By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
The call of home rings loudly for East Timorese-born Gil Santos.
On Saturday, his band Mystic Trio will play alongside touring Timor-Leste singers as part of a ‘Dili Dance’ night in Noble Park.
Headlining the night are legendary singer Ego Lemos and his newly created choir Koro Loriko.
The choir’s tenderly delivered signature tune Mai Fali Eh (translated to ‘Mother calls you back home’) doesn’t fail to move Santos and his compatriots.
To Santos – who lives in Dandenong – it’s like a call to go back and help rebuild the nation, which still suffers poverty and divisions since the Indonesian occupation.
Lemos formed Koro Loriko from singers across Timor-Leste in an effort to unify its western and eastern regions divided by a past Indonesian occupation.
The 15-singer choir is sponsored by The Boite as it tours the state this month with Lemos and Mystic Trio.
Santos grew up in East Timor during the occupation. During that time, he saw “terrible things that stay with you forever” – constant violence, killings and disappearances.
Since the occupation, troubles remain.
There’s a general poverty, a lack of resources for basic schooling and health and 90 per cent of people live under subsistence farming.
Santos believes music has a role in healing the nation, led by the legendary Lemos.
Lemos has also tried to introduce permaculture ideas to reduce the island’s reliance on imported food such as rice.
“He’s not only a musician but someone who’s worked in the community and makes the best out of a bad situation,” Santos said.
Santos is struck by the easygoing nature of people when he visits his homeland.
Dili Dance is at Noble Park Community Centre, Memorial Drive at 7pm on Saturday.
Details: boite.com.au or 94171983.
