Indigenous Australian music
Encyclopedia
Australian indigenous music includes the music of Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders
, who are collectively called Indigenous Australians
; it incorporates a variety of distinctive traditional music
styles practiced by Indigenous Australian peoples, as well as a range of contemporary musical styles of and fusion
with European traditions as interpreted and performed by indigenous Australian artists. Music has formed an integral part of the social
, cultural
and ceremonial observances of these peoples, down through the millennia of their individual and collective histories to the present day. The traditional forms include many aspects of performance and musical instrument
ation which are unique to particular regions or Indigenous Australian groups; there are equally elements of musical tradition which are common or widespread through much of the Australia
n continent, and even beyond. The culture of the Torres Strait Islanders is related to that of adjacent parts of New Guinea
and so their music is also related. Music is a vital part of Indigenous Australians' cultural maintenance.
In addition to these indigenous
traditions and musical heritage, ever since the 18th century European colonisation of Australia began indigenous Australian musicians and performers have adopted and interpreted many of the imported Western musical styles, often informed by and in combination with traditional instruments and sensibilities. Similarly, non-indigenous artists and performers have adapted, used and sampled indigenous Australian styles and instruments in their works. Contemporary musical styles such as rock and roll
, country
, rap
and reggae
have all featured a variety of notable Indigenous Australian performers.
is a type of musical instrument
that, according to western musicological classification, falls into the category of aerophone. It is one of the oldest instruments to date. It consists of a long tube, without finger holes, through which the player blows. It is sometimes fitted with a mouthpiece of beeswax. Didgeridoos are traditionally made of eucalyptus
, but temporary materials such as PVC piping are used. In traditional situations it is played only by men, usually as an accompaniment to ceremonial or recreational singing, or, much more rarely, as a solo instrument. Skilled players use the technique of circular breathing to achieve a continuous sound, and also employ techniques for inducing multiple harmonic resonances. Although traditionally the instrument was not widespread around the country - it was only used by Aboriginal groups in the most northerly areas - today it is commonly considered the national instrument of the Australian Aborigines and is world renowned as a unique and iconic instrument. Famous players include Djalu Gurruwiwi
, Mark Atkins, William Barton
, David Hudson and Joe Geia
, as well as white virtuoso Charlie McMahon
.
is a type of musical instrument
that, according to western musicological classification, falls into the category of percussion. Unlike drumsticks, which are generally used to strike a drum, clapsticks are intended for striking one stick on another.
), fjatpangarri (Yirrkala), manikay (Arnhem Land
) or other native terms. Songs are about clan or family history and are frequently updated to take into account popular films and music, controversies and social relationships.
Songlines ("Yiri" in the Walpiri language) relate to Dreamtime, with oral lore and storytelling
manifested in an intricate series of song cycles that identified landmarks and other items and tracking (hunting)
mechanisms for navigation. These songs often described how the features of the land were created and named during the Dreamtime
. By singing the songs in the appropriate order, indigenous Australians could navigate vast distances often traveling through the deserts of Australia's interior. They relate the holder or the keeper of the song (or Dreamtime
story) with an inherent obligation and reciprocity with the land.
and among the Torres Strait Islanders
.
. A man named Rover Thomas
claims to have discovered the ceremony in 1974
after a woman to whom he was spiritually related was killed after a car accident near Warmun. Thomas claimed to have been visited by her spirit and received the ceremony from her. In addition to the music, Thomas and others, including Hector Jandany
and Queenie McKenzie
, developed a critically acclaimed style of painting
in sync with the development of the ceremony.
, Mann and Rose River
s, distinguished by a didgeridoo introduction followed by the percussion and vocals, which often conclude words (in contrast to many other syllabic styles of Aboriginal singing).
and is distinguished by an extremely high note to commence the song, accompanied by rhythmic percussion and followed by a sudden shift to a low tone.
(pop), Yothu Yindi
(Australian aboriginal rock
), Troy Cassar-Daley
(country
) and NoKTuRNL
(rap metal
), the Warumpi Band
(alternative or world music) Indigenous music has also had broad exposure through the world music
movement and in particular WOMADelaide
. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
(formerly of Yothu Yindi) has attained international success singing contemporary music in English and in the language of the Yolngu
.
