146-509: The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo . Contemporary fusions of indigenous and Western styles are exemplified in the works of Yothu Yindi , No Fixed Address , Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Christine Anu , and mark distinctly Australian contributions to world music . Australian music's early western history,
292-420: A dance room, a keyboard suite, and computer suites. Notable alumni include the bands Coloured Stone , No Fixed Address , Kuckles , and Us Mob , as well as musicians Zaachariaha Fielding (of the duo Electric Fields ), Ellie Lovegrove , Nathan May , Tilly Tjala Thomas , and Simi Vuata . Prehistory of Australia The prehistory of Australia is the period between the first human habitation of
438-472: A five-metre lizard and Meiolania . The direct cause of the mass extinctions is uncertain: it may have been fire, hunting, climate change or a combination of all or any of these factors. The degree of human agency in these extinctions is still a matter of discussion. With no large herbivores to keep the understorey vegetation down and rapidly recycle soil nutrients with their dung, fuel build-up became more rapid and fires burned hotter, further changing
584-690: 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 among the styles played. Traditional instruments such as the didjeridu and clapsticks are commonly used, giving the music a distinctive feel. Country music has remained particularly popular among the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for decades, as documented in Clinton Walker 's seminal Buried Country . Dougie Young and Jimmy Little were pioneers and Troy Cassar-Daley
730-592: A gene flow from India to Australia: firstly, signs of South Asian components in Aboriginal Australian genomes, reported on the basis of genome-wide SNP data; and secondly, the existence of a Y chromosome (male) lineage, designated haplogroup C∗, with the most recent common ancestor around 5,000 years ago. The first type of evidence comes from a 2013 study by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology using large-scale genotyping data from
876-404: A genre known as Breakcore. [1] Indigenous Australian music refers to the music of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders . Music forms an integral part of the social , cultural and ceremonial observances of these peoples, and has been so for over 60,000 years. Traditional indigenous music is best characterised by the didgeridoo , the best-known instrument, which is considered by some to be
1022-401: A green flush of new growth to attract animals, and to open up impenetrable forest. In The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines made Australia , Bill Gammage claims that dense forest became more open sclerophyll forest, open forest became grassland and fire-tolerant species became more predominant: in particular, eucalyptus , acacia , banksia , casuarina and grasses. The changes to
1168-439: A humming sound. The intensity of the sound can be varied by changing the velocity of the rotation. Percussive rasp similar to a Güiro or serrated club, along which the edge of a boomerang is drawn to produce a trill. Manikay are "clan songs" of some groups of Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land , including Yirrkala . These songs are often about clan or family history or other historical or mythological events of
1314-508: A more systematic exploitation of new food sources in the wetlands. Aboriginal Tasmanians were isolated from the mainland from about 14,000 years ago. As a result, they only possessed one quarter of the tools and equipment of the adjacent mainland and were without hafted axes, grinding technology, stone tipped weapons, spear throwers and the boomerang. By 3,700 BP they had ceased to eat fish and use bone tools. Coastal Tasmanians switched from fish to abalone and crayfish and more Tasmanians moved to
1460-672: A number of television shows including Underbelly: Razor , Underbelly: Squizzy and Roadtrip Nation . Thelma Plum released her debut album, Better in Blak , in July 2019. DOBBY is an Aboriginal/ Filipino musician, mostly rapper and drummer, who has played with the Sydney band Jackie Brown Jr. As a member of the Murrawarri Republic , he sings in Murrawarri language as well as English, and
1606-521: A period of glaciation, when New Guinea and Tasmania were joined to the continent of Australia. The continental coastline extended much further out into the Timor Sea , and Australia and New Guinea formed a single landmass (known as Sahul ), connected by an extensive land bridge across the Arafura Sea , Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait . Nevertheless, the sea still presented a major obstacle so it
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#17328525516751752-643: A pool of Aboriginal Australians, New Guineans, island Southeast Asians and Indians. It found that the New Guinea and Mamanwa (Philippines area) groups diverged from the Aboriginal about 36,000 years ago (and supporting evidence that these populations are descended from migrants taking an early "southern route" out of Africa, before other groups in the area), and also that the Indian and Australian populations mixed well before European contact, with this gene flow occurring during
1898-519: A proposed new copyright fee for playing pop records on air. The dispute erupted into open conflict in May 1970—many commercial stations boycotted records by the labels involved and refused to list their releases on their Top 40 charts, while the record companies in turn refused to supply radio with free promotional copies of new releases. An unexpected side-effect of the ban was that several emerging Australian acts signed to independent labels (who were not part of
2044-547: A relatively small segment of the Australian music industry until the emergence of groundbreaking children's group the Wiggles in the late 1990s. The multi-award-winning four-piece group rapidly gained international popularity in the early 2000s and by the end of the decade they had become one of the most popular children's groups in the world. The Wiggles now boasts a huge fanbase in many regions including Australasia, Britain, Asia, and
2190-564: A result of intermarriage and migration. The myths of the people of Arnhem Land have preserved accounts of the trepang-catching, rice-growing Baijini people, who, according to the myths, were in Australia in the earliest times, before the Macassans. The Baijini have been variously interpreted by modern researchers as a different group of presumably South East Asian people, such as Bajau visitors to Australia who may have visited Arnhem Land before
2336-498: A rock shelter have been dated to around 65,000 years old, although a study in 2020 argues that this dating is unreliable. According to mitochondrial DNA research, Aboriginal people reached Eyre Peninsula ( South Australia ) 49,000–45,000 years ago from both the east (clockwise, along the coast, from northern Australia) and the west (anti-clockwise). Radiocarbon dating suggests that they lived in and around Sydney for at least 30,000 years. In Parramatta , Western Sydney , it
2482-457: A seamless whole." Aboriginal people have no cultural memory of living anywhere outside Australia. Nevertheless, the people living along the northern coastline of Australia, in the Kimberley , Arnhem Land , Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York had encounters with various visitors for many thousands of years. People and traded goods moved freely between Australia and New Guinea up to and even after
2628-424: A small following but failed to captivate a mainstream that at the time "didn't get it". Later reviews described the band as "integral to the story of Aussie indie music", influencing bands including Frenzal Rhomb and Jet . The band became an ARIA Hall of Fame inductee. The Church , meanwhile, was highly successful in the 1980s, only to see their careers diminish in the next decade; 1994's Sometime Anywhere saw
2774-471: A song series from consisting of 188 songs. Those of the Djatpangarri style, tell of everyday events. The lyrics differ much from song to song, and can vary from performance to performance, improvised by the musicians and lead "songman", within certain structures and patterns. The leader of the ritual choreographs not only the dancers, but also the music, in this form, in contrast to western Arnhem Land, where
