Sultan Of Swing

2012 is an important date on the topic of Indigenous rights: it marks the 20th year since the Mabo decision was passed by federal court, officially overruling the classification of Terra Nullius and finally, after years of advocacy from the great Eddie Mabo and others, acknowledged that Indigenous Australians were the original inhabitants of this wide brown land. It's an important date, no matter where in Australia you come from, and a potent part of Australian folklore; just look at the emotion carried in Paul Kelly's From Little Things, Big Things Grow for proof of that.

It's also something that obviously affects Dan Sultan, involved in the history of his own people as he is. The 29-year old has had a spectacular couple of years, taking the success of his sophomore album Get Out While You Can and touring relentlessly around Australia, bringing his music and his message to as many people as he can. As a proud Gurindji man, Sultan has no qualms about bringing up issues of Indigenous rights and environmentalism when playing in front of fans, and his upcoming headlining slot on the Rock For Recognition tour may just be the most prominent vehicle for those messages.

Sultan's personal views are a complex issue, however, when it comes to being a musician. After all, his mission is to entertain, and the last thing he wants to do is alienate people. “I'm a supporter of human rights, and it's a big part of me as a person, not really as a musician,” he says candidly over the phone during a break from rehearsals. “I guess I'm just a musician that, at the end of the day, happens to be Aboriginal. I don't really sing songs that are particularly political, you know? I have some opinions, some strong opinions myself, about the way I think things should be. But let's be realistic about it; everybody's got an opinion. It's not the be all and end all of things, but it's something I feel passionate about as a person, but there's a lot more people who are a lot more educated on these issues than I am. I'm not going to pretend like I have all the answers and I'm the go-to person for all this type of stuff because I'm not - there's a lot of very intelligent, hard-working people that could do a lot better at explaining all this stuff than I could. My job is to be a musician, and if I have strong opinions about an issue and I can - some way through my music and my profession - raise awareness for it or feel like I'm pushing a good fight for it, then I'll do that.”

As much as Sultan separates himself from the more political aspects, his aim is clear; to bring the message of racial equality to as many people as possible. Rock For Recognition immediately piqued the interest of the rock'n'roller. Organised by Oxfam Australia and Australians For Native Title And Reconcilitation, Rock For Recognition is set to be a great hybrid of the integral message of equality and an altogether rollicking good time. Touring around the country at various stages with Sultan will be the beautifully-voiced songstress Leah Flanagan and genre-jumping PBS DJ Ken Eval, among others. It's all for a very specific idea, that in continuation of the 1967 referendum allowing Indigenous people to vote, a new referendum including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the constitution is the next logical step in reconciliation. “It's a very complex issue, and I'm not going to pretend like I've got all the answers about constitutional reforms - they're big changes, you know?” Sultan explains, before getting into the nitty gritty of what Rock For Recognition is basically all about. “I know that Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander peoples aren't recognised in the constitution. There's a couple of clauses in there that we want to address as well, like section 25 of the constitutional laws that bans people from voting on the basis of their race. The last time this power was used was in 1955 in Queensland, and it was to stop Aboriginal people from voting, and that's a clause that is still in the constitution now. There's also section 51, sub-section 26, which is a racist power which allows special laws to be directed at the people of a particular race. Now, it was brought in to address disadvantages to particular races, however at the other end of the scale it's left open to disadvantage people on the basis of their race, so we want that looked at as well.

“I guess what I want to get out of it is to create some awareness about the issue,” Sultan states, pausing after that long explanation. “I'm a musician and like I said, there's a lot of people who do a lot of really good work. I'm not gonna pretend like I'm doing more than anyone else. I'm just doing my bit. I think if everyone just does whatever is in their capacity with a good heart, a good mind and in good spirits, we'll be off to a good start. It's not a left-wing or a right-wing thing, it's not a labour or a liberal thing, it's not a political preference thing at all, it's a social responsibility that is about raising awareness.”

