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I didn't know Akala Newman's full story before we sat down to yarn. And I think that's exactly why this conversation hit me the way it did.

Akala is a proud Wiradjuri and Gadigal woman from Sydney. A performer, songwriter, educator, and cultural producer who has been creating on her own terms since day one. She opened the Sydney Opera House New Year's Eve fireworks with her song Calling Country and is the founder of Gili Gatherings. 

But this yarn wasn't about any of that. Not really.

It was about duality. About what it costs to move between worlds every single day. About the exhaustion of code-switching, of always being surveilled, of being Black no matter how light-skinned you are or how many spaces you are invited into.

It was about her dad, and the sacrifices he made. About the nephews and nieces she wants to look up one day and think, I can do this too. About art as the thing that holds it all together when the cycle of trauma feels impossible to break.

Akala Newman is on a rise. And this yarn is just the beginning.

Resources and Links

Akala Newman — akalanewman.com
Gili Gatherings — follow @giligatherings on Instagram

Website: www.blackmagicwoman.com.au

Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please ‘Subscribe’ on Apple Podcasts or ‘Follow’ on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you’d like to contact us, please email, info@blackmagicwoman.com.au

Black Magic Woman is produced by BlakCast.

Want this conversation before anyone else? Become a BlakCast Patreon member for early access to new episodes, ad free listening, and exclusive bonus content. Join at Patreon.com/BlakCastNetwork
I didn't know Akala Newman's full story before we sat down to yarn. And I think that's exactly why this conversation hit me the way it did.
Akala is a proud Wiradjuri and Gadigal woman from Sydney. A performer, songwriter, educator, and cultural producer who has been creating on her own terms since day one. She opened the Sydney Opera House New Year's Eve fireworks with her song Calling Country and is the founder of Gili Gatherings.&nbsp;
But this yarn wasn't about any of that. Not really.
It was about duality. About what it costs to move between worlds every single day. About the exhaustion of code-switching, of always being surveilled, of being Black no matter how light-skinned you are or how many spaces you are invited into.
It was about her dad, and the sacrifices he made. About the nephews and nieces she wants to look up one day and think, I can do this too. About art as the thing that holds it all together when the cycle of trauma feels impossible to break.
Akala Newman is on a rise. And this yarn is just the beginning.
Resources and Links
Akala Newman &mdash; <a href="https://akalanewman.com/">akalanewman.com</a> Gili Gatherings &mdash; follow @giligatherings on Instagram
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.acast.com/www.blackmagicwoman.com.au">www.blackmagicwoman.com.au</a>
Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast
If you enjoyed this episode, please &lsquo;Subscribe&rsquo; on Apple Podcasts or &lsquo;Follow&rsquo; on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you&rsquo;d like to contact us, please email, <a href="mailto:info@blackmagicwoman.com.au">info@blackmagicwoman.com.au</a>
Black Magic Woman is produced by BlakCast.

Hosted by Mundanara Bayles who was born and raised in Redfern (Sydney) Australia and currently lives in Queensland. The Black Magic Woman Podcast is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people. She hopes these stories inspire her listeners and also create a better understanding of what First Nations Peoples culture and history.

 

Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do. Mundanara makes people feel relaxed and comfortable as if they were sitting around the kitchen table just having a yarn. It’s the way First Nations people have been building relationships and getting to know each other for tens of thousands of years. She draws from a long family history in the media industry and has grown up in culturally strong, politically active family who have been at the forefront of the Aboriginal Rights movement since the 1960’s.

 

Mundanara sees this platform as an opportunity to share her cultural knowledge and insights to her audience in a non confrontational way that brings people along with her to create change for a better Australia. To connect more with Mundanara check out the work she does with her elders at www.theblackcard.com.au

 

If you'd like to support the show by making a financial contribution, visit www.theblackcard.com.au Any help is appreciated and goes a long way. I encourage to get behind any First Nations media, contribute, share and be apart of positive change that Australia needs.

Hosted by Mundanara Bayles who was born and raised in Redfern (Sydney) Australia and currently lives in Queensland. The Black Magic Woman Podcast is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people. She hopes these stories inspire her listeners and also create a better understanding of what First Nations Peoples culture and history.
&nbsp;
Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do. Mundanara makes people feel relaxed and comfortable as if they were sitting around the kitchen table just having a yarn. It&rsquo;s the way First Nations people have been building relationships and getting to know each other for tens of thousands of years. She draws from a long family history in the media industry and has grown up in culturally strong, politically active family who have been at the forefront of the Aboriginal Rights movement since the 1960&rsquo;s.
&nbsp;
Mundanara sees this platform as an opportunity to share her cultural knowledge and insights to her audience in a non confrontational way that brings people along with her to create change for a better Australia. To connect more with Mundanara check out the work she does with her elders at <a href="https://www.theblackcard.com.au">www.theblackcard.com.au</a>
&nbsp;
If you'd like to support the show by making a financial contribution, visit <a href="https://www.theblackcard.com.au">www.theblackcard.com.au</a> Any help is appreciated and goes a long way. I encourage to get behind any First Nations media, contribute, share and be apart of positive change that Australia needs.

Black Magic Woman with Mundanara Bayles

Hosted by Mundanara Bayles who was born and raised in Redfern (Sydney) Australia and currently lives in Queensland. The Black Magic Woman Podcast is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people. She hopes these stories inspire her listeners and also create a better understanding of what First Nations Peoples culture and history.



Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do. Mundanara makes people feel relaxed and comfortable as if they were sitting around the kitchen table just having a yarn. It’s the way First Nations people have been building relationships and getting to know each other for tens of thousands of years. She draws from a long family history in the media industry and has grown up in culturally strong, politically active family who have been at the forefront of the Aboriginal Rights movement since the 1960’s.



Mundanara sees this platform as an opportunity to share her cultural knowledge and insights to her audience in a non confrontational way that brings people along with her to create change for a better Australia. To connect more with Mundanara check out the work she does with her elders at www.theblackcard.com.au.



If you'd like to support the show by making a financial contribution, visit https://www.theblackcard.com.au./ Any help is appreciated and goes a long way. I encourage to get behind any First Nations media, contribute, share and be apart of positive change that Australia needs.

Hosted by Mundanara Bayles who was born and raised in Redfern (Sydney) Australia and currently lives in Queensland. The Black Magic Woman Podcast is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people. She hopes these stories inspire her listeners and also create a better understanding of what First Nations Peoples culture and history.
 
Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do. Mundanara makes people feel relaxed and comfortable as if they were sitting around the kitchen table just having a yarn. It’s the way First Nations people have been building relationships and getting to know each other for tens of thousands of years. She draws from a long family history in the media industry and has grown up in culturally strong, politically active family who have been at the forefront of the Aboriginal Rights movement since the 1960’s.
 
Mundanara sees this platform as an opportunity to share her cultural knowledge and insights to her audience in a non confrontational way that brings people along with her to create change for a better Australia. To connect more with Mundanara check out the work she does with her elders at www.theblackcard.com.au.
 
If you'd like to support the show by making a financial contribution, visit https://www.theblackcard.com.au./ Any help is appreciated and goes a long way. I encourage to get behind any First Nations media, contribute, share and be apart of positive change that Australia needs.

Black Magic Woman

Walking Between Two Worlds: 'I Live With a Lot of Duality. You Have To.'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/112d1aa8-7a37-4fab-8d90-b47a002a4cd8/transcript