Torres Strait Islander musicians include Christine Anu
(pop) and Seaman Dan
.
Contemporary Indigenous music continues the earlier traditions and also represents a fusion with contemporary mainstream styles of music, such as rock
and country music
. The Deadlys
provide an illustration of this with rock, country, pop
being found among the styles played. Common traditional instrumentation used are the didjeridu and clapsticks being used to give a different feel to the music.
Country music has been particularly popular among the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Dougie Young
and Jimmy Little were pioneers and Troy Cassar-Daley
is among Australia's successful contemporary Indigenous performers. Aboriginal artists Kev Carmody
and Archie Roach
employ a combination of folk-rock and country music to sing about Aboriginal rights issues. The song type falls under the catergory of barnt. The documentary, book and soundtrack Buried Country
showcases significant Indigenous musicians from the 1940s to the 1990s.
The movie Wrong Side of the Road
and soundtrack
(1981) gave broad exposure to the bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address
and highlighted Indigenous disadvantage in urban Australia.
There are a number of Aboriginal exponents of Australian
hip hop music
.
Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
, who are collectively called Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
; it incorporates a variety of distinctive traditional music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
styles practiced by Indigenous Australian peoples, as well as a range of contemporary musical styles of and fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
with European traditions as interpreted and performed by indigenous Australian artists. Music has formed an integral part of the social
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and ceremonial observances of these peoples, down through the millennia of their individual and collective histories to the present day. The traditional forms include many aspects of performance and musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
ation which are unique to particular regions or Indigenous Australian groups; there are equally elements of musical tradition which are common or widespread through much of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n continent, and even beyond. The culture of the Torres Strait Islanders is related to that of adjacent parts of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and so their music is also related. Music is a vital part of Indigenous Australians' cultural maintenance.
In addition to these indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
traditions and musical heritage, ever since the 18th century European colonisation of Australia began indigenous Australian musicians and performers have adopted and interpreted many of the imported Western musical styles, often informed by and in combination with traditional instruments and sensibilities. Similarly, non-indigenous artists and performers have adapted, used and sampled indigenous Australian styles and instruments in their works. Contemporary musical styles such as rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
have all featured a variety of notable Indigenous Australian performers.
Didgeridoo
A didgeridooDidgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
is a type of musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
that, according to western musicological classification, falls into the category of aerophone. It is one of the oldest instruments to date. It consists of a long tube, without finger holes, through which the player blows. It is sometimes fitted with a mouthpiece of beeswax. Didgeridoos are traditionally made of eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, but temporary materials such as PVC piping are used. In traditional situations it is played only by men, usually as an accompaniment to ceremonial or recreational singing, or, much more rarely, as a solo instrument. Skilled players use the technique of circular breathing to achieve a continuous sound, and also employ techniques for inducing multiple harmonic resonances. Although traditionally the instrument was not widespread around the country - it was only used by Aboriginal groups in the most northerly areas - today it is commonly considered the national instrument of the Australian Aborigines and is world renowned as a unique and iconic instrument. Famous players include Djalu Gurruwiwi
Djalu Gurruwiwi
Djalu Gurruwiwi Djalu Gurruwiwi Djalu Gurruwiwi (first name also spelled Djalu; born at Milingimbi Mission on Wirriku Island, one of the smaller islands in the Wessel Islands group, Northern Territory, Australia, in the early 1930s (before World War II) is a senior member of the Galpu clan, of the...
, Mark Atkins, William Barton
William Barton (musician)
William Barton is an Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo player. He was born in Mount Isa, Queensland on 4 June 1981. and learned to play from his uncle, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga tribes of Western Queensland...
, David Hudson and Joe Geia
Joe Geia
Joe Geia is an Australian musician of Murri Aboriginal heritage from North Queensland. He is best known as the composer of the song "Yil Lull", which has been recorded by many other artists including Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Jimmy Barnes, and most recently by the Singers for the Red, Black and...