2920-552: A special bunggul was performed in honour of the recently deceased Yolngu leader and land rights champion Galarrwuy Yunupingu . Kun-borrk (also spelt kunborrk and gunborg ) originated east of the Adelaide , southeast towards Katherine and across to just east of the Mann River and southeast almost to Rose River, then along the coastline beyond Borroloola . Kun-borrk songs always include actual words, in contrast to other song styles of
3066-481: A unique sound for Australian rock. From 1975, key agents for the increased exposure of local music were the nationally broadcast ABC-TV television pop show Countdown , which premiered in late 1974, and Australia's first non-commercial all-rock radio station Double Jay , which opened in January 1975. Hard rock bands AC/DC and Rose Tattoo and harmony rock group Little River Band also found major overseas success in
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#17328525516753212-404: A unique tradition of folk music, with origins in both the indigenous music traditions of the original Australian inhabitants, as well as the introduced folk music (including sea shanties ) of 18th and 19th century Europe. Celtic , English , German and Scandinavian folk traditions predominated in this first wave of European immigrant music. The Australian tradition is, in this sense, related to
3358-517: A variety of notable Indigenous Australian performers. A didgeridoo 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 contemporary materials such as PVC piping are used. In traditional situations it
3504-727: Is Melbourne's the Bushwackers , active since the early 1970s, other well-known country singers include Reg Lindsay , bush balladeer singer Buddy Williams , and entertainers Johnny Ashcroft and Chad Morgan . Another, more Americanized form of Australian country music was pioneered in the 1930s by such recording artists as Tex Morton , and later popularized by Slim Dusty , best remembered for his 1957 song " A Pub With No Beer ", and Smoky Dawson . Dusty married singer-songwriter Joy McKean in 1951 and became Australia's biggest selling domestic music artist with more than 7 million record sales. British-born country singer and yodeller, Frank Ifield ,
3650-567: Is a British electronic genre that emerged in the early 2000s, derivative of electronic music such as UK garage and jungle , and draws influence from dancehall , ragga , and hip hop . The style is typified by rapid, syncopated breakbeats , generally around 140 bpm , and often features an aggressive or jagged electronic sound. Rapping is also a significant element of the style, and lyrics often revolve around gritty depictions of urban life. Australian grime emerged in 2010 after UK-born artist Fraksha released his mixtape It's Just Bars . Fraksha
3796-528: Is a political activist for Aboriginal issues. The nephew of Dr M. Yunupiŋu and the son of Stuart Kellaway , both founding members of Yothu Yindi, started their own band, King Stingray , whose sound they call "Yolngu surf rock ". Their first single, written by Yirrnga Yunupiŋu and Roy Kellaway, was released in October 2020. The Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM), founded in 1972, now exists as part of
3942-466: Is a quintessential Australian folk song, influenced by Celtic folk ballads. Country and folk artists such as Tex Morton , Slim Dusty , Rolf Harris , the Bushwackers , John Williamson , and John Schumann of the band Redgum have continued to record and popularise the old bush ballads of Australia through the 20th and into the 21st century – and contemporary artists including Sara Storer and Lee Kernaghan draw heavily on this heritage. Australia has
4088-582: Is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in Australia and in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington . The early grunge movement in the US revolved around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop and that region's underground music scene. By the early 1990s its popularity had spread, with grunge bands appearing in California, then emerging in other parts of
4234-467: 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, and people as well. They are of oval shape with paintings of snakes, lizards, birds and more. Also called 'tatty' sticks. The leaf of the Eucalyptus gum tree
4380-423: Is among Australia's successful contemporary Indigenous performers of country music. Aboriginal artists Kev Carmody and Archie Roach employ a combination of folk-rock and country music to sing about Aboriginal rights issues, using the song type called barnt . The documentary, book and soundtrack Buried Country showcases significant Indigenous musicians from the 1940s to the 1990s. The movie Wrong Side of
4526-421: Is an Australian singer who came to prominence in the mid-1970s, has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz , soul and R&B idioms . She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with " It's a Man's Man's World "Rock historian, Ian McFarlane described her as having a "rich, soulful, passionate and husky vocal delivery". Geyer's iconic status in the Australian music industry
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4672-646: Is considerable discussion among archaeologists as to the route taken by the first migrants to Australia, widely taken to be ancestors of the modern Aboriginal peoples. Migration took place during the closing stages of the Pleistocene , when sea levels were much lower than they are today. Repeated episodes of extended glaciation during the Pleistocene epoch resulted in decreases of sea levels by more than 100 metres in Australasia. People appear to have arrived by sea during
4818-554: Is controversial. The Torres Strait Islander people first settled their islands around 4,000 years ago. Culturally and linguistically distinct from mainland Aboriginal peoples, they were seafarers and obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and the resources of their reefs and seas. Agriculture also developed on some islands and villages appeared by the 1300s. The earliest evidence of humans in Australia has been variously estimated, with most scholars, as of 2023, dating it between 50,000 and 65,000 years BP . There
4964-491: Is controversial. In the Lake Condah region of western Victoria the inhabitants built elaborate eel and fish traps and hundreds gathered in semi-permanent stone and bark huts during the eel season. However, these groups still moved across their territory several times a year to exploit other seasonal food sources. In semi-arid areas, millet was harvested, stacked and threshed and the seeds stored for later use. In tropical areas
5110-464: Is most popular in Melbourne, with multiple music festivals held in the city. However, Cyclic Defrost , the only specialist electronic music magazine in Australia, was started in Sydney (in 1998) and is still based there. Radio still lags somewhat behind the success of the genre—producer and artist manager Andrew Penhallow told Australian Music Online that "the local music media have often overlooked
5256-397: Is now Tasmania , but back then part of the mainland. The modelling is based on data from archaeologists , anthropologists , ecologists , geneticists , climatologists , geomorphologists , and hydrologists , and it is intended to compare the modelling with the oral histories of Aboriginal peoples, including Dreaming stories, as well as Australian rock art and linguistic features of
5402-571: Is now Western Australia about 60,000 years ago, and had settled across the continent within 6,000 years. Phylogenetic data suggests that an early Eastern Eurasian lineage trifurcated somewhere in eastern South Asia , and gave rise to Aboriginal Australians, Papuans, the Andamanese, the AASI, as well as East/Southeast Asians, although Papuans may have also received some gene flow from an earlier group (xOoA), around 2%, next to additional archaic admixture in
5548-585: Is performed east of the Mann River as far south as Mainoru and southeast across the Rose River region to Numbulwar . The songs contain specific words and use a similar structure, and there is often a "final recitative", where lyrics are sung for a long period after the didjeridu and stick beating has stopped. Some songs tell of epic journeys in the far past, of ancestors in the Dreaming ; Elkin cited an example of
