Celebrate the Indigenous Culture of Southwest QLD at Bamba Gii Festival

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following article contains references to a deceased person.

Bamba Gii Festival is a one-day celebration of the Southwest QLD Indigenous Cultural Trail (SWQICT) taking place on September 25th in Roma. Locals and visitors are invited to immerse themselves in local Indigenous culture through learning stories and participating in new experiences. You will have the opportunity to tour the trail, see sites of cultural significance, enjoy live entertainment, see Indigenous artists in residence, learn traditional skills and shop from the unique market stalls. We’re very proud to be partnering with Surat Aboriginal Corporation for this year’s festival and highly recommend checking out this beautiful celebration of culture if you have the chance (Bamba Gii, 2021).

Surat Aboriginal Corporation was founded by the late Kamilaroi woman Angie Walsh. The Bamba Gii Festival is intended to both honour Angie and continue her important work within the local community. Angie grew up in the community of Surat and although she had many fond childhood memories, she also faced hardship and adversity throughout her life. Her life experiences shaped her deep love of the Indigenous community within Surat and throughout Southwest QLD. She was a proud First Nations woman who dedicated her life to preserving and celebrating Indigenous culture (Bamba Gii, 2021).

Busby Marou. Courtesy of Bamba Gii, 2021.

The program offers an incredible lineup of entertainment and workshops. Headlining is the three-time ARIA award winning duo Busby Marou. The dynamic-duo consists of Tom Busby and Torres Strait Islander man Jeremy Marou. They are known for their distinctive Australian storytelling and musicianship. Their key point of difference is that they put their energy into playing at events in regional towns in Australia, such as Bamba Gii (Warner Music, 2021).

Talented singer and multi-instrumentalist Lloyd Saunders will also be playing at the aforementioned event. Saunders’ incredible music incorporates didgeridoo, harmonicas, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele and foot drums (Warner Music, 2021).

Cultural experiences for kids and adults. Courtesy of Bamba Gii, 2021.

You’ll also have the opportunity to watch traditional dance performances and cooking demonstrations by Chris Jordan that incorporate native bush foods. Jordan is an extremely talented Indigenous chef who runs a catering business called Three Little Birds. Through utilising the ancient knowledge of bush foods, he offers his customers meals that celebrate the unique culture and natural resources Australia has to offer (Three Little Birds, 2021). The festival will also offer the opportunity to experience the local culture through weaving, ochre art, dance and bush tucker workshops. You can learn more about the diverse array of workshops on offer here. 

If you can, we highly recommend attending this incredible event. It’s the perfect way to learn about and immerse yourself in the Indigenous culture of South West Queensland.  

You can learn more and buy tickets here.