The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: It is my absolute pleasure to bring this motion before this council. For those who do not know, or are about to know, Electric Fields brings together the brilliance and creativity of music producer and composer Michael Ross, with the mesmerising sensitivity of Zaachariaha Fielding, whose rare and beautiful voice has been described as 'taking soul to the stratosphere'.
These two feminine brothers create a striking and haunting merging of live, living traditional culture with electronic music. Co-writing music and delivering an evocative and memorable live performance experience, Electric Fields brings moments of breathtaking beauty and power to the stage, often featuring Zaachariaha's traditional languages of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people. Electric Fields' music ranges from soulful pop to epic scale electronic works through to intensely intimate story songs.
Electric Fields are known not only here in South Australia but right across not only the nation but the globe. They have played festivals in Poland, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, China, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland, London and the UK WOMAD, and closed the Sziget Festival in Budapest.
Electric Fields have really taken what is a wonderful South Australian story to the world stage and so it was my absolute pleasure to move this motion, noting that Electric Fields were the first ever duo to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. They represented Australia at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden with the soulful dance anthem One Mikali (One Blood). When they were announced as our representatives, they put out a joint statement that said:
We are buzzed with euphoria at our chance to share this music with the world. Our music comes from the deepest place in both of us and Eurovision is the most exciting opportunity to bring together our cultures and share the joy of global connection.
They did us proud but unfortunately they were not finalists and were pipped at the post at 11th place, something that was not reflective of their talent or, indeed, the beautiful performance, including Zaachariaha's art as well as the costuming, the composition and, indeed, the entirety of what was a truly Australian production on that stage.
Zaachariaha Fielding hails from Mimili, which is, as we know, a remote community in the Far North of our state. He brought Anangu language into that song as well as English and, given there are only some 4,000 or so speakers of that language, to have that on a world stage was a truly special thing to see. Indeed, popular music can inspire people in a way that speeches like this certainly cannot, but I hope that I go some way to paying tribute.
I have long been a fan of not just Electric Fields but Michael Ross and Zaachariaha Fielding, having met them both in different ways. I met Michael Ross on the steps of this Parliament House at a marriage equality rally where he had written a song and then performed it. We had a wonderful time on the steps that day as part of the then very much growing marriage equality campaign, which I am glad to see is now law right across our nation.
Zaachariaha Fielding might not remember this but I remember him from La Sing, where he would get up and perform on the stage way back when, well before either of them ever went on X Factor. Some members of the council and certainly the public might remember that Michael Ross did a performance of Diana Ross's You Can't Hurry Love and Zaachariaha did a performance of Tracy Chapman's Talkin' Bout a Revolution. Well, we have had a revolution and to see a band like Electric Fields performing globally, representing Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest, is the kind of revolution I want to see because if I cannot dance I do not want your revolution and Electric Fields certainly makes us dance.
I will also take an opportunity to sum up but I now invite other members to make a contribution noting, in a slightly unparliamentary way, that Electric Fields, their management and supporters are here in the gallery today
It is my great pleasure to thank the contributors tonight for their support of the motion—obviously the motion is going to pass, to put you out of your suspense the Hon. Jing Lee, the Hon. Tung Ngo, and the Hon. Kyam Maher, who made a contribution in language, which was also a wonderful thing to see. I just want to reflect that, in the tradition of what Electric Fields does, they bring people together, they create connection. In Michael's words, he sees Electric Fields as a 'bridge between people'. In Zaachariaha's words they are 'a big collaboration with the universe. We are caretakers of an energy. It is finding its way and we are just the mother and father to do it.'
In that spirit, obviously I commend the motion but I also invite all members of this council to join us in the balcony bar during the dinner break to celebrate the fine work of Electric Fields and their wonderful success and all those who support them. I also want to reflect that it is a long way from the balcony of the Backpackers to the balcony bar, so I will toast you to that. With that, I commend the motion