5694-556: Is plausible and while Y chromosome divergence times are consistent with a lack of gene flow across the Strait since its formation due to rising sea levels, the authors assert that the Torres Strait Islander ancestry of the men from which the times were derived means external contact occurred more recently. It could not be determined from the study when within the last 10,000 years this may have occurred – newer analytical techniques have
5840-409: 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
5986-723: Is related to that of adjacent parts of New Guinea . 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 , hip hop and reggae have all featured
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6132-415: Is theorised that these ancestral people reached Australia by island hopping. Two routes have been proposed. One follows an island chain between Sulawesi and New Guinea and the other reaches North Western Australia via Timor . Rupert Gerritsen has suggested an alternative theory, involving accidental colonisation as a result of tsunamis. The journey still required sea travel, however, making them some of
6278-622: Is unique, as it dates back more than 60,000 years to the prehistory of Australia and continues the ancient songlines through contemporary artists as diverse as: David Dahwurr Hudson , Warumpi Band , Wild Water, Saltwater Band , Nabarlek , Nokturnl , the Pigram Brothers , Blekbala Mujik , and Ruby Hunter . In 2024, Indigenous Australian artists have achieved incredible success at home and abroad, with chart-toppers like The Kid Laroi , Thelma Plum and Baker Boy (who raps and sings in both English and Yolngu) dominating. In 2022, 10 tracks in
6424-446: Is used as a hand-held free reed instrument. The instrument was originally used to call birds. An example is the "Coo-ee" call seen in the opening credits of hit television series Skippy . The bullroarer (or bull roarer) is an instrument used in ceremonial ritual . It consists of a few feet of cord attached to a flat piece of wood. The player holds the free end of the cord and swings the piece of wood around in circles, thus creating
6570-502: Is usually a circumcision ceremony or a ceremony to purify a dead person's belongings with smoke. A number of Indigenous Australians have achieved mainstream prominence, such as Jimmy Little (pop), Yothu Yindi ( Australian aboriginal rock ), Troy Cassar-Daley ( country ), Jessica Mauboy (pop, R&B), NoKTuRNL ( rap metal ) and the Warumpi Band (alternative or world music). Indigenous music has also gained broad exposure through
6716-416: Is widely regarded as a pioneer of the scene in Australia. Fraksha, alongside fellow MC's Scotty Hinds, Diem and Murky, formed the first Australian based grime collective, Smash Brothers, in 2010. Smash Brothers pioneered what became Australian grime music, and were known for their high energy performances. For the most part, few members initially released a lot of music other than Fraksha, but all were active in
6862-456: The Dreamtime creatures were not austere divinities, but fallible beings who happened to make the world and everything in it while going about their creaturely business. Traditional Aboriginal culture effortlessly fuses areas of understanding which Europeans 'naturally' keep separate: ecology, cosmology, theology, social morality, art, comedy, tragedy – the observed and the richly imagined fused into
7008-614: The Kilwa Sultanate of east Africa. Only one such coin had ever previously been found outside east Africa (unearthed during an excavation in Oman ). The inscriptions on the Jensen Bay coins identify a ruling Sultan of Kilwa, but it is unclear whether the ruler was from the 10th century or the 14th century. This discovery has been of interest to those historians who believe it likely that people made landfall in Australia or its offshore islands before
7154-585: The National Centre for Aboriginal Language and Music Studies at the University of Adelaide , located within the Elder Conservatorium . While it has in the past (1980s) offered three-year diploma courses, as of 1993 it offers only a one-year foundation course, owing to funding cuts over the years. CASM has access to a state-of-the-art dedicated recording studio , along with teaching and practice rooms,
7300-636: The Sahul region. According to one study, Papuans could have either formed from a mixture between an East Eurasian lineage and lineage basal to West and East Asians, or as a sister lineage of East Asians with or without a minor basal OoA or xOoA contribution. A Holocene hunter-gatherer sample (Leang_Panninge) from South Sulawesi was found to be genetically in between Basal-East-Asian and Australo-Papuans. The sample could be modeled as ~50% Papuan-related and ~50% Basal-East Asian-related (Andamanese Onge or Tianyuan). The authors concluded that Basal-East Asian ancestry
7446-554: The Torres Strait Islanders over 2500 years ago, and cultural interactions continued via this route with the Aboriginal people of northeast Australia. Indonesian " Bajau " fishermen from the Spice Islands (e.g. Banda ) have fished off the coast of Australia for hundreds of years. Macassan traders from Sulawesi regularly visited the coast of northern Australia to fish for trepang , an edible sea cucumber to trade with
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#17328525516757592-493: The post-grunge backlash, losing in sales and critical acclaim. Much of the success of rock in Australia is attributed to the non-commercial Australian Broadcasting Corporation 's radio station Triple J , which focuses heavily on Australian alternative music, and has done so since its formation as 2JJ in 1975. Throughout the station's history, they have helped jump start the careers of numerous bands such as Missy Higgins and Killing Heidi through programs such as Unearthed ,
7738-516: The stock routes of the pastoral industry, as Aboriginal workers and their families travelled between stations. Wave Hill Station was the site of much of this exchange. Wangga originated near the South Alligator River . An extremely high note starts the song, accompanied by rhythmic percussion, followed by a sudden shift to a low tone. Wangga is typically performed by one or two singers with clapsticks and one didgeridoo player. The occasion
7884-585: The world music movement and in particular the WOMADelaide festivals. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu , formerly of Yothu Yindi, attained international success singing contemporary music in English and in one of the languages of the Yolngu people. Successful Torres Strait Islander musicians include Christine Anu (pop) and Seaman Dan . Contemporary Indigenous music continues the earlier traditions and also represents
8030-591: The 1960s, local successes began to emerge – notably the Easybeats and the folk-pop group the Seekers had significant local success and some international recognition, while AC/DC had their first hits in Australia before going on to international success. A pivotal event was the 1970 radio ban , which lasted from May to October that year. The Ban was the climax of a simmering "pay for play" dispute between major record companies and commercial radio stations, who refused to pay
8176-492: The 1990s, but takes elements from funk , house , techno , trance , and numerous other genres. Early innovators of the genre in Australia include Whirlywirld and Severed Heads , who formed in 1979 and were the first electronic group to play the Big Day Out . The band achieved long-term success, winning an ARIA Award in 2005 for "Best Original Soundtrack" for The Illustrated Family Doctor , where lead singer Tom Ellard said
8322-461: The ARIA charts and were certified platinum. Paulini earned ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards for both the single and album. Her second album Superwoman included the singles " Rough Day " and " So Over You ", and earned Paulini two nominations at the 2007 Urban Music Awards for 'Best R&B Album' and 'Best Female Artist'. 2006 Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy made her musical solo debut in 2008 with
8468-629: The Americas. In 2008, the Wiggles were named Business Review Weekly 's top-earning Australian entertainers for the fourth year in a row, having earned A$ 45 million in 2007. They have been called "the world's biggest preschool band" and "your child's first rock band". The group has achieved worldwide success with their children's albums, videos, television series , and concert appearances. They have earned 18 gold , 13 platinum , three double-platinum, and ten multi-platinum awards; additionally 15 ARIA Awards for Best Children's Album (making ARIA history as