, as well as white virtuoso Charlie McMahon
Charlie McMahon
Charlie McMahon is an Australian didgeridoo player. The founder of the group Gondwanaland, McMahon was one of the first non-Aboriginal musicians to gain fame as a professional player of the instrument.He is also the inventor of the didjeribone, a sliding didgeridoo made from two lengths of...
.
Clapsticks
A clapstickClapstick
Clapsticks or clappers are a type of drumstick or percussion mallet that are used to serve the purpose of maintaining rhythm. Unlike drumsticks, which are generally used to strike a drum, clapsticks are intended for striking one stick on another....
is a type of musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
that, according to western musicological classification, falls into the category of percussion. Unlike drumsticks, which are generally used to strike a drum, clapsticks are intended for striking one stick on another.
Bunggul
Bunggul is a style of music that came into being around the Mann River and is known for its intense lyrics, which are often stories of epic journeys and continue, or repeat, unaccompanied after the music has stopped.Clan songs and songlines
A particular clan in Aboriginal culture may share songs, known as emeba (Groote EylandtGroote Eylandt
Groote Eylandt is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northeastern Australia. It is the homeland of, and is owned by, the Anindilyakwa people who speak the isolated Anindilyakwa language)....
), fjatpangarri (Yirrkala), manikay (Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
) or other native terms. Songs are about clan or family history and are frequently updated to take into account popular films and music, controversies and social relationships.
Songlines ("Yiri" in the Walpiri language) relate to Dreamtime, with oral lore and storytelling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
manifested in an intricate series of song cycles that identified landmarks and other items and tracking (hunting)
Tracking (hunting)
Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked...
mechanisms for navigation. These songs often described how the features of the land were created and named during the Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
. By singing the songs in the appropriate order, indigenous Australians could navigate vast distances often traveling through the deserts of Australia's interior. They relate the holder or the keeper of the song (or Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
story) with an inherent obligation and reciprocity with the land.
Death Wail
A mourning lament recorded in a number of locations in central and northern AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and among the Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
.
Krill Krill
The Krill Krill song cycle is a music innovation from east KimberleyKimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
. A man named Rover Thomas
Rover Thomas
Rover Thomas Joolama was an Indigenous Australian artist.-Early life:He was born at Gunawaggi in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. At the age of 10 Rover and his family moved to the Kimberley where, as was usual at the time, he began work as a stockman...
claims to have discovered the ceremony in 1974
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
after a woman to whom he was spiritually related was killed after a car accident near Warmun. Thomas claimed to have been visited by her spirit and received the ceremony from her. In addition to the music, Thomas and others, including Hector Jandany
Hector Jandany
Hector Jandany was an influential Australian painter and a representative of Aboriginal art.- Life :He was born c.1929 in Warmun . His father died when he was still very young, but his mother got remarried quite soon. When he was about 10 years old he went with his relatives to Argyle to see the...
and Queenie McKenzie
Queenie McKenzie
Queenie McKenzie was a contemporary Indigenous Australian artist. She was born on Old Texas Station, on the western bank of the Ord River in the East Kimberley. Her works have sold at auction for $8000 to $15000.-External links:...
, developed a critically acclaimed style of painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
in sync with the development of the ceremony.
Kun-borrk
Kun-borrk came into being around the AdelaideAdelaide River
Adelaide River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia. It starts in Litchfield National Park and flows generally northwards to Clarence Strait, being crossed by both the Stuart Highway and the Arnhem Highway...
, Mann and Rose River
Rose River
The Rose River is an river in the U.S. state of Virginia. Rising south of Hawksbill Mountain, the highest point in Shenandoah National Park, the river flows southeast to its junction near Syria, Virginia, with the Robinson River, a tributary of the Rapidan River and part of the Rappahannock River...
s, distinguished by a didgeridoo introduction followed by the percussion and vocals, which often conclude words (in contrast to many other syllabic styles of Aboriginal singing).
