New Music Fridays
Deline Briscoe – “Wawu” Gaba Music
OK, so let’s get this out of the way first – “Wawu” is a Kuku-Yalanji word that essentially means spirit, heart and love. Where, you ask, is the language of Kuku-Yalanji spoken? That would be on the southeast coast of Cape York between Cooktown and Mossman in Queensland. And yes, that would be in Australia. Her voice is first rate and she does a stellar job on the thirteen included tracks. I was, and really still am, a little undecided as to the exact, specific genre I should attribute to this work. Some of the songs, or parts thereof, are sung in Yalanji, some in English. There are hints of jazz, contemporary and pop influences throughout this work. Pinning it down to one seems difficult. I suppose it could most readily be called “World Music.” Really though, none of that matters because “Wawu” is an outstanding work regardless of the genre or language in which it is performed. I will admit that because I obviously do not speak Kuku-Yalanji I found myself curious about the meaning of the lyrics I couldn’t understand. But that’s not a real big issue because I just settled back in my listening chair and, frankly, just enjoyed myself – language notwithstanding.
Overall: 8
Sonics: 8