8614-590: The Australian Music program Home & Hosed and the Hottest 100 . The Big Day Out festival has showcased Australian and international acts, with line-ups spanning multiple genres, with an alternative focus. It has become highly popular amongst musicians; Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl said "We play the Big Day Out because it's the best tour in the world. You ask any band in the world – they all want to play
8760-520: The Australian continent and the colonisation of Australia in 1788, which marks the start of consistent written documentation of Australia. This period has been variously estimated, with most evidence suggesting that it goes back between 50,000 and 65,000 years. This era is referred to as prehistory rather than history because knowledge of this time period does not derive from written documentation. However, some argue that Indigenous oral tradition should be accorded an equal status. Human habitation of
8906-660: The Australian continent began with the migration of the ancestors of today's Aboriginal Australians by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. It is uncertain how many waves of immigration may have contributed to these ancestors of modern Aboriginal Australians. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is perhaps the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia. The oldest human remains found are at Lake Mungo in New South Wales, which have been dated to around 41,000 years ago. At
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#17328525516759052-648: The Australian mainland, some innovations were imported from neighbouring cultures. The dingo was introduced about 4,000 years ago. Shell fish hooks appeared in Australia about 1,200 years ago and were probably introduced from the Torres Strait or by Polynesian seafarers. From the mid-1660s fishing vessels from Indonesia regularly visited the north coast of Australia in search of trepang (sea cucumber). Trade and social relationships developed which were reflected in Aboriginal art, ceremonies and oral traditions. Aboriginal people adopted dugout canoes and metal harpoon heads from
9198-646: The Australian wave was a big influence" on his music. Everett True states that "[t]here's more of an argument to be had for grunge beginning in Australia with the Scientists and their scrawny punk ilk." From being discovered in mid-1994 with their debut single " Tomorrow " to their 1995 debut album Frogstomp (which sold more than 4 million copies worldwide), Silverchair were considered by some to be grunge's "last stand". The band's trio of teenagers— Ben Gillies on drums, Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar—were still in high school when
9344-570: The Big Day Out, every single one of them." Other festivals, such as Homebake , Livid , and Splendour in the Grass , are also rock focused, and together with Big Day Out are "united by the dominant presence of the indie-guitar scene". Australia made its first appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 after being granted a spot in the final by the EBU . Electronic music in Australia emerged in
9490-518: The Chinese since at least the early 18th century. There was a high degree of cultural exchange, evidenced in Aboriginal rock and bark paintings , the introduction of technologies such as dug-out canoes and items such as tobacco and tobacco pipes, Macassan words in Aboriginal languages (e.g. Balanda for white person), and descendants of Malay people in Australian Aboriginal communities and vice versa, as
9636-574: The Holocene ( c. 4,230 years ago). The researchers had two theories for this: either some Indians had contact with people in Indonesia who eventually transferred those genes from India to Aboriginal Australians, or that a group of Indians migrated all the way from India to Australia and intermingled with the locals directly. However, a 2016 study in Current Biology by Anders Bergström et al. excluded
9782-482: The Indonesians which allowed them to better hunt dugong and turtle off the coast and nearby islands. Despite these interactions with neighbouring cultures, the basic structure of Aboriginal society was unchanged. Family groups were joined in bands and clans averaging about 25 people, each with a defined territory for foraging. Clans were attached to tribes or nations, associated with particular languages and country. At
9928-557: The Macassans, as a mythological reflection of the experiences of some Yolŋu people who have travelled to Sulawesi with the Macassans and came back, or, in more fringe views, even as visitors from China. In 1944, a small number of copper coins with Arabic inscriptions were discovered on a beach in Jensen Bay on Marchinbar Island , part of the Wessel Islands of the Northern Territory . These coins were later identified as from
10074-456: The Maytals , the first artist to use the term " reggae " in song, went to number one with their song "Beautiful Woman". Early reggae groups from Australia include No Fixed Address . Australia has produced a wide variety of rock and popular music, from the internationally successful groups AC/DC , INXS , Nick Cave , Savage Garden , the Seekers , or pop divas Delta Goodrem , Kylie Minogue to
10220-513: The Moluccas to New Guinea. Given that the likely landfall regions have been under around 50 metres of water for the last 15,000 years, it is unlikely that the timing will ever be established with certainty. The minimum widely accepted time-frame for the arrival of humans in Australia is placed at least 48,000 years ago. Many sites dating from this time period have been excavated. In Arnhem Land Madjedbebe (formerly known as Malakunanja II) fossils and
10366-638: The Road and its soundtrack (1981), highlighting Indigenous disadvantage in urban Australia, gave broad exposure to the bands Us Mob and No Fixed Address . Australian hip hop music and rap music has a number of Aboriginal exponents, including the award-winning Baker Boy , 2019 Young Australian of the Year , who raps and sings in Yolngu Matha . The genre-defying Mojo Juju has been nominated for or won several awards since 2018, and her music has been featured in
10512-573: The Shears ", "The Drover's Dream", "The Queensland Drover", "The Dying Stockman" and " Moreton Bay ". Later themes which endure to the present include the experiences of war, of droughts and flooding rains, of Aboriginality and of the railways and trucking routes which link Australia's vast distances. Isolation and loneliness of life in the Australian bush have been another theme. " Waltzing Matilda ", often regarded as Australia's unofficial national anthem ,
10658-843: The Torres Strait and around the coast of Australia were formed. Josephine Flood writes that the flooding and loss of land as coastlines receded might have led to greater emphasis on territorial boundaries separating groups, stronger clan identity, and the development of the Rainbow Serpent and other mythologies. The warmer climate was associated with new technologies. Small back-bladed stone tools appeared 15–19 thousand years ago. Wooden javelins and boomerangs have been found dating from 10,000 years ago. Stone points for spears have been found dating from 5–7 thousand years ago. Spear throwers were probably developed more recently than 6,500 years ago. Sea levels stabilised at around their current level about 6,500 years ago. Warmer weather, wetter conditions and
10804-543: The Triple J listener-voted Hottest 100 countdown featured Indigenous representation, which was a new record. Arnhem Land's King Stingray was responsible for four of those entries alone. For much of its history, Australia's bush music belonged to an oral and folkloric tradition, and was only later published in print in volumes such as Banjo Paterson 's Old Bush Songs , in the 1890s. The distinctive themes and origins of Australia's "bush music" or " bush band music" can be traced to
10950-744: The UK Albums Chart at number two. After launching his career as the winner of an early series of Australian Idol , soul singer/songwriter Guy Sebastian has also made an impact on this genre in Australia winning awards at the Urban Music Awards Australia and New Zealand for Best Male Artist and Best R&B Album. Sebastian's recent release " Like it Like That ", was the highest selling Australian artist single in 2009 and charted at No. 1 for two consecutive weeks In 2004, Australian Idol finalist Paulini 's debut single " Angel Eyes " and album One Determined Heart both reached number one on
