Darren Hanlon

Darren Hanlon returns to Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres for his annual xmas show. It’s business as usual: an intimate and informal solo performance, drawing on songs from his entire catalogue with new songs to share as well. Each night features a surprise musical guest for a duet or two! In support this year is Kankawa Nagarra (Olive Knight) a respected Elder, and gospel singer from the remote WA community of Wangkatjungka. Born in the desert regions of the Kimberley as a little girl, she would fall asleep by the campfire to the sounds of Walmatjarri singing, the rhythmic songs of her ancestors. She remembers vividly the clapping of boomerangs and nulla-nullas,and the thumping of bare feet on the desert sand. Later in her life working on cattle stations, an old blind man made her her first guitar out of a biscuit tin, length of wood and some scrap wire. Hanlon met Kankawa on his trip around Australia earlier this year to research the histories of the songs that make up an LP of lost Aboriginal county songs he helped produce called Buried Country (which contains her track Yanany Baliba). This is Kankawa's first ever tour of the East Coast and we're honored she is making the long journey over.