Deline first entered the music scene in 1997 with her family acoustic trio act “Briscoe Sisters”. The Sisters toured nationally with their unique brand of acoustic soul from the rainforests of Far North QLD. Over the last two decades, she has established herself as one of this country’s finest Indigenous singers. She has worked with Archie Roach and Emma Donovan and toured the world with The Black Arm Band and Mission Songs Project.
But this strong Yalanji songwoman’s foray into songwriting began first as an 8-year-old writing short jazz ditties, then as a teenager who wrote songs in Gugu Yalanji, her mother tongue. From early on in her career, composing in Bama/First Nations Languages became the driving force behind her artistry. And writing music about sovereignty was the way through which she paid tribute to the resilience of her people during the "Mission Era”.
The theme for NAIDOC Week this year is ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’. When we asked Deline what this statement meant to her, she answered:
"What does this statement mean to me? One word: Sovereignty. For me, Sovereignty is not just about land ownership, it's about our protocols and culture becoming the core of the foundation for the systems in place everyday in this country."
And you can certainly hear this sentiment, loud and clear, in Deline Briscoe’s music. This is why we wanted to re-visit her powerful Studio 5 Live session with you. It is one small way of paying respect and to celebrating NAIDOC Week.
Tune in to The Afterglow on Wednesday November 11 from 5pm to hear the rebroadcast of Deline Briscoe's Studio 5 Live performance. Studio 5 Live is brought to you by Mountain Goat.