these songs due to the ingrained powers Dreamtime songs influencing the processes of life; from the The music of Aboriginal Australians has dependence of the power to create human played a great role in defining and expressing offspring with inherited elements of their their identities and has a remarkable history ancestors to the development of an adult that dates back at least 50,000 years. The status in the community.2 The songs also hold ancient heritage has been preserved through power to source food and ensure plentiful oral passing of “Dreamtime” song stories supply of the animal and plant elements about the beginning of time when there were derived from the ancestor’s being.2 These no landmarks. As time progressed, legendary incredible powers were achieved by the totemic beings emerged from the ground and present people of the area when the spirit of wandered over the continent with the power the specific totemic being is called upon by his to transform at will from animal to their distinguishing identity markings in the song human form.1,2 These thousands-­‐of-­‐year-­‐old performance which he created in the stories of the original ancestral beings taught the younger generations about Dreamtime and has been preserved over the time.2 relationship between mankind and nature and ultimately formed the rules of conduct On another level, singing the name of considered vital for survival of its people.3 everything that crosses their paths is done so in acknowledgement of all features in the The songs of the Dreaming recounted landscapes and population in the world.1, 3 the history of the ancestor’s lives, and Not only will possessing the great knowledge contained the powers for healing the to sing these songlines provide a means to wounded and ill, injuring the enemy, map different parts of the Australian controlling rain, preventing the flood and continent, but the strong cultural belief in changing the direction of the wind.2 It is preservation and conservation of the land and important to the present people to perform all it contained is also shared across hundreds of generations and indigenous communities.4 1
http://www.worldmusic.net/guide/australian-­‐
aboriginal-­‐music/, 'Australia -­‐ Aboriginal Music: Following the Songlines'2011) [Accessed online on 4/10/2013]. 2
http://www.aboriginalart.com.au/didgeridoo/song
s.html, ‘Traditional Aboriginal Music’ [Accessed online on 4/10/2013] 3
ЮВ Титова, and А Шкирдов, 'Indigenous Australians: History, Culture, Lifestyle', Редакционная коллегия (2011), 74. Therefore, the Dreamtime stories have been a very strong conditioning agent of an 4
Peter Dunbar-­‐Hall, and Chris Gibson, 'Singing About Nations within Nations: Geopolitics and Identity in Australian Indigenous Rock Music', Popular Music and Society, 24 (2000), 45-­‐73. 1 intangible relationship between songs, beliefs when the younger people still speak the language of the tribe. 6 For thousands of and the land. years, the cultural bearers were able to share The melodies, tunes, harmonies and and sustain the knowledge of the tribal law rhythms of Indigenous Australian music are and sense of self within the world which laid very distinctive due to the unique types of the foundations of social and personal musical instruments and performing style. wellbeing in Indigenous communities without Instruments include using the voice, rattles, the aid of writing.6 Hence, the loss of song clapsticks and didgeridoo, all of which have traditions of the Dreaming is not only of an existed since the Dreamtime. Traditional individual language communities but is an ceremonial songs are often played and sung in endangerment of cultural heritages and replicated style of the ancestors as the singers humankind. This calls for immediate action are considered to be part of a time continuum and greater engagement in the preservation and these songlines allow the living to relive and revitalisation of Indigenous Australian the events of the Dreamtime.3 The songlines songs for the sustainability of national are sung as one totemic ‘line’ in one form of heritage. Suggestions by the Indigenous melody, hence the length of the songline Australian community have included being portrays the distance the ancestor is given the opportunity to record their song reputable to have travelled.5 Although within performances to preserve the existence of the Aboriginal communities there are traditional cultural performances and allow hundreds of languages, the characteristic future generations to mimic and analyse song musical structure are similar across different repertories. It is important that Aboriginal tribal groups for a particular ancestor.2 music reach a wider audience nationally and Therefore, even outsiders without knowledge internationally to ensure greater appreciation of the language are able to recognise the and continued relevance in future generations distinct sections of the songline from of all Australians. sameness in melodic pattern. Songs of the Dreamtime are gradually in danger of being lost forever as only older members of the Aboriginal community have a full command of the songlines, even in cases Treloyn, S., Songs, Dreamings, and Ghosts: The Wangga of North Australia. 2008, Society for Ethnomusicology. Allan Marett, and Linda Barwick, 'Endangered Songs and Endangered Languages', (Foundation for Endangered Languages, 2003). 5
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