Melbourne-based musician Voice of Lele blends soul, rhythm and resistance in her work, but her journey began long before she reached the stage.

Before she was Voice of Lele, she was a child born in exile. Today, Lele lives in Melbourne, raising her family and using music to preserve her culture and speak up for her people.

This Refugee Week, she’s reflecting on what those stories mean.

“(Refugee Week) is a good time of the year, where everyone can, especially refugees, see how much support and love there is for them,” Lele said.

“You only hope that it means that with a platform or a spotlight, we can share our story with other refugees, build connections, build relationships.”

Her family’s journey to safety began in 1979 and was fraught with danger. Lele’s father, Agustinus Rumwaropen, the renowned lead singer of The Black Brothers, a West Papuan band known for its songs of resistance, had become a target of the Indonesian government.

Using a tour of Papua New Guinea as cover, the group escaped across the border and eventually sought asylum in the Netherlands, where Lele was born. The family later relocated to Vanuatu before finally being granted asylum in Australia in 1988.

She was seven years old when she arrived down under, facing a world completely different from anything she had known.

“It was a complete culture shock when we moved here,” she said.

“My first impression was like, ‘What is this?’

“Like, I've just stepped into a movie.”

Moving to Canberra, with English as her fourth or fifth language, she quickly learned to adapt, but not without difficulty.

“Living in Canberra, I experienced a lot of racism,” she said.

“We were kind of like the first visibly Black kids.

“You go into your local supermarket, and you don’t see many people that look like you.

“So you always kind of felt out of place.

“I don’t think I ever felt like properly settled until maybe a few years ago, when I’ve gone through a lot of self-reflection and really came face to face with what … I went through as a child.”

As an artist, Lele channels her story into her music.

“My identity and my culture were all shaped creatively — I was born into music,” Lele said.

“Music has definitely been a tool in me being able to talk about my story and the struggle of my people in West Papua.”

Currently working on a new single — one that honours her late father, Lele sees her voice as a way to uplift others, especially women who’ve experienced displacement, whom she meets when touring.

“Your past experiences don’t determine where you’re going,” Lele said.

“You can do anything (and) can achieve anything.”

To newly arrived refugees, Lele’s message is clear.

“Feel free to keep your culture alive, especially in your own household,” she said.

“You don’t need to forsake your culture to assimilate.”

• Voice of Lele is appearing at Shepparton Library on Thursday, June 19 at 6.30pm. Tickets are free and can be booked at tinyurl.com/ydrwvb6j

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