YUSSEF DAYES is a tour-de-force behind the drums. Widely recognised as one of the most electrifying live performers of his generation - an exhilarating performer who combines technical prowess, intensity and emotion, leaving audiences in no doubt as to the role of rhythm in channelling spiritual energy. It's over four years since Dayes released his last studio solo album "What Kinda Music", but he's been very busy in the years since then and his new release "Black Classical Music" is due in September. In the meantime, for the first four tracks from the new album and all the other releases and collaborations in between - there's a playlist for that: Youssef Dayes Recent Releases & Collaborations

For those who have ever had the pleasure and privilege of attending the annual Gnaoua festival in the Moroccan coastal city of Essaouira, it is an experience never to be forgotten. The festival not only showcases the mesmerizing mystical music and dance of the Gnaoua traditions, but also attracts jazz, pop, rock and folk artists from around the world, many forming one-off collaborations on the numerous sound stages and other venues throughout the city, invigorating the tradition and expanding their own musical journeys. For those who are unable to attend attend this year (and even those who can, but want even more Gnaoua when the stages are quiet), here's a playlist mad up of most of the artists scheduled to perform this year. I hope you enjoy - and look forward to joining you in Essaouira again in the future, In sha'Allah! To enjoy the playlist - link HERE or click on the poster!

This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Organising Committee) with a playlist from 2022/2023 that highlights the diverse excellence of Australia's indigenous musicianship. Artists represented include Ngulmiya, William Barton, Bumpy, King Stingray, Charlie Needs Braces, Jess Hitchcock, Jem (and Troy) Cassar-Daley, Thelma Plum, Mo'Ju, Miiesha, Aodhan, Robert K Champion, Ziggy Ramo, KIAN, Budjerah, Aachem, Tasman Keith, Yirrmal, Electric Fields, Andrew Gurruwiwi, Izy, Pirritu, Emma Donovan, Aimee Hannan, Loren Ryan and many, many more. There's a mix of albums, EP's and singles and a wide range of approaches from the spiritual to the profane, folk to hip-hop, country to urban. Select your favourite artists, discover new treasures or shuffle-play and enjoy! PLAYLIST LINK HERE OR ON LOGO

