Sydney: Campbelltown Arts Centre and Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation are delighted to present the Koori King of Country, Roger Knox, live for the first Sydney stop on his 'Buluunarbi and The Old North Star' album tour – this Saturday.
His sixth studio album 'Buluunarbi and The Old North Star' has received glowing reviews around the world.
The release of 'Buluunarbi and The Old North Star' is a milestone occasion, as Uncle Roger's first album of original songs.
The Gomeroi songman and storyteller has released a new single McMaster's Ward, a follow up to the recent single Prison Wall which has had more than 50,000 streams on Spotify since May, and previous single Black Tear Tracks.
McMaster's Ward was written by Knox along with collaborator Toby Martin. The song delves deep into personal and social history, speaking about Knox's birthplace. McMaster's Ward itself was a tent on the shores of the Mehi River in Moree where many Aboriginal women gave birth in this highly segregated town. Knox was one of the babies born there.
The song paints a loving but realistic picture of the ward "a little tent on an old dirt floor", and where Knox eventually headed to "Tamworth's bright lights, calling me". It is a song about where people come from, and how those places keep calling back to them.
In Knox's case it is local landmarks 'Buluunarbi and the old North Star' that guide his way home-a phrase from which the album title grew. It signposts the origins of personal strength, growth and resilience, "just like that river I go on and on".
The song features Knox's honey-soaked baritone voice backed by a lush accompaniment of violin (Laura Case), cello (Kayla Flaxman), pedal steel ('Evil' Graham Lee of The Triffids) with Martin (Youth Group) on acoustic guitar, recorded by multiple-ARIA Award winner Wayne Connolly.
"Campbelltown City Council is honoured to host the legendary Roger Knox for the opening stop of his Sydney tour this NAIDOC Week. This is a great opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate an iconic voice in Aboriginal country music," said the Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Darcy Lound.
Campbelltown Arts Centre director Mouna Zaylah said: "We are thrilled to welcome Uncle Roger Knox back to Campbelltown Arts Centre, following his unforgettable performance during Barbara McGrady's solo exhibition last year."
"It's a privilege to present his deeply moving new album to our audiences," she said.
The show begins at the Campbell Town Arts Centre at 5.30pm on Saturday, July 12. Tickets are available online.
