Mignon Mukti

· Born Cape Town South Africa
· 19 April 1959
· Began singing and songwriting at 9 years old

‘Mignon is a South African born musical activist. Having lived and performed in many countries her songs carry the threads and voices of universal experience and human rights struggles. Her music is a cross between world music and folk with strains of the South African township rhythms she grew up with.


Performances a brief version

2007 Performer and sound operator Spiritfest 2007 Sydney Australia
Performer and sound Women and Depression Conference Sydney Australia
Reclaim the Night Wollongong Australia
Winterfest Ballina

2006 Performer Spiritfest 2006 Sydney Australia
International Women’s Day Rally with Anemone Wollongong Australia
Illawarra Folk Club with Anemone Wollongong Australia
Bobo’s dance a fundraising concert for Cancer Wollongong Australia

2005 Sydney Spiritual Festival Sydney Australia
International Women’s Day Wollongong Australia

2004 Rally against Racism Wollongong
Sydney Spiritual Festival Sydney
Viva La Gong Multicultural Festival Wollongong Australia
Recorded track on Wires Wildlife Rescue compilation CD

2003 Reclaim the Night Sydney
IWD Wollongong
Sydney Spiritual Festival Sydney

2002 Sistajive Women’s music Festival producer and performer South Coast NSW
2000 Sistajive Womens music festival Producer and performer South Coast NSW
Makers Market Wollongong Australia
Alpine Hotel Cooma Australia
IWD Wollongong
Recorded track on Sistajive Festival Compilation

1999 Concert for East Timor Wollongong
The Rex Hotel Thirroul
Club NV Sydney Sydney
IWD Wollongong
Wentworth Falls School of Arts Blue Mountains
Headlands Hotel Austinmer Australia
1998 Illawarra Folk Club Wollongong
May day Rally Wollongong
Reclaim the Night Sydney
Clarendon Hotel Support act for Kristina Olsen Katoomba
Rubies Café Bulli
The Basement support act for Judy Small Sydney
Horizons Café Bulli
Barleycorn Folk Club Cape Town South Africa
Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre Reiby
ANTAR Sea of Hands for Indigenous Rights Canberra
1997 The Southcoast Women’s music and Arts Festival producer and performer South Coast NSW Australia
Rally Against Racism Sydney
1996 Recorded track on Northern Suburbs music association compilation CD Illawarra Folk Festival Jamberoo
International Women’s day Rally Wollongong
Rubies Café Bulli
Mardi Gras Fairday Sydney Australia

1995 West Coast Music and Comedy Festival Yosemite CA USA
Arthouse Café Madison WI USA
Arizona Women’s Music Festival Arizona USA
Common Ground Café Phoenix AZ USA
Steep and Brew Madison WI USA
Clifton Hotel Clifton Australia
Berry Hotel Berry Australia
Resistance Concert and Rally Sydney Australia
1994 –1990
Hard Rock Café Cape Town South Africa
Moonlight Grill Cape Town
Artemis Café San Francisco USA
Joined original band Fragile Cape Town South Africa

1985 –1990
The Rosemary Branch London UK
The Duke of Wellington London UK
Anti Apartheid Rally London UK
The Trolley Stop launch of solo cassette “ Fists to the Sun” London UK

1982 -1985
Performances in pubs and political rallies in the United Kingdom and South Africa

A separate Resume is available for festival and concert production work, sound engineering and community cultural development.
- Mignon

Mignon is an independent singer songwriter and activist. With a career as performer and festival producer spanning over 4 continents Gathering Our Tribes is her first CD.
In South Africa Mignon helped coordinate and performed at the first LGBT Gay Pride march, the first women’s concert and the first “Reclaim the night” rally at a time when rallies were illegal. In England she organized antiracism concerts. In Australia she produced the only annual multicultural women’s music festival called “Sistajive” between 1996 and 2001.
Mignon has gathered a following with her stirring anthems and catchy rhythms in various parts of the world and performed at festivals in Hawaii, Michigan, Cape Town and Australia. Mignon organizes multicultural festivals and events in Sydney and Wollongong Australia, where she now lives.
Her powerful songs of social change journey smoothly through both cultural and musical genres invoking a human realness in their tone and story. From the South African township rhythms she grew up with to women’s music, folk, pop and spiritual chants, Gathering Our Tribes is a unique contribution to Australian music.
- Gathering Our Tribes

