Ngaalang Moort (Our Family) is a compilation of stunning lullabies created by Noongar families in 2020, when the world was turned on its head and we couldn’t all meet together. CAN took the program online and directly into people’s homes, where these talented participants joined facilitators Charmaine Councillor and Phil Bartlett online to learn the basics of Noongar language and songwriting. Once everyone had their song written and learnt, they recorded their vocals at home ready for final studio production by Charmaine, Phil and sound engineer / musician, Sean Lillico. The conditions make this album an even more remarkable achievement by everyone involved!

Lullabies is produced by CAN in collaboration with Noongar families and is supported through the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts program and the Australia Council for the Arts.

These 15 songs reflect the personal experiences of the people involved. They are a celebration of moort (family), koort (heart), woonya (love) and a legacy for all.

Ngaalang Moort: Noongar Lullabies from Home

Rock-a-bye Lullaby was created at the end of the lullaby writing process. Phil Bartlett composed the melody and Ngaalang Moort Singers (Noongar language group) contributed words via the group’s Facebook page. 
Charmaine Councillor then combined and created the lyrics from these words.
Thank you everyone who added their vocals to Rockabye Lullaby, let’s get the maawit kakarookiny (babies dancing)!

Ngaalang Moort: Noongar Lullabies From Home

Rock-a-bye Lullaby - Choir / Phil Bartlett

Kedalak was written by the Ngaalang Moort Singers (Noongar language group) during the online language sessions. This was the first song everyone wrote before writing their own lullaby. 
Thank you to participants who recorded their vocals from home, you sound moorditj!

Kedalak / Night Time - Choir

My name is Megan Ugle, I was born in Ballardong country and I live in Whadjuk boodja. I have three children and enjoy learning language.

Wargada / To Search - Megan Ugle / Trevor Ryan

Kaya nganyang kwerl Vickey Hill. I’m a proud descendent of the First Nations people from Nyoongar boodja. I’m a loving and proud mother of six children and seven grandchildren. My family will always be my motivation and inspiration in life’s journey. 
This song is a symbol of my love and is dedicated to all my grandchildren now and forever.

Maawit Yedi / Baby's Song - Vickey Hill

Lola McDowell, Ballardong person. I live on Whadjuk country. I remember singing
to my babies a lullaby. This inspired me to write my own for future generations.
Dedicated to all family, especially Alysha and Sierra.

Noonan Miyal Nooler / Close Your Eyes - Lola McDowell / Charmaine Councillor

Kaya! My name is Tamara Jones. I am a descendant of Herbert and Maude (nee Humes) Kickett. 
I am part of the Ballardong, Wilman and Whadjuk language groups of the Noongar Nation. I am a mother to five children and grandmother to one beautiful granddaughter. We currently live in Cairns QLD where I work as a midwife. My song was written for my granddaughter who
has brightened up my life as the moon and stars do to the sky.
Family and love are all that matter in life so love your family and laugh often whilst creating lifelong memories.

Kabarli Maawit / Nana's Baby - Tamara Jones / Amanda Kickett-King

I am a Whadjuk Ballardong / Badimia Yamatji woman living and working on Whadjuk country. 
This song, Nganyang Dambart (Star Song), has been inspired by all the groups of three in my life. I have three moorditj grandkids, three awesome kids, three amazing siblings and my grandmother was one of three. I seem to be surrounded by threes. 
This song is dedicated to my first born grandson Judj, who is now our own djinda in the sky. For as long as this song is sung my grandson is remembered.

Nganyang Dambart / My Three - Cherie Slater

My name is Sharyn Egan. I am a Whadjuk Nyoongar Yok, living on Whadjuk Country. 
This song is for my granddaughter, Melba Egan, who was born while I was singing these words. 
My grandmother, Melba Egan, my mother, Betty Egan, and I are all part of the stolen generations. 
The inspiration for this song is all the stolen generations who never knew the
love of their families.

Kwobidak Koolang / Beautiful Child - Sharyn Egan

Nganyang kwerl Rita Lusted. I am a proud Wilomin yok living on Noongar country. The song is dedicated to my mum Alice, in remembrance of my sister Kylie who passed away.

