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Dandenong musicians break new ground in hip-hop and rap

By Dan Garang Marrial

  Melbourne - The Southern Sudan Boys (SSB) hip-hop and rap musicians recently launched their first Album Who will care at Noble Park Community Centre to the delight of more than 2000 fans, spectators and staunch supporters.

 

The Southern Sudan Boys is the recent combination of Daddy’D and Greybull.

 
'Daddy'D is the stage name of rising rapper Akech Dau Monyjok. He chose the name as an expression of love and happiness after the birth of his three-year-old son Dau Akech Dau.
 
Greybull is the stage name of David Thon Garang. Garang is from the Dinka tribe in Sudan and his stage name is derived from `THON’ meaning bull in Dinka. He has 14 years experience in the industry and started as a guitarist/singer in a small town called Pakok in Sudan in 1994.
 
The SSB boys fled war-torn Sudan in the 1990s after fighting erupted between the Southern Sudan rebels and the Sudan Government. The war claimed 2.5 million lives, including their fathers and separated them from their mothers and relatives.
 
The two singers fled to Kenya in different ways. Daddy’D left Sudan after his village was destroyed by the Sudan Government and other rebel factions. Greybull left Sudan for Ethiopia then went back to Sudan and finally to Kenya before coming to Australia.
They arrived in Australia in early 2006 individually. Greybull, who is now 27, came alone because all his relatives were scattered in unknown parts of Sudan. Daddy’D come with his sister. Both men now have girlfriends and each has a child.
 
Following their arrival, they performed in concerts, clubs, and weddings and at other festivals. Greybull had previously performed in many concerts in Nairobi, Kenya including one at the New Sudan Artist Association.
 
In Australia, he performed at Dandenong‘s Castle Youth Music Festival last year and at the Refugees Day concert in Adelaide and the Queen Festival at Toowoomba in Queensland in 2006.
 
The SSB boys have no professional support from any other musicians.
“We don’t have a songwriter, we can write our songs alone, record, and sing them in English, Swahili and Dinka. We create wonderful and meaningful sounds,” Greybull said.
 
 “We would like to have more concerts with different communities and organisations if possible; we are ready anytime,” he said.
 
Laying the foundations
There was some pessimism that the boys might not be able to cope in an English-speaking community but their lyrics and performances have proven otherwise.
 
The boys and their acting manager Isaac Maloney say English is not a problem.
``They have more understandable English in comparison with the Jamaican rapper Sean Paul who has millions of fans but with mixture of English and Jamaican,’’ Mr Maloney said.
 
“The main problems they have are a lack of financial support. For instance, the money for videos and recording is not there; videos are more expensive to produce and so are recording an album.
 
“But even if they don’t reach that international level, they will lay the historical foundation for African-Australian singers in Dandenong.
 
``In a matter of one or two decades, the African-Australian will have the potential to compete with African-American hip-hop or rap singers.”
 
Mr Maloney has been working on behalf of Eastern and Central African Communities of Victoria for more than three years and with the City of Casey’s youth programs.
The boys said they would not quit or give up their music career because ``we have what it takes to be successful musicians’’.
 
They believe in their singing and nothing will hold them back. Many of their songs express their feelings about the traumatic 21-year-old civil war in Sudan. Other songs tell of love and about the creation of mankind.
 
Below are the lyrics of one of their songs which tell about how war has limited their dreams and put them in harsh conditions without anyone caring for them.
 
Song title: Who will care?
 
Introduction: Greybull, Yeah, the voice of an orphan
Chorus:           Who will care, who will care for me                           X3
When no body’s around me
When my dad is gone
When mum is gone
When my brother is gone and when my sist gone too
Who will care who will care for me?     
               
1st Verse        
Sometimes I wonder what’s going on.
Is it me mistreating the land or the land mistreating me?
Oh! Lord pay attention; identify the causative while preparing the solutions,
I have no solution but peace is better Lord, you heard my voice Lord.
There is peace and now peace is here but nobody’s still caring.
I am tired of orphan life. Can I commit a suicide or continue live and suffer?
I have no hope anymore but still you can bring my hope back once more.
You are dad and mum that I have all times
 
2nd Verse        
I am a frustrated child left by the civil war which dwelled in the country for decades, Dismantling everything which was there leaving me fatherless and giving new titles “Orphan” becomes the name to those who lost their parents.
Now the storm calms down you hear orphans cry all over the street in town many Broken legs and arms, they wonna live no living, they wonna learn, no learning. Some die on the street because of hunger, Oh! Sudan can’t you see bring my parents back; I need them now even one could be better for now, for now.
 
 
3rd Verse        
How long shall greediness rules in the land?
Why do people fight for the power and wealth, forgetting orphans of the war on other hand?
Hustling on your own bellies, schooling your own ones, the better idea you thought, what about the orphans?
Who is the future?
My brain is not an orphan, human capacity is the same. I wonna know now. Don’t I need school to go?
Food to keep me strong?
Doctor when I fall sick?
Who gonna provide for me when I lost my legs and arms fighting for freedom of people? Yeah!
Outro:            
The voice of an orphan from South Sudan, I want somebody to hear my voice and do something.
 
 
Determined to succeed
 
This song and others have taken their fans and local audiences by storm. Adior Nhial is one of many fans. She says she is overwhelmed by the boys, and vows to continue supporting them.
 
“I am really intrigued … I completely like all their songs – they are amazing and so meaningful,’’ she said.
 
The boys are keen to perform more concerts to gain more experience and boost their finances.
 
They have just finished several concerts with the Bor Community and Youth Association and will entertain at the Miss South Sudan contest in January 2009.
 
“We believe in our music and we are determined to succeed,” Greybull said.