It's been eight years since Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung musician Troy Cassar-Daley first graced the music stage at Sydney's Yabun Festival on January 26.
"When I play at this festival, I feel like it's a heavy weight in one hand, but it's also a ray of light on the other," he said.
Before Yabun's inception, Troy remembers racing from Tamworth to Sydney to perform at Survival Day events.
"It was a celebration of survival, a celebration of people that stuck together through thick and thin and basically had to get on with life with all the adversity they faced," he said.
Growing up, it wasn't a day he celebrated and amid continued debate on the appropriate date for a national holiday, he said events like Yabun create a unique space to bring people together.
"What it meant to me by playing on this date, was a celebration of still being here, a celebration of still having a voice and to me, that's what Yabun is all about," he said.
"When I see people brought together in this beautiful park in Sydney it gives me hope that people can be unified. It gives me hope that people can see other people's opinions without getting angry."
From humble beginnings the festival, held at Victoria Park, has become one of Australia's largest one-day celebrations of Indigenous culture, attracting around 60,000 people last year, according to organisers.
Finding unity in music
Yabun means "music to a beat" in Gadigal, a clan of the Eora Nation on whose land the festival takes place on.
Every year, First Nations artists of various genres grace the stage.
Along with Cassar-Daley, this year's line-up includes Aboriginal rappers Baarka and JK-47, electronic music duo Electric Fields and singer songwriter Miss Kaninna.
After performing to hundreds of thousands on the Eurovision stage last year in Sweden, vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding from Electric Fields says performing at Yabun is something special.
"The energy of humour, humility and joy come together, it's a place to have just a good healthy dialogue with your mob and non-Indigenous brothers and sisters."
For the duo, music and storytelling have the power to transcend beyond political and differing views.
"[Music] is an art; it's got no race or gender; it's its own entity," said Fielding.
"When Z and I create music the last thing we're thinking about is what's different about us. When we create, we're connecting on what is harmonious and what we share," said second half of the duo, producer Michael Ross.
"Music is that great unifier."
For many First Nations people, the day can be associated with cultural loss and intergenerational trauma.
"To strengthen the light through music is one of the best things to do when spirits are grieving," Fielding said.
A 'big cultural picnic'
For those who haven't heard of Yabun before, organiser Miah Wright describes it as a 'beautiful big cultural picnic."
Aside from performances by Australia's biggest Blak artists, Yabun provides cultural workshops, panel discussions, Indigenous stalls and traditional dance performances to immerse attendees in First Nations culture.
"If you've got questions, or you've never seen a black fella before, this is the place to come to. We want to invite the rest of Australia to come and sit with us and learn from us," Ms Wright said.
"You don't get many opportunities to do that. Get off Google. Come down here and have a yarn with an auntie and uncle, come and be in it."
For Ms Wright the 'show piece' of Yabun is the corroboree ground that holds performances by dance groups from around the country.
"How beautiful to see songlines coming from all over the country and kids singing in language," she said.
For non-Indigenous people it can be a glimpse into First Nations culture they can also be proud of.
"I remember I got a beautiful email sent to me from a mum that watched her [non-Indigenous] son sit at the dance ground all day, he wanted to be in it, wanted to learn and got up and danced," Ms Wright reflected.
"He was just so proud to be here."
"It's not just Aboriginal kids. We've all got to share this story," she said.
Dance groups from around Australia performed at Yabun last year. (Supplied: Joseph Mayers)
Muggera Dancers based out of Yugambeh country, in southern Queensland. (Supplied: Joseph Mayers)
The Buuja Buuja Butterfly Dancers from Sydney. (Supplied: Joseph Mayers)
Yangkay Cultural Connect Dancers from Sydney. (Supplied: Joseph Mayers)
Fostering understanding and inclusivity
Around the country there is growing support for First Nations-led music and cultural events on January 26.
Share the Spirit, held at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, is one of the state's longest running First Nations festivals.
"Share the Spirit is an up-and-energetic kind of vibe. We celebrate culture. We celebrate being proud of our culture and sharing it with everybody," said event manager, Dylan Singh.
The event, like Yabun, also pays respect to the sombre meaning of the day and to those who have come before.
"It's a moment to reflect on the sacrifices that a lot of people have made, particularly our older generations, and it's a moment to celebrate and showcase our culture," he said.
Mr Singh said the festival has expanded over the years to include an online audience through collaborations with Indigenous community broadcasters to reach people in remote parts of Australia.
"We're getting numbers that boggle our minds in terms of the amount of people that keep coming up year after year.
"Last year we broadcasted with IndigiTube and reached over 300,000 people Australia wide," he said.
For Mr Singh, events like Share the Spirit are an inclusive way for people to spend the day.
"I think that festivals like this are a great opportunity for people to come and show their support, but they don't necessarily have to share the same political views," he said.
It's a sentiment that Troy Cassar-Daley echoes and encourages Australians to take part in this Sunday.
"The only way out of this Australia Day debate is to treat everyone like family and stop letting politics divide us," he said.
"If there are people that are sitting around [on January 26] not knowing what to do because they're confused, or they might have bought into the negative nature, come along to Yabun.
"You belong there. It's positive and everyone is welcome."