The question to be put to the Australian people at the 2023 referendum will be: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?” The proposed law that Australians are being asked to approve at the referendum would insert a new section into the Constitution: "Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia: There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice; The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.” Background By all measures, the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians has deteriorated progressively for 250 years. Beginning as a British penal experiment, colonisation of "New Holland"disrupted a proud ancient culture and failed to recognise and respect the knowledge and practices that sustained indigenous society, in a fragile symbiosis with the land, for 60 millenia. Colonial, Federal, State and Local governments treated Indigenous Australians and the natural environment as expendable commodities, by equating "progress" with the value of produce for export, first to the Homeland (remember, all Australians remained British Citizens until 1948) and subsequently, to the highest bidder. For Indigenous Australians, equality under the law (has and still) advances slowly: 1962: Federal right to vote for Aboriginals 1967: Aboriginals included in Commonwealth Census 1972: Self-determination adopted as policy for Indigenous people, 1975: First land returned to native title, Racial Discrimination Act. 1976 - 1993: Aboriginal Land Rights Acts (States) to Native Title Act (Federal), 1997: Stolen Generations Report, PM Howard makes personal, not Government, apology. 1998: Native Title Amendment Act (seen by many to reduce native title rights) 1999: Howard Government's Preamble Referendum ("honouring Aborigines [sic] and Torres Strait Islanders, the nation’s first people, for their deep kinship with their lands and for their ancient and continuing cultures which enrich the life of our country") fails. It offered only symbolic recognition, lacked wide consultation and failed to gain support of a majority of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians - a clear lesson for future referendums. 2007: Howard Government's Northern Territory "Intervention" 2008: PM Rudd 'Sorry' apology to the Stolen Generations. 2008: Yolngu and Bininj Leaders "Statement of Intent" to PM 2010: PM Gillard plans to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution; The Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is established. 2023: PM Albanese election promise of Constitutional Recognition in first term of Government Opposition Opponents of the Voice claim that there's insufficient detail to decide, that it will subvert Australian Democracy by offering Indigenous Australians "two votes", that it constitutes a "Third Chamber" of Parliament, that it will result in a flood of (unspecified) litigation to the High Court, that it should advise Parliament but not Executive Government; that it should Regional, not Federal and that it's scope is too broadly defined. These claims are demonstrably false or misleading. Self-determination of Indigenous Australians has been Government policy for half a century. The Voice provides a meaningful avenue to satisfying this Human Right. The Voice is constituted as an "advisory" instrument: it remains the Parliament & Executive Government's responsibility to prepare and legislate. Various models for the Voice have already been developed, but agreement upon a "fully detailed" (i.e. final) model for the Voice is planned to occur after the Referendum. If the proposed law is approved at the referendum, there will be a process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Parliament, and the broader public to settle the Voice design. Legislation to establish the Voice will then go through standard parliamentary processes to ensure adequate scrutiny by elected representatives in both houses of Parliament. In reality, the proposed Voice is already the outcome of one of the longest and most consultative processes in memory. This process has been exhaustively documented. It is disingenuous of anyone involved to claim otherwise. Design Principles The following principles were developed by the First Nations Referendum Working Group and endorsed by the Australian Government. The Voice will give independent advice to the Parliament and Government The Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities The Voice will be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, gender balanced and include youth The Voice will be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful and culturally informed The Voice will be accountable and transparent The Voice will work alongside existing organisations and traditional structures The Voice will not have a program delivery function The Voice will not have a veto power. Conclusion The only reasonable response is "YES". To support the status quo is to prolong injustices since Colonisation of Australia. Vote "Yes" to give Indigenous Australians the chance to be heard. Further Reading Anybody seeking sufficient information should check following sources. The Uluru Statement The Uluru Statement home page is www.ulurustatement.org a beautifully put together site that explains the full history of the community consultation that has already taken place, includes full details of what's proposed, a comprehensive history of the 12 Regional Dialogues and downloadable copies of the 10 reports to Government in a process that dates back to 2008, when Yolngu and Bininj Leaders expressed their desire for constitutional protection for traditional land and cultural rights, in the form of a Statement of Intent to Prime Minister - the same year Kevin Rudd made formal apology to Indigenous Australia. NDIA / NIAA The National Indigenous Australians Agency website has a succinct summary of the proposed legislation and links to relevant documentation. The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is leading preparation for the referendum through First Nations engagement, coordination across the Australian Public Service and supporting government processes. Yes Case Support Groups in the Community The Albanese Government has drafted the proposed Referendum Question, but reluctant to lead the campaign, or to fund Yes and No cases. Instead (with a recent electoral mandate to legislate) it will fund a public education campaign that promotes the referendum itself (an approach that has been criticised as partisan). The Government will relying on community-funded groups, especially those in the Indigenous Community, to lead the public discussion. This may be argued to be consistent with a philosophy of empowering Indigenous Australians (bottom-up), rather than perpetuating of paternalistic (top-down) models of leadership. The Uluru Dialogue Created in 2017, the Uluru Dialogue is a collective of academics and lawyers based at the University of New South Wales. Yes23 Funded by Australia’s largest philanthropic organisation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Yes23 is supported by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) - co-chair Rachael Perkins. Together, Yes Together, Yes is a campaign by the Victorian Women’s Trust as Trustee of the Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls a proudly independent feminist organisation established in 1985, to support women, girls and gender diverse people. Uphold and Recognise Uphold and Recognise was founded in 2015 by Damien Freeman, a lawyer at the PM Glynn Institute at the Australian Catholic University, and Julian Leeser, who is now the Coalition spokesperson on Indigenous Australians. From the Heart Launched in 2020, From the Heart operates under the auspices of the Cape York Institute, Noel Pearson’s thinktank in north Queensland. (No website available). The Parliamentary Friends of the Uluru Statement. Launched on 13 February, this “non-partisan forum” is co-chaired by Labor’s Gordon Reid, Liberal Bridget Archer and independent Allegra Spender. (No website available). Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) is a powerhouse organisation of prominent Australians co-chaired by the lawyer and director of the Business Council of Australia, Danny Gilbert, and Arrernte-Kalkadoon film-maker Rachel Perkins. (No website available).

