the biggest podcasts in Australia.

Speaker 8

We all want to see your energy right here right now. Everyone. This is the voice a Lelo.

Speaker 6

She's so pumped to be Jewet and with her husband Mitch Tambo, she's so pumped with her husband and like you know, singing with her man and just you know, her other half.

Speaker 9

She's here on like the big one of the biggest podcasts.

Speaker 7

In the country.

Speaker 6

I don't have the gift of the gabun what they're doing together.

Speaker 8

So ws Alela, can you please intro? What have you got coming up?

Speaker 4

This is Voice of Lella.

Speaker 9

Yummy, I'm everyone, I'm Mitch Tambo and this.

Speaker 4

Is our brand new single My Island Home.

Speaker 8

Hope you enjoy it.

Speaker 2

And Gully, oh what an incredible young We are so great for to have both of you on. But that's all we have time for today. So if you love what you hear, leave us a little rating in a little.

Speaker 1

Review, and if you want us, tell us anything.

Speaker 3

Follow us on socials.

Speaker 1

My handles at brook Dooplet and Maddy's is at It's Many Meals.

Speaker 3

And you guys, where can we find you on social.

Speaker 6

Well, you can find me at Mitch Tamba across everything, because you know what, you've got to be across everything?

Speaker 4

What about you voice of across everything as well?

Speaker 2

Oh deadly okay, We'll make sure you go and follow this bob and we'll see you next time.

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