11096-485: The US , the UK , and similar nations—notably in the Australian rock and Australian country music genres. Tastes have diversified along with post– World War II multicultural immigration to Australia , whilst classical music derives from European influences. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the most recent and possibly only original genre of music to emerge from Australia outside of indigenous music came from Newcastle and Sydney as
11242-617: The US college circuit—all of their 1980s albums topped the chart. At the same time, a number of Australian bands relocated to the U.K. and particularly London to further their artistic and commercial endeavours, among whom were the Moodists , the Go-Betweens , the Birthday Party with guitarist Rowland S. Howard , Laughing Clowns , Foetus , SPK , the Triffids , and Peter Loveday . Grunge
11388-535: The USA. In recent years local contemporary country music, featuring much crossover with popular music , had popularity in Australia; notable musicians of this genre include David Hudson , John Williamson , Gina Jeffreys , Lee Kernaghan , Troy Cassar-Daley , Sara Storer , Felicity Urquhart and Kasey Chambers . Others influenced by the genre include Nick Cave , Paul Kelly , the John Butler Trio , Jagged Stone and
11534-603: The United States and in Australia, building strong followings and signing major record deals. Mark Arm , the vocalist for the Seattle band Green River —and later Mudhoney —stated that the term had been used in Australia in the mid-1980s to describe bands such as King Snake Roost , The Scientists , Salamander Jim, and Beasts of Bourbon . Arm used grunge as a descriptive term rather than a genre term, but it eventually came to describe
11680-672: The Waifs . Popular Australian country songs include " Click Go the Shears " (Traditional), " Lights on the Hill " (1973), " I Honestly Love You " (1974), " True Blue " (1981), and " Not Pretty Enough " (2002). Children's music in Australia developed gradually over the latter half of the 20th century. Some of the most recognised performers in that period were those associated with the long-running Australian Broadcasting Corporation series Play School , including veteran actor-musician Don Spencer and actor and singer Noni Hazlehurst . Children's music remained
11826-400: The Y chromosome as providing evidence for recent gene flow from India into Australia. The study authors sequenced 13 Aboriginal Australian Y chromosomes using recent advances in gene sequencing technology, investigating their divergence times from Y chromosomes in other continents, including comparing the haplogroup C chromosomes. The authors concluded that, although the results do not disprove
11972-473: The album Tribal Voice , becoming a hit. It reached No. 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart . The band's performances were based on the traditional Yolngu dance, and embodied a sharing of culture. The success of Yothu Yindi—winners of eight ARIA Awards —was followed in by Kev Carmody , Tiddas , Archie Roach and Christine Anu, and numerous other indigenous Australian musicians. Indigenous Australian music
12118-543: The album went to number one in Australia and New Zealand. The 1990s saw continued overseas success from groups such as AC/DC , INXS , Men at Work , Midnight Oil , the Bad Seeds , and a new indie rock scene started to develop locally . Sydney-based Ratcat were the first new band to achieve a mainstream following, while bands such as the Hoodoo Gurus got off to a slower start; their debut album Stoneage Romeos earned
12264-569: The appearance of plant-processing technologies, especially complex detoxification of cycads; and the expansion of the Pama-Nyungan language over seven-eighths of Australia". Although previously linked to the pariah dogs of India, recent testing of the mitochondrial DNA of dingoes shows a closer connection to the dogs of Eastern Asia and North America, suggesting an introduction as a result of the Austronesian expansion from Southern China to Timor over
12410-532: The area, social relationships and love, and are frequently updated to take into account popular films and music. Similar clan songs are known as emeba on Groote Eylandt . Manikay have been described as the "sacred song tradition performed by the Yolŋu when conducting public ceremonies...a medium through which the Yolŋu interpret reality, define their humanity, reckon their ancestral lineages, and evidence ownership of their hereditary homelands through their ability to sing in
12556-459: The assumption of a single origin is tied into ethnic solidarity, and multiple entry was suppressed because it could be used to justify white seizure of Aboriginal lands, but this hypothesis is not supported by scientific studies. Human genomic differences are being studied to find possible answers, but there is still insufficient evidence to distinguish a "wave invasion model" from a "single settlement" one. A 2012 paper by Alan J. Redd et al. on
12702-467: The award twelve times. In 2003, they received ARIA's Outstanding Achievement Award for their success in the U.S. and were also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2011. Peter Combe , Patsy Biscoe and Hi-5 are other notable names within the industry. R&B soul music had a significant impact on Australian's music, although it is notable that many seminal recordings in this genre by American acts of
12848-578: The band recede from a mainstream audience. Alternative rock began to gain popularity midway through the 1990s, with grunge and Britpop styles especially popular, resulting in a new wave of Australian bands. Some—such as Savage Garden , the Living End and Silverchair —also gained quick success in the United States, while You Am I , Jebediah , Magic Dirt , Something for Kate , Icecream Hands and Powderfinger gained more success locally. Bands such as Regurgitator and Spiderbait were hit heavily by
12994-619: The band would never fit into mainstream music. The genre has developed a following, to the point the University of Adelaide offers an Electronic Music Unit, teaching studio production and music technology . The School of Synthesis was also set up in Melbourne by renowned artists including Davide Carbone to specifically cater to Australian Electronic producers. Traditional rock bands such as Regurgitator have developed an original sound by combining heavy guitars and electronic influences, and rock-electro groups, most notably Rogue Traders , have become popular with mainstream audiences. The genre
13140-441: The continent dropped by as much as 9 degrees Celsius, and the interior of Australia became more arid. About 20,000 years ago, New Guinea and Tasmania were connected to the Australian continent, which was more than a quarter larger than today. About 19,000 years ago temperatures and sea levels began to rise. Tasmania became separated from the mainland some 14,000 years ago, and between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago thousands of islands in
13286-469: The crucible of time, into something that's actually genuine." Men at Work , Divinyls , and Hoodoo Gurus , all formed between 1979 and 1981, became hugely successful worldwide. Men at Work's " Down Under " hit number one in Australia, Europe, the UK, Canada, and the United States, and was considered the theme song of Australia's successful showing at the 1983 America's Cup . Hoodoo Gurus, meanwhile, hit it big on
13432-404: The development of multiple and multi-level narratives: narratives which made the intricate relationships between these observed phenomena memorable. These dramatic narratives identified the recurrent and therefore the timeless and the significant within the fleeting and the idiosyncratic. They were also very human, charged with moral significance but with pathos, and with humour, too – after all,
13578-556: The dispute) scored hits with covers of overseas hits; these included the Mixtures ' cover of Mungo Jerry 's " In the Summertime " and Liv Maessen 's cover of Mary Hopkin's Eurovision song " Knock, Knock Who's There? ". Despite commercial radio resistance to the more progressive music being produced by bands like Spectrum and Tully , acts as diverse as AC/DC , Sherbet and John Paul Young were able to achieve major success and develop
