Banula (David) Marika is an Aboriginal Australian dancer, actor, singer and performer from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. The son of Roy Marika, he is a member of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people, and is known for his performances with the Bangarra Dance Theatre since the 1990s.[1]
Banula Marika | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | David Marika |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, musician, actor |
| Known for | Work with Bangarra Dance Theatre and Yothu Yindi Environmental conservation |
| Children | Milika |
| Father | Roy Marika |
He is credited as David Manula Barika for his role as didgeridu player in Jindalee Lady (1992),[2][3] and as Banula (David) Marika for his first role as an actor in the film Bedevil (1993),[4]
His stage performances with Bangarra include Up Until Now (1991), Praying Mantis Dreaming (1992-3) and Bloodland (2011-2).[5] He also served as cultural consultant on Bangarra's 2020 television production of Ochres.[6]
He has performed as both vocalist and dancer and toured extensively with the band Yothu Yindi, including on their famous song "Treaty".[1] He performed vocals on their third album, Freedom (1993).[7] He also performed with them in a joint project with East Journey, called Genesis, in 2015,[8] which included a performance at the National Indigenous Music Awards 2015.[9]
He has collaborated with founder of the Australian Dance Theatre, choreographer Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, in a work entitled Morning Star (2012–3). Marika is custodian of the Morning Star (Barnumbirr) story,[10] and served as cultural consultant on the work. The Mirramu Dance Company performed Morning Star in March 2013 at the James O. Fairfax Theatre, National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.[11]
As of 2021[update], Marika is on the board of the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation (since at least 2018[12]), along with artist and law man Mawalan 2 Marika,[13] and has also been a Dhimurru Indigenous ranger since 2002.[1][14] In this role and as a traditional owner, he has contributed to papers on cross-cultural consultancy[15] and environmental conservation measures.[16]
His son, Milika, is also a dancer, primarily in the hip hop style, and has featured in a TV series shown on NITV.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Banula Marika". Bangarra Knowledge Ground. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "Jindalee Lady". Ozmovies. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Jindalee Lady at IMDb
- ^ "Bedevil: When the unexplained happens [Press kit]" (PDF). Ronin Films. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
For the role of Stompie... Moffatt turned to the Bangarra Dance Theatre in Redfern, casting Banula Marika, a member of the famous Marika family of Arnhem Land... Banula had never acted before, but he had a quality of stillness which was exactly right.
- ^ "Banula Marika". AusStage. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ 2020 Annual Report (PDF) (Report). Bangarra Dance Theatre. 2020. p. 27.
- ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Yothu Yindi'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
- ^ "The Genesis Project (DD)". Apple Music. February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ James, Felicity (24 July 2015). "PJ White from East Journey and Banula Marika from Yothu Yindi" (Photo). ABC News. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
PJ White from East Journey and Banula Marika from Yothu Yindi rehearsing before National Indigenous Music Awards 2015.
- ^ Kingma, Jennifer (10 March 2012). "A passion for dance". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Potter, Michelle (21 March 2013). "Morning Star. Mirramu Dance Company". Michelle Potter... On Dancing. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ 2018-19 Annual Report (PDF) (Report). Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation. 2019. p. 6.
- ^ "Board of Directors". Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "What is the source of all this rubbish?". GhostNets Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Hoffmann, Benjamin D.; Roeger, Steve; Wise, Phil; Dermer, Jane; Yunupingu, BaluPalu; Lacey, Daryl; Yunupingu, Djäwa; Marika, Banula; Marika, Mandaka; Panton, Bill (2012). "Achieving highly successful multiple agency collaborations in a cross-cultural environment: experiences and lessons from Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and partners". Ecological Management & Restoration. 13 (1). Wiley: 42–50. doi:10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00630.x. ISSN 1442-7001.
- ^ Braby, Michael F. (2007). National Recovery Plan for the Gove Crow Butterfly, Euploea alcathoe enastri (PDF) (Report). Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts, Northern Territory. p. 10.
- ^ "Arnhem Land shoot for dance show". Deadly Vibe. 10 January 2014.
External links
edit- "Banula Marika". AusStage.
- Lockwood, Elise. "Tracey Moffatt as Ruby and Bandula Marika as Stompie in 'Choo Choo Choo Choo'" (Photo). Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits.