A Multicultural Mixtape
Darwin is home to a thriving and diverse multicultural society. Local music collective Darwin World Mix exemplifies the melting pot of ethnicities that brighten the fabric of our community, its band members hailing from many different backgrounds.
This month, the talented group present Promised Land Soundtrack, a musical companion to the homegrown movie project of the same name.
By Kate Conway
The yet-to-be-released film is adapted from author Angelo Razafimamonjy’s 2019 novel Black Candy, and portrays the journey of a Malagasy family migrating to Australia. The lead singer of Darwin World Mix says it is a familiar story with valuable lessons.
“What Black Candy is saying is that beyond your darkest days there is a sweet victory, that’s the journey of all migrants. Many people in Darwin can relate to that,” he says.
“If I had the book before I moved to Australia then I would be more prepared. It’s not only a story, it’s a handbook for prospective migrants.”
As well as showcasing the vibrant musicianship of the band, the night offers insight into the feature film project, with collaborators eager to gauge the audience’s response to the work so far.
“It’s an opportunity for us to introduce the Promised Land film project to the public, but also to get feedback from them. From their applause we can tell how they like each song, and that will guide us in the future phase of the project to choose which songs to put on the soundtrack.”
Following the same journey as the characters in the film, the audience is treated to snippets of the short film intersected with the music. Razafimamonjy says the multicultural influences play a big part in setting the scene, including a quintessentially Territorian experience.
“At the beginning, the story starts in Madagascar, so we start with a Madagascan song. The more we progress with the story, the more diverse and multicultural we become, and we end with a sunset song of Darwin.”
Drawing on the background of band members, the music is influenced by First Nations Australian, Jamaican, American, Fijian, Japanese, Filipino and Malagasy cultures. It’s this collaboration and connection that Razafimamonjy says is at the heart of the project.
“The good thing about music is it has this unifying power. All those different people can connect, and we can connect to the audience as well. Darwin is a place where we all have our own stories, and now we have the chance to celebrate that together.”
Promised Land Soundtrack | Darwin World Mix
WHEN SAT 3 DEC | 7.30PM
AT DARWIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
COST $20-$120
INFO yourcentre.com.au