13724-451: The eventual flooding of the land bridge by rising sea levels, which was completed about 6,000 years ago. However, trade and intercourse between the separated lands continued across the newly formed Torres Strait , whose 150 km-wide channel remained readily navigable with the chain of Torres Strait Islands and reefs affording intermediary stopping points. The islands were settled by different seafaring Melanesian cultures such as
13870-503: The fact that this genre has been flying the flag for Australian music overseas". Pnau 's first album, Sambanova , was released in 1999, at a time when many in Australia considered electronic music to be a dying breed. Nonetheless, the band travelled around the US and Europe, and slowly made a name for themselves, and for a rebirth of electronic music in the country. Several festivals started developing over time; these festivals include: Defqon 1 , IQON, Masters of Hardcore , Utopia, Grime
14016-416: The fauna were even more dramatic: the megafauna , species significantly larger than humans, disappeared, and many of the smaller species disappeared too. All told, about 60 different vertebrates became extinct, including the genus Diprotodon (very large marsupial herbivores that looked rather like hippos), several large flightless birds, carnivorous kangaroos, Wonambi naracoortensis , a five-metre snake,
14162-516: The finest songwriters I have ever heard, Australian or otherwise." In the 1970s, Australian Folk Rock brought both familiar and less familiar traditional songs, as well as new compositions, to live venues and the airwaves. Notable artists include the Bushwackers and Redgum . Redgum are known for their 1983 anti-war protest song " I Was Only Nineteen ", which peaked at No. 1 on the National singles charts. The 1990s brought Australian indigenous folk rock to
14308-407: The first Australian song to compete with imported recordings was Good-Night Mister Moon by Allan Ryan and William Flynn Australia has a long tradition of country music, which has developed a style quite distinct from its US counterpart. The early roots of Australian country are related to traditional folk music traditions of Ireland, England, Scotland and many diverse nations. " Botany Bay " from
14454-498: The folk revival movement included both European immigrants such as Eric Bogle , noted for his sad lament to the battle of Gallipoli " And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda ", and more contemporary artists such as Archie Roach and Paul Kelly . Kelly's lyrics capture the vastness of the culture and landscape of Australia by chronicling life about him for over 30 years. David Fricke from Rolling Stone calls Kelly "one of
14600-525: The interior. The Tasmanians built watercraft from reeds and bark and journeyed up to 10 kilometres offshore to visit islands and hunt for seals and muttonbirds. Around 4,000 years ago the first phase of occupation of the Torres Strait Islands began. By 2,500 years ago more of the islands were occupied and a distinctive Torres Strait Island maritime culture emerged. Agriculture also developed on some islands and by 700 years ago villages appeared. On
14746-465: The land or sky marking the routes followed by creator beings during The Dreaming . The paths of the songlines are recorded in traditional song cycles , stories, dance, and art, and are often the basis of ceremonies. Intricate series of song cycles identify landmarks and tracking mechanisms for navigation. Early visitors and settlers published a number of transcriptions of traditional Aboriginal music. The earliest transcription of Aboriginal music
14892-585: The land were created by ancestral beings, a group's particular country provided physical and spiritual nourishment. According to Australian Aboriginal mythology and the animist framework developed in Aboriginal Australia, the Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral totemic spirit beings formed The Creation . The Dreaming established the laws and structures of society and the ceremonies performed to ensure continuity of life and land. The extent to which some Aboriginal societies were agricultural
15038-402: The landscape. Against this theory is the evidence that in fact careful seasonal fires from Aboriginal land management practices reduced fuel loads, and prevented wildfires like those seen since European colonisation. The Aboriginal population was confronted with significant changes to climate and environment. About 30,000 years ago, sea levels began to fall, temperatures in the south-east of
15184-563: The last 5,000 years. A 2007 finding of kangaroo ticks on the pariah dogs of Thailand suggested that this genetic expansion may have been a two-way process. The dingo reached Australia about 4,000 years ago, and around the same time there were changes in language, with the Pama-Nyungan language family spreading over most of the mainland, and stone tool technology, with the use of smaller tools. Human contact has thus been inferred, and genetic data of two kinds have been proposed to support
15330-486: The late 1970s and early 1980s, touring all over the world. Meanwhile, a score of Australian expatriate solo performers like Helen Reddy , Olivia Newton-John and Peter Allen became major stars in the US and internationally. Icehouse also formed in the late 1970s. Pop magazines such as Go-Set (which began in 1966), the Daily Planet , and television programs such as Countdown promoted Australian popular music to
15476-456: The late 19th century is one example. " Waltzing Matilda ", often regarded by foreigners as Australia's unofficial national anthem , is a quintessential Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by American Country and Western music. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing on strictly Australian subjects, is generally known as "bush music" or " bush band music." The most successful Australian bush band
15622-497: The late 20th century were not played on Australian radio. Anecdotal evidence suggest that racism was a key factor—in his book on the history of Australian radio, author and broadcaster Wayne Mac recounts that when a local Melbourne DJ of the 1960s played the new Ike and Tina Turner single " River Deep Mountain High " it was immediately pulled from the playlist by the station's program manager for being "too noisy and too black". Renée Geyer
15768-400: The many Aboriginal languages . The routes, dubbed "superhighways" by the authors, are similar to current highways and stock routes in Australia. Lynette Russell of Monash University sees the new model as a starting point for collaboration with Aboriginal people to help uncover their history. The new models suggest that the first people may have first landed in the Kimberley region in what
15914-473: The millennia of their individual and collective histories to the present day. The traditional forms include many aspects of performance and musical instrumentation that are unique to particular regions or Aboriginal Australian groups ; and some elements of musical tradition are common or widespread through much of the Australian continent, and even beyond. The music of the Torres Strait Islanders
16060-735: The most awarded ARIA winner in the one category), received the ARIA for Best Australian Live Act, and been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame . By 2002, the Wiggles had become the Australian Broadcasting Corporation 's (ABC) most successful pre-school television program. They have performed for over 1.5 million children in the US between 2005 and 2008. They have won APRA song writing awards for Best Children's Song three times and earned ADSDA's award for Highest Selling Children's Album four times. They have been nominated for ARIA's Best Children's Album award nineteen times, and won
16206-547: The most northerly areas - today it is commonly considered the national instrument of Aboriginal Australians and is world-renowned as a unique and iconic instrument. However, many Northern Aboriginal people continue to strenuously object to its frequent, inappropriate, use by both uninitiated Indigenous people of either gender, and by non-Indigenous Australians. Famous players include Djalu Gurruwiwi , Mark Atkins , William Barton , David Hudson , Joe Geia and Shane Underwood as well as white virtuoso Charlie McMahon . A clapstick
