THREE major Timor-Leste albums and a single were released last week is the country took Pacific music by storm.
The releases—IzuPi, Lolobremu, and Feto Nia Lian, Feto Nia Istoria (Her Voice, Her Story)—along with Jovie’s new single Pirilampu Nia Lalatak, are the final product of artists from across the region who worked together to make it happen.
The songs amplify the voices of Timorese women and men, sharing issues close to their hearts and topics of historical importance.
The three albums offer a unique angle on Timorese experiences. IzuPi serves as a sacred historical record of the occupation, carrying “the cries of mothers who lost their children” and the enduring spirit of survivors. Lolobremu, by artist Damiao Soares, combines traditional Timorese instruments with contemporary piano, drawing on his personal experience of surviving the 1999 Liquicá Church massacre. Meanwhile, Feto Nia Lian, Feto Nia Istoria is an 18-track compilation featuring 15 Timorese women, spanning dance tracks to ancestral chants and songs of resistance.
The Wantok Musik Foundation will organise the Ita Nia Lian, Ita Nia Istoria – Our Voices, Our Stories concert series. The events will be held at Fundacao Oriente in Dili on October 30, the Melbourne Recital Centre on November 20, and Riverside Live at PHIVE in Sydney on November 21. The concerts aim to showcase the next wave of Timorese music, featuring artists from the albums alongside acclaimed First Nations artist Candice Lorrae, Beatrice Lewis (Haiku Hands), and the legendary Dili Allstars with David Bridie. Timorese legend Ego Lemos, winner of Best Original Song for Balibo, will also join the Australian events.
It is a follow-on from Wantok Musik’s 2024 project, Hamoris Lian Timor: Reviving the Sounds of Timor, celebrating the close creative relationship that exists between Timor-Leste and Australia. The Foundation, an Australian not-for-profit, has worked for over two decades to bring to life unique stories and traditional sounds from across the Pacific.
The albums and single were made available on all streaming platforms from September 18.
