Yuin and Thunghutti rapper and triple j host Nooky has shared a new song to mark the day’s date – January 26, officially known as Australia Day but also as Invasion Day – a blistering cut titled ‘We Are Warriors’. The song features vocals from Darumbal Murri and Tongan singer Mi-kaisha.
“They told me I was dirty, told me I was worthless / Told me football or crime could be my only purpose,” Nooky raps on its opening verse. “My mother’s wisdom kept a fire inside burning / And when I look back now, it was all worth it / ‘Cause when you can break the cycle, life becomes perfect.”
Nooky – ‘We Are Warriors’
The song’s title, ‘We Are Warriors’, is also the name of Nooky’s Indigenous social enterprise, which, per its website, is “dedicated to celebrating Blak excellence and empowering Indigenous youth.”
We Are Warriors have organised a January 26 event at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum called Blak Powerhouse. Artists including Barkaa, Kanada the Loop and Kobie Dee will perform at the event, along with Nooky and Mi-kaisha.
“January 26 is a day that doesn’t usually give me good emotions or feelings,” Nooky said in a statement when announcing the event earlier this month. “My people mourn the atrocities that ensued on and after January 26, 1788. We celebrate our survival on the day, while others celebrate… you ask em. I bet half of em couldn’t tell you.
“Launching WAW on January 26 and now creating Blak Powerhouse on our 1st birthday really has changed what this day means to me personally, and hopefully we can do that for others as well. For me it has a new name up there with Invasion Day and Survival Day – now [We Are Warriors] day is in the mix.”
Blak Powerhouse will run from 5pm to 9pm today. Tickets are free, but you can register to attend here.
Further Reading
Watch The Achingly Powerful Clip For Nooky’s Track ‘Run Dingo’
2021, The Year That Indigenous Hip Hop Took Over
Invasion Day Rallies Scheduled in All Capital Cities on January 26
