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Aboriginal Art Directory | 10.07.09

TIGA BAYLES: It's hard to have a blackfella radio station without blackfella music, and it's hard to get the promotion and get known as an Aboriginal artist if you haven't got Aboriginal radio stations, because the mainstream stations and mainstream venue owners still have difficulty dealing with Aboriginal people, Aboriginal artists.

BRAD COOKE: Black artists, for decades and generations, have busted their you-know-whats to get into these mainstream club venues, fought through racism, and this is something we're very proud of. It really allows us to get in there. The reputation that Gadigal's built over 16 years, now, has enabled us to break down those barriers even further, have the venues and the record labels and the other guys who support those venues allow us to come into those venues and put our artists on display.

CATHIE CRAIGIE: It's an organisation that you're happy to be involved with. And that feeling, I think, goes across all through every area of Gadigal, from the board to the staff to the broadcasters and people like me, who still keep coming back because it's such a viable and vibrant organisation.

PHILLIPA MCDERMOTT: For young kids to come in here and work in a professional environment and to have top-of-the-line equipment that they can work with and see other Aboriginal people working in a medium that is accessible to them - it's not out of anyone's reach anymore.

BRAD COOKE: Now we can record our own artists, using our own producers, release them on our own label, play it on our own radio station, it's the most amazing thing.

AGNES WARE: That's why you've got to tune in to 93.7FM, and you'll hear all the music that you love, and you can ring in and ask for a playlist. Would you believe it? We give you a playlist! So they can go out and buy their own. You're supporting an Aboriginal band, you're supporting Aboriginal radio, you're supporting Aboriginal community, you're supporting Aboriginal people. OK? (LAUGHS)

DR STACEY-ANN WILSON: Aboriginal radio is the perfect venue in order to showcase Aboriginal art, culture, and history. Without it, I don't know what exactly people would do, cos the mainstream doesn't care.

MC SEBBA: It allows other people who aren't, perhaps, connected with the culture to be able to listen to it and see where the people are coming from.

JOEL WENNINGTON: It's all still alive and happening. You can see, in the background here, it still is happening. There's still the storytelling, there's still the music.

MORGAN LEWIS: I take my inspiration from this, so thanks for this, Koori Radio. You can't get enough of this. Boom!

URL: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/messagestick/stories/s2616013.htm

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