There's no doubt that Sultan will be able to handle the weight of such a position adequately. The man is known for his incredible ability to convey emotion through song, which would be most clear to those that gave Get Out While You Can and Sultan's debut Homemade Biscuits even a quick glance, as well as his performance as Lester in the breakout hit Bran Nue Dae. This scribe was lucky enough to catch the man in solo form while he was touring around the country with Oh Mercy's Alexander Gow. It was one of the most touching and enjoyable gigs of recent years. “Thanks man! That's really great to hear,” Sultan beams humbly after due fan-service is paid. “That was a really great gig, a great experience. Alex is a great songwriter; I really admire his songwriting a lot. He's a lot of fun as well; we had a good time on that tour. He's very young, and the songs that he writes at his age is a bit of a blow-out - I admire him a lot. He's a great guy and I really enjoy his stuff.” Sultan also had the prestigious honour of working with Archie Roach and the late Ruby Hunter, both also down-to-earth Indigenous artists, through his work in the Black Arm Band. “It's amazing,” he states simply. “It's one of those things - growing up I always really loved uncle Arch's and auntie Ruby's music, and when I first got to meet them and work with them, it was very humbling, and it still is. It's one of those things that I hold very close to my heart - that I was lucky enough to meet and get to know auntie Ruby, and her family. It's one of those things man, pretty special.”

Rock For Recognition will be just as special, but maybe with a bit more oomph than those low-key acoustic shows. Sultan will be bringing his full band along with him, so punters can expect that same pelvic thrust-fuelled, soul-infused rock'n'roll that arguably made him so famous in the first place. His music harkens back to something nostalgic, maybe even primordial, which lends itself heavily to connecting with people. Getting people to dance maniacally while you are, in fact, dancing maniacally on stage is a unique experience, after all. Sultan relishes that connection, and is in no doubt that music still has the power to affect people so personally. “There are some very cultural things, and I don't mean ancient Indigenous culture in particular, I just mean where we are as Australians,” Sultan answers on the question of the power of protest in music. “It's not a left or right thing, it's just a people thing, and I think to bring about changes culturally, you need to use culture – music, performance, art. It's our highest form. It's not just music but art and creative outlets, and it's not just us, it's global and it's throughout history. Art has always been a very powerful thing.”

I'M IN THE BAND

As mentioned in the main, Dan Sultan is a member of touring Indigenous group the Black Arm Band, along with his touring buddy on the Rock For Recognition circuit, Leah Flanagan. But what exactly is the Black Arm Band? Well, to start with, it's not exactly a band at all, but more of an ensemble company. Started in joint with the Fred Hollows Foundation in 2006, the Black Arm Band serves as a platform for a multitude of different Indigenous artists, and allows them to travel throughout the country, including to remote rural communities.

Sultan has done a few shows with them, along with the aforementioned Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, but the band also serves as a centrepoint for many other iconic Australian artists and musicians. Here's just a few: Bart Willoughby, known as the frontman for '70s rock group No Fixed Address, was the first Aboriginal man to score a feature film (for 1981's Wrong Side Of The Road) and has also toured extensively with Coloured Stone, Yothu Yindi and Goanna; Bevan Gapanbulu, grandson of enigmatic Yothu Yindi founder Manawuy Yunupingu and current member of the band; Mark Atkins, known world-wide as one of the finest didgeridoo players ever, who can create breathtaking polyrythmic sounds with just his voice and his instrument; and Stephen Pigram, a member of the famous Pigram Brothers and a highlight of country pub gigs all over the country.

The Black Arm Band has also hosted many art and performance showcases over it's history, and continues to support the role of Indigenous tradition in Australian music. The company is definitely one of the most powerful and important organisations supporting equality in Australia today. And hey, they're all great musicians; who can argue with getting them to play as much and in as many places as possible?

Dan Sultan will be playing the following shows:

Thursday 8 November - Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC
Friday 9 November - The Factory Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 10 November - The Bakery, Perth WA
Sunday 11 November - Fly By Night, Perth WA