THE father of Thirroul musician Mignon Lee-Warden was one of 150 people to be charged with treason along with Nelson Mandela in 1950.
While all were acquitted following a six-year trial, Leonard Lee-Warden, a member of the South African parliament, remained a human rights activist during dangerous times.
It's hardly surprising then that his daughter should follow in his footsteps and tomorrow night Ms Lee-Warden will launch her first CD, Gathering Our Tribes, which brings together half a lifetime of musical activism and songs.
"Growing up in apartheid South Africa, where I would catch the bus home from school and the bus would say, 'Whites Only' or 'Non Whites Only', was a horrible way to live," Ms Lee-Warden said. "So I have always been passionate about human rights and equality and that has been in my music, and all the things I try to do in my life has probably got that drive behind it."
Ms Lee-Warden moved to the Illawarra 11 years ago and is well known in the community for her work as an arts officer with the Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council. In that role, Ms Lee-Warden was responsible for establishing the annual Wollongong Welcome Here festival for refugees.
She wrote her first song at age five, but it's taken a while to get to the recording studio.
"This is the first actual CD I have brought out, but it is after years of playing at political rallies and concerts," Ms Lee-Warden said.
"I turn 50 next year, so I thought it was about time I finally did it."
Gathering Our Tribes will be launched tomorrow night at Ryan's Hotel, Thirroul, from 8pm.
- By JODIE MINUS Illawarra Mercury

Thoughtful and often moving, Gathering Our Tribes is an important addition to our worldwide political and spiritual women's music collection. It is everything a feminist, activist, and lesbian could ask for and a whole lot more. Mignon's voice soars through her pop/folk melodies and self penned tracks. The sensitive lyrics are strong and clear and her urging for social change is deeply sincere. "Refugee" and "Global Grieving" remind us of the necessity for grassroots action, while "Edna's Song" is a beautiful ode to Mignon's mother and the journey we all take when we grieve a loved one. My favourite song "Gathering Our Tribes" will continue as a theme for communities who share a vision and love of their tribe. The whole package - the relevant perspectives, the stunning harmonies and the cover photos provide an integrated picture of Mignons life and passions. Join the sisterhood. Go buy it today. - Georgina Abraham

Mignons CD ‘Gathering Our Tribes’ has been a long time coming but it has been worth the wait. Mignon Lee-Warden came to the Illawarra from her native South Africa almost 20 years ago and has immersed herself in the cultural life of the Illawarra. She has been the organizer of a number of festivals, the latest being the highly successful ‘Viva la Gong’ and the Illawarra Refugee Festival. As well she has been the organizer of the Global Green stage at the Illawarra Folk Festival the largest in NSW, which is conducted annually by the Illawarra Folk Club.

She has also performed a number of times at the Folk Club both as a solo performer and with her group Anemone.

Given that her father was one of 150 people to be charged with treason along with Nelson Mandela in 1950 it is not surprising that her songs are a strong cry for justice, fairness and social cohesion.

Her powerful and rich voice is accentuated by underlying rhythms and harmonies that clearly have grown out of the musical traditions of her native South Africa. Mignon leaves the listener in no doubt where she stands on issues. ‘Refugee’ for example is not only an indictment of our treatment of boat people but also ‘the man with the golden ring’, the people smuggler. ‘What kind of world do we live in when we’re forced to flee our own homes’, she asks.

In ‘Global Grieving’ she takes on the issue of the amount that is spent on circuses particularly the fireworks at the Sydney Millennium celebrations. The cost of the fireworks could have fed the whole of Africa for a day. ‘Edna’s Song’ a moving song about what is often the longest relationship in one’s life- that with one’s mother is one of the highlights of the album.

The title track ‘Gathering Our Tribes’ redefines the way we think about tribal loyalties. Tribes, to Mignon, have no national or local boundaries but are about the way we think, the songs we sing and the way we react to injustice. As an old activist myself I found the lines ‘I tried to save the world and lost the flame inside of me’ in ‘You Reach Out’ particularly relevant, though I suspect the song is more about love than aging activists.

‘The Swing to the Right’ was written for a 1999 anti-racism rally but still maintains its relevance while ‘100 years IWD’ celebrates the centenary of International Women’s Day. The final track ‘Zenai Kiirtan’ is the only track not in English but possesses some of the best harmonies on the CD.

All in all ‘Gathering Our Tribes’ is an important addition to the folk musical lexicon. If the role of the folk singer is to ‘chronicle our times’ then Mignon’s first recording does just that. A CD worth adding to any collection.

Russell Hannah

President
Illawarra Folk Club


- Illwarra Folk Club