Episode 149 - Joan Armatrading

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy catches up with his nephew, Budjerah -  the multi-talented and soulful singer from Fingal Head in NSW. Together they yarn about Budjerah’s early music inspirations, working with acclaimed producer Matt Corby for his debut EP, and his connection to Juraki surf culture.

Episode 182 - Budjerah

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy reflects on the people who’ve shaped his life over the years. We all have those kind of people… and we call them role models. So in this episode, Jonzy’s packed in a few inspirational yarns from some incredible role models, including Jessica Mauboy, Nooky, Briggs, Deb Mailman, Aaron Pedersen, and AFL legends, Shaun Burgoyne and Michael O’Loughlin. Jonzy even goes back to school to seek out some thoughts on role models from a handful of First Nations high school kids.

Episode 187 - Role Models

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy ventures into the studios of Channel 9 in Sydney for a yarn with Gamilaroi woman and Entertainment Reporter for the TODAY Show, Brooke Boney. You might know her as a star of TV and radio already, but it’s what Brooke has to say about her upbringing and her advice to aspiring young journos that makes her a true star in our eyes.

Episode 196 - Brooke Boney

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy’s yarnin’ with talented musician and multi-instrumentalist, Julian Belbachir. Julian kept the beat for 10 years as drummer in the legendary band Oka, who released a stack of successful albums and played sold out gigs all over the world, including the 2021 Parrtjima Festival in Alice Springs. Recently, Julian ventured out on his own to release his first ever solo album, ‘Babdoukkala’ which he’s been showcasing at places like the Bello Roots Festival in Bellingen and Vivid Sydney. 

Julian was born on Gadigal country to Moroccan and Australian parents and raised in the inner-city suburbs of Surry Hills and Redfern, and ‘Babdoukkala’ reflects his deep spiritual connection to Africa alongside the modern influences of growing up in Australia.

Episode 197 - Julian Belbachir

Men’s Health Week is all about creating safe spaces for fullaz to share their feelings and help them feel good about themselves. But feeling good isn’t always easy. And men in particular find it really tough to open up about how they’re feeling and who they should be talking to, but a new service might be able to help change that.

Recently, a special crisis support line dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mob was launched – it’s called 13 YARN (13 92 76). So Jonzy invited the National Program Manager for 13 YARN, Marjorie Anderson, to tell us what it's all about and how it can help men open up a little more.

Episode 199 - Men's Health Week

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy reunites with Briggs, his first-ever guest on the show. Together they talk about the importance of culture and identity, about Briggs’s musical collaboration with Thelma Plum, the inspiration behind the children’s book ‘Our Home Our Heartbeat’, and the female singer Briggs thinks is one of the brightest stars on his Bad Apples music label.

Episode 204 - Briggs

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Naomi Wenitong is yarning up with Wergaia / Wemba Wemba woman Alice Skye, who offers up some very personal insights on the fragility that comes with being a singer-songwriter. Alice also talks about touring with Midnight Oil and what else we can expect from her over the next few months.

On top of that, Dallas Woods offers up an Unmissable Moment and Naomi tells the story behind the creation of The Last Kinection's power anthem, 'Black & Deadly'.

Episode 209 - Alice Skye

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Naomi's joined in the studio by the other half of Shakaya (and one of her best mates), Simone Stacey. Together, Naomi and Stacey reminisce about the first time they met, forming Shakaya and coming up with the band name, reliving the early days of Shakaya’s success, how Stacey balanced being a young mum and a popstar, plus her stint on The Voice. As you can imagine, there's lots of laughs in this yarn too!

Episode 210 - Simone Stacey

September 9 is recognised around the world as International FASD Awareness Day – a day that highlights the importance of women being alcohol-free during pregnancy and how their partners can support them during that journey. FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) is an issue that affects communities all over Australia so raising awareness is an important step in the education process. To get some education around FASD herself, Naomi set out to yarn with a bunch of people about FASD – what it is and why it matters. First stop was to visit Dr Mark Wenitong (yeah, that’s right... her dad) - one of Australia’s most respected doctors in Indigenous health. Mark lays out in simple terms what FASD means and how we can all play a role in making a difference. On top of that, Naomi seeks out advice from the likes of Simone Stacey, Deb Mailman, Emma Donovan, Leah Flanagan, Aaron Pedersen, and Dr Jacki Mein, Director of the Wuchopperen Health Service in Cairns and someone who’s been working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health for decades.

