IT’S A REFRESHING 17ºC on a dry-season evening. Barunga, an Aboriginal community 65km east of Katherine in Jawoyn country, is punctuated by campfires, crowds and an incredibly festive ambience. Cradled in bushland by the local swimming hole, a modest stage is blanketed with lights as an audience awaits tonight’s show.

From the darkness a voice sings a cappella “Lu hi ya” and a spotlight illuminates children dressed in sparkling traditional Taiwanese costume. “Lu hi ya,” the voice sings again, leading the troupe through the crowd to the stage. “Lu hi ya,” they sing in unison, creating a hefty beat with their feet. A guitar and shaker accompany the musical climax before it suddenly halts. Applause erupts. Then the band B2M from Wurrumiyanga, on Bathurst Island, off the Darwin coast, joins the choir on stage.

“Fuli, the town the choir is from in regional Taiwan, is very similar to the