Arabic and North African music has had a profound influence on jazz and improvised music in Europe. The use of microtones, polyrhythms, and improvisational techniques from these traditions has enriched and expanded the possibilities of jazz, creating a new and exciting sound that is both familiar and exotic. One of the earliest examples can be found in the work of American saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. In the 1930s, Hawkins began to incorporate elements of Arabic music into his playing, creating a new and innovative sound that was unlike anything that had come before it. Hawkins's influence can be heard in the work of many other jazz musicians, including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman. In the 1950s, a new wave of jazz musicians began to explore the influence of Arabic and North African music in even greater depth. These musicians, such as Don Cherry, Yusef Lateef, and Archie Shepp, were drawn to the spiritual and mystical qualities of this music, and they incorporated its sounds and rhythms into their own work. The music of these musicians helped to broaden the appeal of jazz and to make it more accessible to a wider audience. In recent years, the influence of Arabic and North African music on jazz has continued to grow. Today, there are many jazz musicians who are exploring the possibilities of this music, and there is a thriving scene for Arabic and North African jazz in Europe. This music is now more accessible than ever before, and it is sure to continue to influence and inspire jazz musicians for years to come. Don Cherry - Orient (1957) Ahmed Abdul-Malik - East Meets West (1959) Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds (1961) Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer (1964) Joe Harriott - Free Form (1969) Muhal Richard Abrams - Levels (1977) Rabih Abou-Khalil - Blue Camel (1992) Rabih Abou-Khalil - The Cactus of Knowledge (2001) Dhafer Youssef - Digital Prophecy (2003) Salah Ragab, The Egyptian Jazz Band - Egyptian Jazz (2006) Ibrahim Maalouf - Diasporas (2007) Anouar Brahem - The Astounding Eyes of Rita (2008) Anouar Brahem - Blue Maqam (2019) Majid Bekkas, Joachim Kuhn, Ramon Lopez - Chalabe (2011) Omar Sosa - Alma (2013) Yasmine Hamden - Ya Nass (2013) Yazz Ahmed - Polyhymnia (2019) Natacha Atlas - Strange Days (2019) LINK TO PLAYLIST This is just a small sample of the many great albums that have been influenced by Arabic and North African music. If you are interested in exploring this music further, I encourage you to check out these albums and others like them. You won't be disappointed.

This article from The Conversation sheds light on a mystery - why many people's musical tastebuds seem to be cauterized at the end of their teens; whose default seems to become Regurgitator's 1997 refrain "I like your old stuff better than your new stuff". This phenomenon may benefit many performers, allowing them to sing their hits into their dotage, on the Winery Tour and Festival Circuits, but (as I hope shows out in our monthly and annual playlists on SunNeverSetsOnMusic), there's more good NEW music around now, than ever before. Some of it is even from the very artists who we listened to in our teens, who've moved on to richer, new artistic fields. To counter Regurgitator's philosophy we suggest adopt the more up to date stance of Alabaster DePlume, one favourite new artists of 2022 - "I will not be safe".

"Faith Hope and Carnage" (Canongate Books, Sept 2022) captures the intimate exchanges between Australian singer, songwriter, author, sculptor Nick Cave and Irish journalist Sean O'Hagan, culled from nearly 40 hours of phone conversations that took place during lockdown, between August 2020 and the summer of 2021. Cave openly discusses his grief following the tragic accidental death of his young son Arthur in 2015 and the transformative influence this has had on his personal life, his work and his relationships. The Guardian called it "a lament, a celebration, a howl, a secular prayer, a call to arms, a meditation and an exquisite articulation of the human condition. It will take your breath away." I recommend listening to the Audiobook version, spoken by Cave and O'Hagen themselves. Running to 8 hours and 37 minutes of intense dialogue, this is an "in-depth interview" like no other!