Episode 211 - FASD Awareness

If anyone’s ever asked you “what’s your favourite song?”, then you’ll know what a difficult question that is to answer. That happened to Naomi recently, and like a lot of us, she found it tough to come up with something. Songs have different meanings for different people, and how much you like a song depends on where you were when you first heard it, what mood you’re in, and even your influences growing up. As a songwriter, Naomi knows how most songs come from a pretty special place, so she’s lined up a few other deadly songwriters who share some stories about their own songs, including Kobie Dee, The Merindas, Tasman Keith, Birdz and Fred Leone.

Episode 212

Naomi’s been super busy lining up a bunch of deadly tracks she reckons should be on everybody’s spring playlist. The list includes tunes from King Stingray, Lil Mase, Aya J, and the latest from the Family Shoveller Band. On top of all that, there’s some powerful yarns from Troy Cassar-Daley, Dobby, Baker Boy, Budjerah and Pirra’s Jess Beck, plus Naomi recalls the time she was mistaken for Thelma Plum!!

Episode 213 - Spring Playlist

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Naomi catches up with Ripple Effect Band - the awesome all-female rock band from Maningrida, a coastal community in Arnhem Land about 400 kilometres east of Darwin in the NT. Every member of the band is a songwriter as well as a multi-instrumentalist, and they sing in 6 different languages. As multi-instrumentalists, they swap around so that each woman can move forward and sing in her own language. In the middle of a tour which is taking them through NSW and Victoria, bandmembers Jolene Lawrence, Jodie Kell, Patricia Gibson, Tara Rostron, Rachel Thomas and Rona Lawrence took some time out to yarn with Naomi about how they bonded over their love of music, the stories behind some of their songs, and wanting to inspire the next generation of musicians no matter where they’re from.

Episode 214 - Ripple Effect Band

This episode of Jam Pakt is all about how to look after your mental health. October is Mental Health Month and World Mental Health Day happens on October 10 every year, so it‘s a great time to remind ourselves of the things we can do to help promote awareness, belonging and connection. There are loads of great tips to be found at https://www.lookafteryourmentalhealthaustralia.org.au as well as links to plenty of mental health resources and a calendar you can download and stick on your fridge to help you practice mindful habits right throughout the month.

One of the best mood lifters for Naomi is music, so she’s lined up some great tracks for this week’s show from The Lonely Boys, Electric Fields and Beddy Rays, as well as the awesome young talent, Djanaba. Djanaba also opens up about her mental health struggles, as does Troy Cassar-Daley and Joe Williams. They’ve all got some great advice to keep you powering on strong throughout October.

Episode 215 - Look After Your Mental Health Australia

In this episode, Naomi catches up with the deadly young talent, Djanaba, for a fun yet very personal yarn. Djanaba’s a Wiradjuri and Bundjalung woman from Newcastle with connections to the Wollombi people. Raised on traditional dance and music, Djanaba’s been writing her own music since the age of 12 and through a national radio competition in 2021, she was handpicked by PNAU’s Nick Littlemore to explore songwriting around a topic close to her heart - female empowerment, passive control and gender judgement. The result was the super uplifting track ‘Big Titties’. Djanaba talks to Naomi about that track, as well as why she’s not ready to write songs about culture. In an open an honest yarn, Djanaba also opens up about her journey of sobriety and coming to terms with her identity as a queer Indigenous artist.

Episode 216 - Djanaba

In this episode, Naomi gives some big shout-outs to some deadly mob who’ve managed to snare themselves a 2022 ARIA Award nomination and featuring some awesome yarns with the likes of Budjerah, Baker Boy, Emma Donovan, Jacko from Beddy Rays, and Tasman Keith.

Episode 217 - ARIA Award Nominees

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Naomi’s sharing music and stories from Auntie Shellie Morris - someone who could almost be declared a ‘national living treasure’. Shellie’s spent the past 25 years honing her skills as a storyteller and musician, delivering music workshops in more than 80 Indigenous communities across the country, and works tirelessly to improve the lives of First Nations Australians, especially in the NT. As well as being a multi Deadly Award winner, the 2014 NT Australian of the Year and the 2014 NAIDOC National Artist of the Year, as of last year, Shellie is now also known as... Doctor Shellie Morris. This is an open and honest yarn from one of this country’s finest voices.