16352-580: The new coastlines led to significant changes in Aboriginal social and economic organisation. New coastal societies emerged around tidal reefs, estuaries and flooded river valleys, and coastal islands were incorporated into local economies. There was a proliferation of stone tool, plant processing and landscape modification technologies. Elaborate fish and eel traps involving channels up to three kilometres long were in use in western Victoria from about 6,500 years ago. Semi-permanent collections of wooden huts on mounds also appeared in western Victoria, associated with
16498-452: The popular local content of John Farnham , Jimmy Barnes or Paul Kelly . Indigenous Australian music and Australian jazz have also had crossover influence on this genre. Early Australian rock and roll stars included Col Joye and Johnny O'Keefe . O'Keefe formed a band in 1956; his hit Wild One made him the first Australian rock'n'roller to reach the national charts. While US and British content dominated airwaves and record sales into
16644-450: The potential to address such questions. Archaeological evidence from ash deposits in the Coral Sea indicates that fire was already a significant part of the Australian landscape over 100,000 years BP . There is evidence of the deliberate use of fire to shape the Australian environment 46,000 years ago. One explanation being the use by hunter-gatherers as a tool to drive game, to produce
16790-407: The presence of any Holocene gene flow or non-genetic influences from South Asia at that time, and the appearance of the dingo does provide strong evidence for foreign arrivals, the evidence overall is consistent with a complete lack of gene flow, and points to indigenous origins for the technological and linguistic changes. Gene flow across the island-dotted 150-kilometre (93 mi)-wide Torres Strait
16936-580: The punk/metal hybrid sound of the Seattle music scene. Several Australian bands, including Cosmic Psychos and Feedtime are cited as precursors to grunge, their music influencing the Seattle scene through the college radio broadcasts of Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman and members of Mudhoney. Chris Dubrow from The Guardian states that, in the late 1980s, Australia's "sticky-floored...alternative pub scene" in seedy inner-city areas produced grunge bands with "raw and awkward energy" such as X , Feedtime and Lubricated Goat . Dubrow said " Cobain ...admitted
17082-549: The raving scene where they exposed many to grime music. They also worked with UK based artists such as Skepta , Foreign Beggars and Dexplicit. Another first for Fraksha was the launch of Melbourne radio show The Sunday Roast on KissFM with Affiks, dedicated to grime and Dubstep music. In 2011 he started the first Australian grime night alongside Affiks and Artic called 50/50. Fraksha in 2011 performed in New Zealand alongside UK grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal . The resurgence grime
17228-424: The region which may consist of sounds, and there are often brief breaks in the songs. The songs nearly always start with the didjeridu, soon followed by sticks (percussion) and vocals in that order. Kun-borrk songs from Kunbarllanjnja (Gunbalanya) almost always follow the order of didjeridu, voice then sticks. Kun-borrk songs terminate most commonly with the didjeridu first, often in conjunction with vocals. Sometimes
17374-797: The removal of finger joints. Abortion and infanticide were widely practised as a means of birth control or dealing with deformities, injuries or illness which might impair the functioning of the group. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups also practised ritual cannibalism in rare circumstances. Describing prehistoric Aboriginal culture and society during her 1999 Boyer Lecture , Australian historian and anthropologist Inga Clendinnen explained: "They [...] developed steepling thought-structures – intellectual edifices so comprehensive that every creature and plant had its place within it. They travelled light, but they were walking atlases , and walking encyclopedias of natural history . [...] Detailed observations of nature were elevated into drama by
17520-844: The role of Mary Magdalene) before launching a solo career. By the late 1970s she was one of Australia's top singing stars, winning several Queen of Pop awards and hosting her own national TV variety series. Following their initial dissolution in 1982 Cold Chisel lead vocalist Jimmy Barnes embarked on a successful solo career that has continued from the 1980s to the present. Many of Barnes' albums have featured versions of songs from these genres and his chart-topping album Soul Deep (1991) consisted entirely of covers of classic 1960s soul/R&B covers. Australian soul singer/songwriters like Daniel Merriweather , has after several successful collaborations with artists such as Mark Ronson , released his official debut album, Love & War , in June 2009. It entered
17666-482: The single " Running Back ", which featured American rapper Flo Rida , and peaked at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart, eventually being certified double platinum. Her debut album Been Waiting earned her seven nominations at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards , winning the award of 'Highest Selling Single' for "Running Back". Reggae had success on the radio charts in Australia in the early 1980s when Toots and
17812-469: The songman leads. Bunggul is often used to describe the dance component of the ceremony, while manikay refers to the songs. The Garma Festival has a nightly bunggul performance. In 2014, The Monthly ' s "Best of Australian Arts" edition described the bunggul as "an exhilarating performance" and "an example of one of the world’s oldest musical traditions. We must do everything to recognise its enormous value to our lives as Australians". In 2023,
17958-497: The songs sung by the convicts who were sent to Australia during the early period of the British colonisation, beginning in 1788. Early Australian ballads sing of the harsh ways of life of the epoch and of such people and events as bushrangers , swagmen , drovers , stockmen and shearers . Convict and bushranger verses often railed against government tyranny. Classic bush songs on such themes include: " The Wild Colonial Boy ", " Click Go
18104-547: The time of European contact there were about 600 tribes or nations and 250 distinct languages with various dialects. Aboriginal society was egalitarian with no formal government or chiefs. Authority rested with elders who held extensive ritual knowledge gained over many years. Group decisions were generally made through the consensus of elders. The traditional economy was cooperative, with males generally hunting large game while females gathered local staples such as small animals, shellfish, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. Food
18250-429: The time of first European contact, estimates of the Aboriginal population range from 300,000 to one million. They were complex hunter-gatherers with diverse economies and societies. There were about 600 tribes or nations and 250 languages with various dialects. Certain groups engaged in fire-stick farming , fish farming , and built semi-permanent shelters . The extent to which some groups engaged in agriculture
18396-485: The topic of migration from India around 4,000 years ago notes that the indicated influx period corresponds to the timing of various other changes, specifically mentioning "The divergence times reported here correspond with a series of changes in the Australian anthropological record between 5,000 years ago and 3,000 years ago, including the introduction of the dingo; the spread of the Australian Small Tool tradition;
18542-462: The tops of yams were replanted. Flood argues that such practices are better classified as resource management than agriculture and that Aboriginal societies did not develop the systematic cultivation of crops or permanent villages such as existed in the Torres Strait Islands. Elizabeth Williams has called the inhabitants of the more settled regions of the Murray valley "complex hunter gatherers". Behaviour
18688-513: The tradition of their ancestors". It is often translated as a "clan song", and ethnomusicologists and social anthropologists have studied the form since the 1950s. Manikay is often used to describe the song component of the Arnhem Land ceremony , while bunggul (see below) refers to the dance, although each word on its own is also sometimes used to refer to both components. Songlines , also known as "dreaming tracks", represent paths across