Wangga
Wangga came into being near the South Alligator RiverAlligator Rivers
The Alligator Rivers is the name of a region in the Arnhem Land region of the Northern Territory of Australia, containing three rivers the East, West and South Alligator River...
and is distinguished by an extremely high note to commence the song, accompanied by rhythmic percussion and followed by a sudden shift to a low tone.
Contemporary trends
A number of Indigenous Australians have achieved mainstream prominence, such as Jimmy LittleJimmy Little
Jimmy Little AO , is an Australian Aboriginal musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist, whose career has spanned six decades. For many years he was the only Aboriginal star on the Australian music scene...
(pop), Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
(Australian aboriginal rock
Australian rock
Australian rock, sometimes called OZ Rock is used to describe the various rock and many pop bands and solo artists from Australia. Australia has a rich history of rock music and an appreciation of the roots of various rock genres, usually originating in the United States but also Britain, Ireland,...
), Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley is a multi-award-winning country musician from New South Wales, Australia.He released his first EP, "Dream Out Loud", in 1994 and was nominated for his first Golden Guitar for Best Male Vocalist the same year...
(country
Australian country music
Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodelling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, by the traditions of Australian bush balladeers, as well as by popular American...
) and NoKTuRNL
NoKTuRNL
Nokturnl is a band formed in 1996 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. Sometimes called rap metal their music is hard to categorise, but their lyrics are influenced by their experience as Indigenous Australians. Nokturnl won "Band of the Year" at The Deadlys in 1998, 2000 and 2003.They...
(rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
), the Warumpi Band
Warumpi Band
The Warumpi Band is an Australian band from the bush, coming from Papunya, Northern Territory, Australia.The band was formed in 1980 by Neil Murray, a Victorian "whitefella" working in the region as a schoolteacher and labourer, George Burarrwanga, from Elcho Island, and local boys Gordon and...
(alternative or world music) Indigenous music has also had broad exposure through the world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
movement and in particular WOMADelaide
WOMADelaide
WOMADelaide is an annual world music and dance festival, which was first held in 1992 in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia as part of the WOMAD series of music festivals. WOMAD events are a showcase of different sorts of music, arts and dance. They encourage people to experience the music of...
. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is an Indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.He was born in Galiwin'ku , off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Australia about 350 miles from Darwin. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation...
(formerly of Yothu Yindi) has attained international success singing contemporary music in English and in the language of the Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
.
Torres Strait Islander musicians include Christine Anu
Christine Anu
-Early life:Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai and Mabuiag Islands.-Career:Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993...
(pop) and Seaman Dan
Seaman Dan
Henry Gibson "Seaman" Dan , known universally as Seaman Dan, is a Torres Strait Islander singer-songwriter with a national and international reputation whose first recording was released in 2000...
.
Contemporary Indigenous music continues the earlier traditions and also represents a fusion with contemporary mainstream styles of music, such as rock
Aboriginal rock
Aboriginal rock refers to a style of music which mixes rock music with the instrumentation and singing styles of Aboriginal people. Two countries with prominent Aboriginal rock scenes are Australia and Canada.-Australia:...
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The Deadlys
The Deadlys
The Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
provide an illustration of this with rock, country, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
being found among the styles played. Common traditional instrumentation used are the didjeridu and clapsticks being used to give a different feel to the music.
Country music has been particularly popular among the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Dougie Young
Dougie Young
Dougie Young was a singer and songwriter from South West Queensland. Young had a white father and a Gurnu mother.Earlier in his life he worked as a stockman, during which he learnt the guitar and started writing songs. A riding accident later ended his working as a stockman...
and Jimmy Little were pioneers and Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley is a multi-award-winning country musician from New South Wales, Australia.He released his first EP, "Dream Out Loud", in 1994 and was nominated for his first Golden Guitar for Best Male Vocalist the same year...
is among Australia's successful contemporary Indigenous performers. Aboriginal artists Kev Carmody
Kev Carmody
Kevin Daniel "Kev" Carmody is an Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter. His song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" was recorded with co-writer Paul Kelly for their 1993 single; it was covered by the Get Up Mob in 2008 and peaked at #4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association singles...