Kylie - Rita Lusted

Djet Maawit was inspired by spending time out on boodja working amongst our beautiful native plants out bush in Dale Kokeby, Boyagin Rock, “KIERA” West Dale, and Deep Pool with my daughter Indira-Jade. 
This song is dedicated to all mothers and children and is the deep reflective communication between mother and child or depicted through connection of Mother Earth (boodja) to person.

Djet Maawit / Flower Baby - Megan Ugle

Kaya nganyang kwerl Ilija Jacobs, Ngaangk Maggie Jacobs. Born in Subiaco. 43 years old. 
My heritage is Noongar/Croatian. I have strong ties to Ballardong Country, South West Boojarah, Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar Country and Yued Country. 
I am a very proud Noongar Maaman and am very privileged to be a part of the 2020 CAN Lullabies zoom online training. I live in Darwin on Larrakia Country and to be able to participate in learning in my own language brings a strong sense of Identity and pride to be Noongar.
There is no distance too far or wide for Noongar people to connect with their
culture and especially language.
Thank you CAN.

Kabarli / Nana - Illija Jacobs

Nganyang kwerl, Tammy Prior. Born Wongan Hills, Ballardong boodja. Ngaangk Barbara Slater, maaman Max Prior. 
This song is dedicated to my koorlangka Isaiah and Elijah Wallace and all the kwobidak koorlangka in the moort. 
This song was inspired by them.

Nganyang Maawit / My Baby - Tammy Prior

My name is Cristi McPhee, I am a South West Boojarah yorga living on Yued
Boodjar. I am a mother of three beautiful children and am happily married to my childhood sweetheart, Chris McPhee.
‘Kaya Nyit Maawit’ was written to welcome my nephew and niece’s little baby to her land and into our family. May her life be filled with everlasting adventures, laughter and love!

Kaya Nyit Maawit / Hello Little Baby - Cristi McPhee

My song is deep, it's emotional. It's very personal and it's my language from my heart. I grew up knowing my language. I'm very passionate about speaking my language. My tribe is Whadjuk Ballardong and I grew up speaking Noongar in my family. It was a second language in our home, and I remember when I was a little girl, it was a privilege to have seen and heard my great grandmother my grandmother and my mother actually converse in Noongar. I come from a background of very strong women, and I'm pleased to share my song with you in Ballardong dialect.

I also want to share a bit of a background story of why I wrote Ngany Koorlangka. I gave my child away to my eldest sister who couldn't have children. I adopted this tradition from the Torres Strait Islander people. My children are Torres Strait Islander and I lived on Mer Island for three years and saw how culturally mothers gave up their children so that other women can experience motherhood (there are also other reasons why they did this aswell). But I thought to myself wow what a beautiful thing that someone could do for another. So me being who I am, and the love I have for my family, I thought it would be a beautiful act of kindness to give my son Jeremiah to my sister. My son filled that void in her heart and I saw the joy in her eyes as he called her mum. 

The very essence of my song is about mothers. Mothers who can relate, mothers who are honorable, mothers who have had given up their children for what ever reason, it crosses boundaries to the stolen generation, things that has happen even in our world today regardless of colour, and most of all the power that us as mothers can generate and empower another woman with a blessing that only God can give. Thank you, this is my song Ngany Koorlangka and I hope you like it.

Ngany Koorlangka / My Kid - Cyndy Moody

My name is Margaret Drayton. I am a Nyoongar/Yamitji woman from the Yued, Yamitji and Wadjarri regions of Western Australia. 
It was an inspiration being part of Ngaalang Moort and linking our Noongar language to music. Singing lullabies in Noongar makes learning our language
easier for our grandchildren and future generations. 
This welcome is dedicated to all Noongar Elders past and present for the contributions they made, are making and will continue to make in nurturing
and teaching Noongar language and culture.
Always was, always will be Noongar Boodja.

Kaya / Welcome - Margaret Drayton

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Ngaalang Moort: Noongar Lullabies from Home

CAN (Community Arts Network)