Krista Pav is a unique package. She has a raw, captivating, blues and soul voice, often compared to the likes of Janis Joplin. She is one of Australia’s most refreshing and important contemporary Indigenous songwriters, exploring her cultural roots through the reclamation of her Indigenous language, Wangaaypuwan, which is a dialect of Ngiyampaa.  She is a powerful musical cocktail, which grabs the attention of listeners, offering a laid back and effortless stage presence, drawing audiences into a refreshing and personal journey through her infections music, catapulting them onto the journey of self-discovery and reclamation with her.

Resilience has always been a part of Krista Pav’s makeup. Growing up in Ceduna and Port Lincoln South Australia, at the young age of 17, she went on tour, busking her way around Australia. After increasing her repertoire she began playing in many venues and festivals in South Australia, including the Eclipse, Fringe and Spirit Festivals.  Krista has also played in venues on the north coast of NSW and throughout Europe and the UK.

Probably biting off more than she can chew at the moment, Krista is buzzing with anticipation and inspiration on a level she has not felt as an artist for a long time.  Upon the release of her new EP Free Spirit, she has set the bar high for herself as a performer and songwriter at age thirty.

For Krista, the writing of the music for Free Spirit was a life changing experience. For the first time in her recording history, The EP features two songs which incorporate  traditional language, including the title track Free Spirit and Amazing Grace, with the remaining two tracks showcasing Krista’s strong blues ‘n’ roots foundations. Krista was the recipient of a performing arts residency through the Blacktown Arts Centre in 2012, which funded a series of research and traditional language development workshops led by her Linguist Aunty, Lesley Woods, who mentored Krista in the translations of their Wangaaypuwan language. Wangaaypuwan is a dialect of Ngiyampaa whose traditional location is the dry riverless country in the far west of NSW.

Krista has always been interested in language especially indigenous Languages. As a young girl she picked up words and sentences from different dialects of the west coast of South Australia with her friends and their families.  But it wasn’t until she heard recordings of her elders singing in their traditional language in 2006, that Krista’s transformation as an artist and journey into language reclamation, in her contemporary song writing, truly began. “I had to walk out of the room to recollect myself as it was so overwhelming. It instilled in me such a powerful sense of ownership of my identity, cultural strength and pride,” says Pav.

Free Spirit, the first single from the EP, has been written about connection with the elements, land and country. Part English/part Wangaaypuwan, the words that have the most meaning to Krista are the Indigenous meanings. Translations include “I want to dance with the red earth beneath my bare feet”. This symbolises ceremony and “Flying like a bird in the Sky” symbolises higher spiritual awareness and connection to the land.

Amazing Grace, is the only song entirely translated in Wangaaypuwan, a collaboration with her Aunty Lesley Woods. This song reflects her Aunties experience of dispossession and her journey to reconnect to her people, land and language.  “We chose the Amazing Grace melody as being reunited with family, language and country; symbolises our Amazing Grace,” says Pav. Excerpts of the translations include “I was all alone without my Mob, I was looking for my people, and then I found them. We were really happy to be together,” says Pav.

Krista and her band  headlined the Spirit Festival in South Australia, February 17, alongside Jessica Mauboy, Troy Cassar-Daley and others. Launched  Her new EP FREE SPIRIT at the event.