CHRISTINE ANU [23.05.07] ALWAYS EVOLVING Australia's annual Indigenous Hip Hop & R n B music and dance event, Stylin'UP, is on again in Inala this Saturday. Along with the dance stage, freestyle rap battles, basketball comp, interactive stalls and rides, Australian vocalist Christine Anu will be headlining the festival. She takes time from her busy schedule to talk to Scene about what she's been up to. "I just got back from overseas," says Christine. "I was in Bahrain for the Formula One and came back over ... finalising at the moment my children's album, which is to be released by ABC on the fourth of July." Being a mother, children seem to be a logical market. "It's my sort of crossover, [an] I-can-pull-it-off sort of thing. Children have a very pure perception of music and their world around them and I just wanted to re-package my own style of music, make it more kid-subjected and rough it up with colourful packaging. It's really just my style of music for children." Christine had also been exploring a new style for herself, on her recent tour 'Black is Blue'. She explains, "In moving forward into the next recording process, my manager suggested, 'You know, you should try doing blues.' I thought, 'Oh, I've never done it before,' but it's been great because I feel my most comfortable self performing the blues." Despite the recent change in direction, much of Christine's previous work is influenced by her heritage, which makes it fitting that she will be performing at Stylin'UP. The festival aims to increase community awareness of, and engagement in, arts and cultural opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, their families and the broader community. Furthermore, it allows the local indigenous community to invite all cultural and ethnic groups to come together to celebrate the vibrant contemporary culture of the young people of Brisbane. For Christine, the festival is somewhat of a homecoming. "The last time I was involved was 11 years ago. How it's progressed and evolved I haven't really kept up with, but importantly it's about bringing the Brisbane and outer communities together, and I know that's it's not just an indigenous thing, that it's become quite a multicultural festival, which is really really fantastic because we really do want to incorporate everyone's cultures together. I'm just glad to be back there again ... sharing my music again with the younger, newer generation. Everybody's all grown up now since the very first time I ever really released music. Hopefully I'll be performing to their babies now, who knows." So what is it about the genres of R n B and Hip Hop that the indigenous community choose to engage in? Christine offers an answer, "I think it's the spoken word, it's the format of music that best informs their cultural and political stances on their world and their environment around them. It is the best way for young people these days to express themselves." Looking ahead, Christine will also be representing the Australian indigenous communities to the rest of the world. "I'm going to do some stuff overseas in January. I'm going to Australia Week in New York ... I think the flavour for next year is an indigenous theme and they've invited me over to perform." Yen Tran Stylin'UP is all ages and drug and alcohol free, and will be held at CJ Greenfields Sports Complex Inala on Saturday May 26. Also featured on the bill are Anthony Mundine, Konect-A-Dot, Indigenous Intruders, Sista She, Mary G, Banawurun and many more. back to top ^

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