Episode 218 - Shellie Morris

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Naomi sits down for a yarn with the talented young singer-songwriter, Gooreng Gooreng woman Cloe Terare. Originally from Brisbane but now based in Toowoomba, Cloe’s been writing and performing music since she was in Grade 3, and officially started writing and recording her own songs at the start of high school. It’s no wonder Cloe picked up the Billy Thorpe Scholarship Award at this year’s Queensland Music Awards! Cloe’s music is mostly pop and dance, but a quick tour through her back catalogue will reveal a bit of everything, including a bit of RnB, a bit of soul, and a bit of country – which is a nod to her grandfather, the late great country singer Garth Terare, who was one of the first people to encourage Cloe to start her musical journey at a young age.

Episode 219 - Cloe Terare

In this episode, Naomi sits down for a yarn with her good mate, Shannon Williams (aka Brothablack), who also happens to be one of the nicest people in the biz. Shannon was a founding member of the Indigenous hip-hop group South West Syndicate and has also released some powerful music under his own steam as Brothablack (including the infectious track ‘Are You With Me Out There’). He’s played at the Big Day Out, worked as an MC for The National Indigenous 3on3 Basketball and Hip Hop Challenge, and of course, was a co-host with Naomi on Seasons 1 to 3 of ‘Move It Mob Style’. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s a mentor and a role model to young Indigenous kids, a full-time carer for his mum, and hosts the breakfast show on Koori Radio every Monday to Friday between 7am and 9am. Shannon’s packed a lot into his life so far and talks openly about it in this deadly yarn.

Episode 221 - Brothablack

This week, Jonzy heads to Alice Springs to yarn with actor Aaron Pedersen about FASD, new film and TV Projects and 'that' CLEO Bachelor of the Year award.

Episode 3 - Aaron Pedersen

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy ventures into the studios of Channel 9 Sydney for a yarn with Gamilaroi woman, Brooke Boney. Many of you might know her as a star of TV and radio already, but it’s what she has to say about her upbringing and her advice to aspiring young journos that makes her a true star in our eyes.

Episode 39 - Brooke Boney

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy’s joined in the studio by former rugby league and rugby union star, Nathan Daly. Nathan’s a Torres Strait Islander / Kuku Yalinji man and he’s got some deadly stories to share about his international career in rugby as well as his more recent work as an Aboriginal Health Coordinator.

Episode 47 - Nathan Daly

In this special episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy looks back at a few of the incredibly talented guests that sat down for a yarn with him during the past 12 months. People like Uncle Jack Charles, the talented multi-instrumentalist and rapper Dobby, Essendon AFLW captain Courtney Ugle, Groote Eylandt songstress Emily Wurramara, and the gorgeous actor Madeleine Madden.

Episode 70 - Best Of 2019 #1

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy sits down for a yarn with the legendary drummer from Midnight Oil, Rob Hirst. Jonzy and Rob discuss whether or not Midnight Oil has any kind of legacy in Aboriginal communities, the origins of the Midnight Oil classic ‘The Dead Heart’, and Rob’s history of improvisation on the drums using some pretty unusual material. This is fascinating yarn with a true Australian music legend!

Episode 79 - Rob Hirst / Midnight Oil

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy fires up the tin shed studio in his backyard and jumps online for a ripping yarn with Arrente-Arabana man and actor, Aaron Pedersen.  Aaron talks about the second series of Mystery Road on ABC-TV and iView(in which he plays the character of Detective Jay Swan), the new Carer Gateway website (which Aaron's an ambassador for), the awesome new nature series he’s filming around the country, as well as some of his favourite things to do in isolation.

Episode 87 - Aaron Pedersen

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy celebrates some of the incredible young First Nations music talent doing great things right now, including the very talented J-Milla. A proud Mak Mak Marranungu man, 22-year-old J is an emerging hip-hop artist who yarns with Jonzy about life in lockdown, the important role his mum has played in his life, his special connection to the Yuendumu community, and how he uses music to raise awareness of issues facing Indigenous people – stuff like incarceration, social justice, and reconciliation. 

And with Mother's Day just around the corner, Jonzy has a special message for all the mums this week.

Episode 89 - J-Milla

In this episode of Jam Pakt, Jonzy’s yarning with the super-talented Kobie Dee. Kobie’s a 21-year old Gomeroi man who - in addition to making waves as a talented hip-hop artist and boxer - is also a young father dedicated to being a positive role model for his daughter. 

Kobie yarns with Jonzy about his honest and raw lyrics that deal with overcoming substance abuse, finding strength in culture, and his desire to be a healthy role model for others in his community. 

Kobie’s lived more life in his 21 years than most of us could probably imagine in a lifetime and he’s incredibly inspiring on all fronts.

Episode 112 - Kobie Dee

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