18834-666: The traditions of other countries with similar ethnic, historical and political origins, such as New Zealand , Canada , and the United States . The Australian indigenous tradition brought to this mix of novel elements, including new instruments, some of which are now internationally familiar, such as the didgeridoo of Northern Australia. A number of British singers have spent periods in Australia and have included Australian material in their repertoires, e.g. A. L. Lloyd , Martin Wyndham-Read and Eric Bogle . Notable Australian exponents of
18980-573: The upper Swan River, Western Australia by about 40,000 years ago. A 2018 study using archaeobotany dated evidence of human habitation at Karnatukul (Serpent's Glen) in the Carnarvon Range in the Little Sandy Desert in WA at around 50,000 years (20,000 years earlier than previously thought), and it was shown that human habitation had been continuous at the site since then. Tasmania , which
19126-537: The vocals finish first, sometimes the clap sticks, but the didjeridu never starts last or finishes last. David Blanasi is known as a master of the tradition of Kun-borrk, with his grandson Darryl Dikarrna continuing the tradition. Wajarra are non-sacred songs originating in the Gurindji region of the Northern Territory and performed for fun and entertainment. During the twentieth century they spread great distances across northern and western Australia, including along
19272-467: The world's earliest mariners. In the 2013 book First Footprints: The Epic Story of the First Australians , Scott Cane writes that the first wave may have been prompted by the eruption of Toba , and if they arrived around 70,000 years ago, they could have crossed the water from Timor, when the sea level was low – but if they came later, around 50,000 years ago, a more likely route would be through
19418-539: The world's oldest. Archaeological studies of rock art in the Northern Territory suggest people of the Kakadu region were playing the instrument 15,000 years ago. Contemporary indigenous Australian music has covered numerous styles, including rock and roll , country , hip hop , and reggae . Jimmy Little is regarded as the first Aboriginal performer to achieve mainstream success, with his debut 1964 song "The Royal Telephone" highly popular and successful. In 2005, Little
19564-646: The world, led by bands including Yothu Yindi . Australia's long and continuous folk tradition continues strongly to this day, with elements of folk music still present in many contemporary artists including those generally thought of as Rock , Heavy Metal and Alternative Music . Australian composers who published popular musical works (e.g. Ragtime, light ephemera) in the early twentieth century include Vince Courtney , Herbert De Pinna , Jack Lumsdaine , Joe Slater , Bert Rache , Reginald Stoneham , Clement Scott and Herbert Cosgrove , among others. Demand for local works declined with recording and broadcast. Possibly
19710-550: The youth market. The 1980s saw a breakthrough in the independence of Australian rock— Nick Cave said that before the 1980s, "Australia still needed America or England to tell them what was good". An example of Australians breaking free from convention came in TISM . Formed in 1982, the band is known for its anonymous members, outrageous stage antics, and humorous lyrics. In the words of the band, "There's only one factor left that makes us work. And that factor, I think, we've burned away, with
19856-415: Was a collection of British colonies, Australian folk music and bush ballads , with songs such as " Waltzing Matilda " and The Wild Colonial Boy heavily influenced by Anglo-Celtic traditions, Indeed many bush ballads are based on the works of national poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson . Contemporary Australian music ranges across a broad spectrum with trends often concurrent with those of
20002-714: Was by Edward Jones in London in 1793, published in Musical Curiosities , 1811. Two Eora men (of the Sydney area in New South Wales ), Yemmerrawanne and Bennelong , had travelled to England with Arthur Phillip , and while they were in London gave a recital of a song in the Dharug language . The Yolngu term Bunggul refers to song, music and dance, which form a ceremony in central to eastern Arnhem Land , Northern Territory. It
20148-490: Was connected to the continent by a land bridge , was inhabited at least 40,000 years ago. The oldest known site is Wareen Cave, dated to this time. A 2021 study by researchers at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage has mapped the likely migration routes of the peoples as they moved across the Australian continent to its southern reaches of what
20294-517: Was experiencing in the UK during the mid 2010s also reached Australia. The sound's resurgence also affected the popularity of grime in Australia, with various other Australian MC's picking up the sound with success, such as Diem, Alex Jones, Shadow, Talakai, Nerve, Wombat and Seru. Indigenous Australian music Indigenous music of Australia comprises the music of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, intersecting with their cultural and ceremonial observances, through
20440-409: Was far more widespread and the peopling of Insular Southeast Asia and Oceania was more complex than previously anticipated. It is unknown how many populations settled in Australia prior to European colonisation. Both "trihybrid" and single-origin hypotheses have received extensive discussion. Keith Windschuttle , known for his belief that Aboriginal pre-history has become politicised , argues that
20586-475: Was found that some Aboriginal peoples used charcoal , stone tools and possible ancient campfires. Near Penrith , a far western suburb of Sydney, numerous Aboriginal stone tools were found in Cranebrook Terraces gravel sediments having dates of 45,000 to 50,000 years BP. This would mean that there was human settlement in Sydney earlier than thought. Archaeological evidence indicates human habitation at
20732-532: Was governed by strict rules regarding responsibilities to and from uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters as well as in-laws. The kinship systems observed by many communities included a division into moieties , with restrictions on intermarrying dictated by the moiety an individual belonged to. Male initiation usually occurred at puberty and the rites often included penile subincision , depilation or tooth avulsion . Female initiation often involved purification through smoke or bathing, and sometimes scarification or
20878-530: Was one of the first Australian post-war performers to gain widespread international recognition. After returning to the UK in 1959 Ifield was successful in the early 1960s, becoming the first performer to have three consecutive number-one hits on the UK charts: " I Remember You ", " Lovesick Blues " (both 1962) and " The Wayward Wind " (1963). "I Remember You" was also a Top-5 hit in the US. Australian country artists including Olivia Newton-John , Sherrie Austin , and Keith Urban have achieved considerable success in
21024-423: Was presented with an honorary doctorate in music by the University of Sydney . Despite the popularity of some of his work, Little failed to launch indigenous music in the country—from the 1970s onwards, groups such as Coloured Stone , Warumpi Band , and No Fixed Address helped improve the image of the genre. It was Yothu Yindi that brought indigenous music to the mainstream, with their 1991 song "Treaty", from
21170-420: Was recognised when she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 14 July 2005. Parallel with Geyer's success, American born vocalist Marcia Hines emerged as one of Australia's most successful solo singers. She first came to prominence in the early 1970s with critically acclaimed roles in the local stage productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar (in which she was the first African-American to play
21316-401: Was shared within groups and exchanged across groups. Aboriginal groups were semi-nomadic, generally ranging over a specific territory defined by natural features. Members of a group would enter the territory of another group through rights established by marriage and kinship or by invitation for specific purposes such as ceremonies and sharing abundant seasonal foods. As all natural features of
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