Rebel Heart: Mo’Ju on culture, community and belonging

Multidisciplinary artist Mo’Ju is most widely known for their work as a musician, songwriter and recording artist. Some of their most celebrated work has centred around highly personal songs exploring family history and identity – an important topic for Mo’Ju, who is both Wiradyuri and Filipino and identifies as a third gender, third-culture kid.

‘I have always connected very closely with the Filipino community. Until recently, and particularly where I grew up, this was quite a small community. We all have different stories of how we ended up here, and I believe sharing those stories helps to create a sense of belonging. I think that’s why identity is so important to people, because it helps you feel connected with those who have shared experiences. And when that experience is one that has been marginalised, it can help you feel less alone.’

Mo’Ju leans into their cultural heritage on the song ‘Agapito’, which was commissioned, written and recorded for the Library’s exhibition Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations. ‘Agapito’ is a musical response to a letter in the exhibition on loan from Museums Victoria. The letter was written by Aileen Castillo [née McColl] on 8 March 1950 to the then Minister for Immigration, Harold Holt, requesting that her husband Agapito Castillo, a Filipino seaman, be granted permission to re-enter Australia after being forced to leave.

Aileen and Agapito married in Melbourne in 1945, during the time of the White Australia policy – a time when non-European citizens were classified as ‘aliens’ under the federal government’s policies. Due to their mixed-race marriage, Aileen was subjected to regular police checks and ultimately lost her Australian citizenship. Agapito had to leave the country in 1948, nine months after the birth of their second child. He began working on an overseas oil tanker and continued to work at sea for many years.

‘There were a lot of different stories [in the exhibition] that resonated with me, but I chose this one because there were certain things in the Castillos’ story that spoke to my own family’s experiences and histories.’

Mo’Ju was inspired by Aileen’s determination: ‘You don’t fight for something that hard if you don’t care, so underneath [the bureaucratic letter] there’s a lot of passion, a lot of big feelings.’

‘There’s something about the way that she was able to be so clear and so direct and really argued for her case in a way that is quite compelling. She was all business and she meant business.’

In Rebel Heart, we become familiar with Aileen’s voice and perspective, so it was important to Mo’Ju that Agapito’s background and heritage was brought to life through music.

‘The sounds that I’m drawing on are inspired by Filipino folk music, which, if you are unfamiliar, may be reminiscent of a lot of Latin American folk music. This, of course, is due to the Spanish colonial influence.’

The Spanish guitar features prominently – a constant gentle strumming serving as a soothing backdrop against Mo’Ju’s melodic voice and simple lyrics. ‘Agapito, mahal kita… [Agapito, I love you…]’, Mo’Ju sings. ‘There are no borders here, only a teardrop in the sea between you and me.’

Aileen persevered and continued to campaign for reunification with Agapito for many years, until Agapito finally received Australian citizenship in 1958. They went on to have 4 more children.

Mo’Ju, who is researching the Filipino concept of ‘kapwa’ – a Filipino philosophy of shared identity and unity between one’s self and others – as part of a State Library Victoria Fellowship, thinks this concept would have buoyed Aileen and Agapito through their experience of being separated.

‘There isn’t an exact translation for the word. I think it’s really beautiful and it speaks a lot to the Filipino identity … One of the best ways I've seen it explained is that, say, for example, you crack a whole bunch of eggs into a pan, right? And the yolk, that's the individual. But the whites, they all kind of touch and they become one and that’s the collective. That’s “kapwa”. So, again it comes back that idea of community, and our shared experience. It’s not an individualistic culture. You are not alone – in your struggles or your triumphs.’

Photo: Jim Arneman
Story: Nadiah Abdulrahim

Listen to ‘Agapito’ in Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations, which is on until 27 January 2027 at State Library Victoria.

‘Agapito’ credits
Performed by Mo’Ju
Produced, engineered and mixed by Henry Jenkins
Mastered by Max Dowling