Black Smoke by Emily Wurramara

Emily’s was a childhood of water and music. Life growing up on Groote Eylandt was one of travel, fishing and extended family. A mother telling her stories of dreams and dolphins that would one day become the seed of her music. Through her music, she shares stories of country, family and culture sung in English and her traditional language Anindilyakwa.

In almost the blink of an eye, Emily has become a seasoned performer who has taken her music around the country and abroad with shows and festival appearances in Sweden and France, Island Vibes, Woodford Folk Festival, Stylin ‘UP and NAIDOC events, performing alongside respected artists like Shellie Morris, Troy Cassar Daley and Impossible Odds. With a couple of Queensland Music Award nominations, successful single and scheduled EP release in 2016 and national tour in 2016, Emily will continue to speak loud and proud about issues close to her heart. This is an artist on an important journey that’s only just beginning.


Black Smoke
Black Smoke is about finding your belonging and being in a place where you feel free. Where you feel just absolutely connected to your soul, and the beings around you.

Ementha Papaguneray
Ementha Papaguneray is a children’s song made up of 2 lullabies Ementha which is the turtle song, and Papaguneray which is a song about sitting on the beach playing in the sand and being with your family

Ngerraberakernama (Wake Up)
Wake Up is about having no shame to stand out, how we are all shining stars on this earth with our own special talent.

Ngayuwa Ngelyeyiminama Nungua
This means I love you, it’s the most beautiful way to say I love you to a woman in my language, I break down in the middle in full language, I’m telling the person I love that I adore them, because they’re my heart’s desire.

Stomping Ground
This is more a political song, featuring yazza- b. I’m singing about how our culture is still here, and it’s still strong, yazza raps about the issues in communities and how they’re still effecting our people still to this day. There’s a lot of elements in this song.

Blue Moon Black Sea.
Everyone thinks this a love song, but it’s actually about finding yourself again, about facing your terrors, facing your fears and embracing the truth and reality of things. “When I saw she made you happy…” Meaning why don’t you make yourself happy instead of relying on others to do that.

Emily Wurramara is a young Aboriginal woman who has been writing songs since she was 6, singing in both English and Annandilyakwa, the traditional language of her home, Groote Eylandt. She is a prolific song-writer and multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, piano and ukulele.

emilywurramara.com.au