He describes himself as "composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist" but perhaps the Australian didgeridoo master William Barton's greatest attribute is his collaborative spirit. I've compiled a playlist of half a dozen of his albums, but his entire catalogue is extraordinary and worth getting lost within. And most remarkably in his hands, he demonstrates how the didgeridoo adds a timeless depth, bass resonance and bite to orchestral music, like no other acoustic instrument. In Collaboration 2004 - Songs of Sea and Sky with composer Peter Sculthorpe, Michael Christie and the Queensland Orchestra) 2004 Earth Cry / Piano Concerto with composer Peter Sculthorpe, Tamara Anna Cislowska, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and James Judd 2006 Sculthorpe: Requium with composer Peter Sculthorpe, Adelaide Chamber Singers, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 2007 O'Boyle: Riversymphony with composer Sean O'Boyle, Queensland Symphony Orchestra 2007 Ancient Souls, Ancient Land with composer Sean O'Boyle 2010 Desert Stars Dancing with guitarist and composer Anthony Garcia 2012 Kalkadungu - Music for Didjeridu And Orchestra with composers Richard Gill and Peter Sculthorpe, poet Judith Wright, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and others 2015 The Art of the Didgeridoo with dancer (Bangarra Dance Company) and composer Matthew Doyle 2016 Dreamtime with classical guitarist, Wilfin Lieske 2019 Time For Calm, Vol. 2 with classical guitarist, Steve Allen 2021 Restless Dream with Kamileroi elder, Bob Weatherall & Brisbane band, Halfway 2022 Heartland with violinist, Véronique Serret 2022 History Has a Heartbeat with luthier, Joseph Tawadros Solo Works 2004 The Journey 2014 Birdsong At Dusk

On his new album, Jose James pays homage to Arykah Badu and Alice Coltrane, by reworking seven of the former's classic songs and replicating the album artwork from one of the latter's most important releases. Jose James' January 2023 release "On & On" pays homage to Erykah Badu, revisiting seven of her most outstanding songs, from all stages of her career, re-presenting them in his very own style, while remaining faithful to the originals. He is supported on this project by a truly exceptional young group of musicians: Big Yuki (Fender Rhodes and Hammond), Ebban Dorsey (alto), Diana Dzhabbar (flute and alto). Ben Williams (bass). In addition, James uses the album cover artwork to pay homage to the great Alice Coltrane: the cover photograph and typology replicates the cover of Coltrane's increasingly influential 1967 release "Journey in Satchidananda". Whereas Coltrane credited tenor saxophonist, the late, Pharoah Sanders on her cover, James credits rising saxophonists Dorsey and Dzhabbar. We're sure that if you loved Erykah Badu's original works, you will love Jose James' covers just as much. So we created a playlist that runs them side by side and finishes of with the Alice Coltrane's "Journey", for good measure!

History isn't only written in the pages of library books or captured on film or in documentaries - it also lives and breathes in song. Here is a selection of songs of hope and resistance, to mark Black History Month. Sampa The Great - Freedom What's Going On - Marvin Gaye (1971) Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (1967) Curtis Mayfield - People Get Ready (2001) The Last Poets - When The Revolution Comes Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Melba Moore - Lift Every Voice and Sing (1990) Andra Day - Rise Up (2015) James Brown - Say It Loud ... I'm Black and I'm Proud (1968) Bob Marley - Redemption Song (1980) Bob Marley - Get Up, Stand Up (1973) Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam (1964) Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come (1963) Billie Holliday Strange Fruit (19 ) D'Angelo - The Charade (2015) Fela Kuti - Zombie (1977 ) Beyonce - Freedon (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (2016) Cynthia Erivo - Stand Up (2019) Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands (1971) The Full Playlist

If you are fortunate enough to live in a Muslim country for awhile, the Call To Prayer, repeated five times a day, becomes part of everyday life. Sometimes you hear a recorded version and you continue about your routine. At others, you may be treated to a live performance, amplified from the nearest minaret: sometimes, so beautifully performed that you're compelled to stop and listen. Tunisian oud master Dhafer Youssef has one of those voices and for his 10th studio album Street of Minarets - which is the first album in SunNeverASetsOnMusic's imminent January 2023 Playlist - he is joined by musical icons including Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Marcus Miller, and Ambrose Akinmusire. But it is his angelic vocals that are the highlight, alongside his inspired embrace of Indian, Arabic and Western classical music and jazz music.

What a wonderful musician and performance!