and Archie Roach
Archie Roach
Archie Roach is an Australian musician. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, he survived a turbulent upbringing to develop into a powerful voice for Indigenous Australians, a storyteller in the tradition of his ancestors, and a nationally popular and respected artist.- Biography :In his own words,...
employ a combination of folk-rock and country music to sing about Aboriginal rights issues. The song type falls under the catergory of barnt. The documentary, book and soundtrack Buried Country
Buried Country
Buried Country is a highly regarded documentary film, book and soundtrack. Buried Country tells the story of Australian country music in the Aboriginal community, focusing on important musicians to tell the story. The book Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music is written by Clinton...
showcases significant Indigenous musicians from the 1940s to the 1990s.
The movie Wrong Side of the Road
Wrong Side of the Road
Wrong Side of the Road is a 1981 low-budget documentary film made in South Australia in 1980. It is distinctive for being one of the first attempts to bring modern Australian Aboriginal music to a non-indigenous audience....
and soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
(1981) gave broad exposure to the bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address
No Fixed Address
No Fixed Address is an Australian Aboriginal reggae group formed in 1978. Led by Bart Willoughby, the band supported Peter Tosh on his 1982 Australian tour...
and highlighted Indigenous disadvantage in urban Australia.
There are a number of Aboriginal exponents of Australian
Australian hip hop
Australian hip hop music began in the early 1980s; originally it was primarily influenced by hip hop music and culture imported via radio and television from the United States of America. However, since the 1990s, a distinctive local style has developed. Australian hip hop is an underground music...
hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
.
See also
- 3KND3KND3KND is a community radio station which represents the Indigenous communities within Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 3KND broadcasts in Melbourne at 1503 on the AM radio band and also streams on the internet. As at late 2006, 3KND has the beginnings of an mp3 library. The South Eastern...
community radio station, streaming on the internet and broadcasting in Melbourne and in Brisbane. - Central Australian Aboriginal Media AssociationCentral Australian Aboriginal Media AssociationThe Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association is an organisation founded in 1980 by Freda Glynn, Phillip Batty and John Macumba in order to expose Aboriginal music and culture to the rest of Australia from its Alice Springs media centre through the film-making industry, commencing broadcast...
- Stompen Ground, BroomeBroome, Western AustraliaBroome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
- The DeadlysThe DeadlysThe Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
- Vibe AustraliaVibe AustraliaVibe Australia Pty Ltd is an Aboriginal media, communications and events management agency. Located in Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, they work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout Australia.-Productions:Vibe produces:...
Further reading
- Dunbar-Hall, P. & Gibson, C., (2004), Deadly Sounds, Deadly Places: Contemporary Aboriginal Music in Australia, UNSW Press, ISBN 9780868406220
- Stubington, Jill (2007), Singing the Land - the power of performance in Aboriginal life, Foreword by Raymattja Marika, Currency House Inc., ISBN 9780980280227 (hbk.) : 9780980280234 (pbk.)
- Warren, A. & Evitt, R. (2010), Indigenous Hip hop: overcoming marginality, encountering constraints, Australian Geographer 41(1), pp. 141–158.
External links
- Manikay.Com - For the promotion and enjoyment of traditional Arnhem Land music.
- Blacklist.org.au - Dedicated to promoting and sharing the music and culture of Indigenous Australia.
- Traditional music of the Torres Strait - audio and video highlights from the archives of the celebrated Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander StudiesAustralian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander StudiesThe Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is Australia's premier institution for information about the cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is located on Acton...
(AIATSIS) . Released by Skinnyfish music - recorded in 1960 and 1961, with the support of the Department of Anthropology, Australian National University. (Commercial link). - CAAMA Music Myspace - For the promotion and enjoyment of Indigenous Music under the CAAMA Music Label. (Commercial link).
- Wilurarra Creative, Music Development Western Desert Australia
- Australian Music Office - Australian Government organisation aimed at promoting export initiatives for Australian artists and music companies
- Listen to an excerpt of Indigenous tribal music from the Yirrkala district in far north-east Arnhem Land, recorded by AP Elkin on australianscreen online