Shepparton rapper Briggs has released a heartwarming new music video for The Children Came Back, his recent collaboration with Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, which is an adaptation of the Archie Roach song Took The Children Away.
Celebrating the achievements of a number of Indigenous Australians, The Children Came Back name-drops the likes of Cathy Freeman, Adam Goodes and Patty Mills. The song’s music video (below) sees Briggs, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly and super-cute youngster Samara Muir — who recently made news with her distressing experiences of racism — starring as a young Freeman.
“This is a history lesson, a monologue, a celebration and an education in one song”, says Briggs. The clip was released today, to coincide with the start of NAIDOC Week and features traditional instrumentation with the use of clap sticks, a yidaki from North East Arnhem Land, and chants from Tiwi Islands band B2M.
The Children Came Back features vocals by Gurrumul and Dewayne Everettsmith, with Briggs rhyming over the top. Briggs and Gurrumul performed The Children Came Back as part of triple j‘s Like A Version segment in July last year, and decided to re-record and release the song after the positive feedback they received.
Catch the full The Children Came Back video, below. The song is out now via iTunes.
Watch: Briggs – The Children Came Back feat. Gurrumul & Dewayne Everettsmith
