Iain Campbell Smith
Encyclopedia
Iain Campbell Smith is an Australian diplomat, singer/songwriter and comedian. He performs under the stage name Fred Smith in Australia and his full name in the United States.
in 1996 and worked in the Indonesia, South Asia, and Human Rights sections. Postings included the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby
and international peace monitoring missions in Papua New Guinea
and the Solomon Islands
. He served as a civilian peace monitor in Bougainville Province
between 1999 and 2003. He hosted a weekly program "Saredi Nait Pati" ("Saturday Night Party") on Radio Bougainville.
Smith speaks fluent Melanesian pidgin
, and regularly conducts lectures on the Bougainville peace process.
In July 2009 he was the first civilian to be posted to Uruzgan as part of the second Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. He served most of his 18 month tour of the province living and working on the Multinational Base in Tarin Kowt and at a Forward Operating Base in the Chora Valley.
under the stage name Fred Smith. He released his first album Soapbox in 1997. He has appeared at numerous Australian and international folk festivals.
While in Bougainville Province
, Smith talked extensively in pidgin
with the locals about the peace process and set some of their ideas to music. The songs, performed by Smith with local musicians, were compiled on a cassette
titled Songs of Peace and 20,000 copies were distributed around the province. The albums Bagarap Empires and Independence Park, and the documentary film Bougainville Sky are responses to his work with the peace monitoring mission.
Around 2002 Smith wrote a number of songs for a woman's voice. He began a search for the right woman, and began working with the singer and double bass player Liz Frencham, forming Frencham Smith.
He moved to Washington, D.C.
in 2006, touring the USA presenting his songs and guest lectures in peace studies. and returned to Australia in late 2007 with an album of songs from that time entitled "Texas".
While working in Uruzgan, he entertained the Dutch and Australian troops stationed there. On his return to Australia from Afghanistan he released an album entitled "Dust of Uruzgan", consisting of songs responding to the war in Afghanistan.
As Iain Campbell Smith
As Frencham Smith (with Liz Frencham)
With The Spooky Men's Chorale
Diplomatic career
Smith joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
in 1996 and worked in the Indonesia, South Asia, and Human Rights sections. Postings included the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
and international peace monitoring missions in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. He served as a civilian peace monitor in Bougainville Province
Bougainville Province
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, previously known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Bougainville Island , and the province also includes the island of Buka and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets...
between 1999 and 2003. He hosted a weekly program "Saredi Nait Pati" ("Saturday Night Party") on Radio Bougainville.
Smith speaks fluent Melanesian pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
, and regularly conducts lectures on the Bougainville peace process.
In July 2009 he was the first civilian to be posted to Uruzgan as part of the second Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. He served most of his 18 month tour of the province living and working on the Multinational Base in Tarin Kowt and at a Forward Operating Base in the Chora Valley.
Musical career
As a sideline, Smith began performing his own songs at pubs and clubs around CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
under the stage name Fred Smith. He released his first album Soapbox in 1997. He has appeared at numerous Australian and international folk festivals.
While in Bougainville Province
Bougainville Province
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, previously known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Bougainville Island , and the province also includes the island of Buka and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets...
, Smith talked extensively in pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
with the locals about the peace process and set some of their ideas to music. The songs, performed by Smith with local musicians, were compiled on a cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
titled Songs of Peace and 20,000 copies were distributed around the province. The albums Bagarap Empires and Independence Park, and the documentary film Bougainville Sky are responses to his work with the peace monitoring mission.
Around 2002 Smith wrote a number of songs for a woman's voice. He began a search for the right woman, and began working with the singer and double bass player Liz Frencham, forming Frencham Smith.
He moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2006, touring the USA presenting his songs and guest lectures in peace studies. and returned to Australia in late 2007 with an album of songs from that time entitled "Texas".
While working in Uruzgan, he entertained the Dutch and Australian troops stationed there. On his return to Australia from Afghanistan he released an album entitled "Dust of Uruzgan", consisting of songs responding to the war in Afghanistan.
Albums
As Fred Smith- Soapbox (1997)
- Songs of Peace (1999)
- Bagarap Empires (2001)
- Party Pieces (2002)
- Independence Park (2005)
- Texas (2007)
- Dust of Uruzgan (2010)
As Iain Campbell Smith
- Ballads and Barsongs (2006)
- Bagarap Empires (2005 reissue to coincide with the release of Bougainville Sky)
As Frencham Smith (with Liz Frencham)
- Into My Room (2003)
- lovethongs (2007)
With The Spooky Men's Chorale
The Spooky Men's Chorale
The Spooky Men's Chorale are a group of Australian male singers. Most reside in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, but some are from Western Australia. Their repertoire consists largely of songs either written or arranged by their director Stephen Taberner, on topics ranging from power...
- Urban Sea Shanties (2009)