Acknowledgement of Country

Ancient language, contemporary music, stunning vocals, poignant stories and guitar brilliance. Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse use music to bring healing and highlight one of the most beautiful and rare languages on the planet; the Noongar language of the southern corner of Western Australia.

Part of their UK tour is a special performance in association with the Child Artists of Carrolup Mission at the Portico Library in Manchester. It is deeply personal for Gina; her grandmother was taken from her family as a four-year-old and made to walk 600km before being put on a boat and sent to Carrolup Mission. Her mother was also part of the Stolen Generations and (like so many others) was beaten for speaking Noongar language.

Gina’s story is incredible in itself. A a product of the Stolen Generations, she often tells the story of her four families, saying she has; “family that made me (Biological family), family that chose me (adopted family), family that rescued me (Foster family) and family that showed me tough love, because by the time I came to my second foster home, I was a pretty angry, very damaged little girl.

As conduits of a fractured past, Gina and Guy have made it their mission to become agitators for a hopeful future, by rewriting the script through song. Because the only way to address intergenerational trauma is to bring healing and invite everyone back to the campfire.

And music brings healing the most beautiful way. With less 400 speakers of Noongar language left (it is considered critically endangered), their work has always been about what connects. You don’t need to understand the words; love, loss, joy all means the same things no matter how you say it.

“…Gina Williams, she’s like a modern Edith Piaf: she takes this old, ancient language and she makes it beautiful and we all fall in love with it.” Archie Roach, Singer-songwriter