Morning Grass acknowledges the traditional owners of my region, known as Poltong and Wiramulla, the Ramindjeri/Ngarrindjeri and pay respects to all First Nations people, their ancestors and leaders past present and emerging, who live in the region. Based on the Encounter Coast 100kms south of Adelaide in South Australia, Morning Grass is Creative Producer and Artist Khairunnisa Schebella, better k
nown as Nisa. With a solid local grounding of Hahndorf settler ancestory, Nisa also has strong connections into South East Asia and Europe particularly France, speaks 3 languages and understands cultural diversity through her Islamic and multicultural backgrounds. The name Morning Grass comes from a special musical collaboration with the late Ugandan National treasure, singer/songwriter Geoffrey Oryema which came to pass in 1995. “We met at Womadelaide 1995 and struck up a friendship due to our mutual strong human rights values. This friendship led to us writing the song At My Window together for 1996 album Night to Night”.
“Geoffrey also penned the song On This Night to me and whilst in the studio in Brussels I sang some phantom vocals onto the demo track in the absence of the unwritten lyric of the bridge. When the finished CD arrived in the post the following year my voice had been replaced with these lyrics. ‘and I’d like to fly.. the name of my new creative venture was born”.
“Now, more than 20 years later sadly Geoffrey has very recently passed from bone cancer. A massive influence and inspiration Geoffrey’s impact on my life and arts practice has never ceased. His voice, poetry, words and music will live on in my ears and heart."
