Á Tea for Two with DOBBY

DOBBY... oh my goodness what can I even say. I met Rhyan Clapham aka Dobby outside a hotel in New Orleans on the Folk Alliance Conference where we ended up in the same rooms at the same times many a times over the week. I adored his energy and thoughtful nature and we sat in some incredible listening and learning spaces together. Of course I was there to witness his showcase and thought I would love what he did just from our chats, but I was literally blown away by him, his music, his message.... the whole damn thing. My mind melted as I watched him literally RAISE THE ROOF off that hotel room on spirit and energy and move people in such profound ways. The power of music and the power of ancestors so strong. We shared a mad whirlwind of a night out in New Orleans on our final night and vowed to stay in touch back in so-called Australia and so we did. And so started the many cups of teas and adventures that have led to the honour that I have to call Dobby a friend, little brother, and a collaborator. We have joined forces in many ways in my live sets, under the same management, his inputs into We Call You Now, some collaborative writing and recording sessions and most recently in studio again he has started to produce my third album with me. All these things have been so natural and with so much ease and energy because we started in circle, in conversations, in exploration of so many of the invisible things that colonisation does and how we as individual artists and a collective of artists can make the invisible visible and then smash it!This Cuppa went to so many amazing places about language, cultures, identity, genres and the incredible Warrangu River Story which is to be released very soon. Even in listening back to this podcast, I want to ask MORE, so be sure there will be a part II one day soon, but for now pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy this moment. DOBBY is a rapper, composer, producer and drummer. He proudly identifies as a Filipino and Aboriginal musician, whose family is from Murrawarri and Ngemba lands (Weilmoringle, Brewarrina NSW). As part of DOBBY’s (pre-covid) tour, he was labelled as the 2018 "BIGSOUND buzz act" with his live show being described as "mind blowing", "dynamic" & "powerful". As the tour continued internationally, DOBBY was listed by media reviews as one of the top 10 buzz acts to come out of both 2019 The Great Escape, UK, and Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, from a lineup of over 450+ artists!DOBBY is a multi-instrumentalist who's is increasingly being known for bouncing between piano, drums, & drum pads, with his unique signature ‘drapping’ (rapping & drumming at the same time).He has completed a BMus at UNSW, and an Indigenous Studies Honours (focusing on Aboriginal Hip Hop music) in 2015 and while he continues to make music and tour the world, he currently holds a 3 year position as the Indigenous Convenor at the ANU School of Music (ACT).CONNECT WITH DOBBY:https://www.facebook.com/DOBBYAU/https://www.instagram.com/dobbyau/Support the show