Geoffrey Gurrumul Yungupingu is an Indigeneous Australian musician, & sings in the Yolngu language. He was born blind, has never learned Braille and does not have a guide dog or use a white cane. Listen to this haunting rendering of Wiyathul, & I was born blind. Learn more about the man here and visit his website here
Tag: Australia
There are times for levity in the Australian High Court [News/Article]
On Wednesday, the Australian High Court had to rule upon a dreadful case of coitus interruptus. A hilarious write-up in the Sydney Morning Herald:
The matter revolved around a claim for compensation by a female public servant from Canberra who, while out of town in the NSW coastal town of Nowra on a brief work trip, met a chap and retired to her Commonwealth-paid motel bed for purposes other than sleeping.
Margaret Roadknight: Albatross [Music]
Thanks to @AlisonFairleigh, found another Australian icon, Margaret Roadknight. That link plays her music automatically, but check out her performance from 1973, called Albatross
Australia’s national treasure: Paul Kelly [Article]
Guest butler Julia May shares her love for Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s iconic musicians. Some classics in there – like “They thought I was asleep” and “From Little things big things grow” and a long list of others.
The first thing to know about Paul Kelly — really, the most important thing to know — is what his strength is as a singer and songwriter. It’s this: He articulates the feelings you know but cannot name, conjuring the first, worst, best, most lusty or loneliest love; that person’s smell, the particular flavor of that heartbreak. He also transports you into other bodies, other lives.
Warning (the author’s, not mine, but I concur): A few songs, and Paul Kelly can form part of your life’s soundtrack
Australia’s national secret: John Pilger on the plight of the Aboriginals [Article]
The story of the first Australians is still poverty and humiliation, while their land yields the world’s biggest resources boom, writes noted journalist & film-maker John Pilger.
Black Australians are stereotyped as violent, yet the violence routinely meted out to them by authority is of little interest.
Charles Dickens note to his youngest son [Letters]
Timesless advice from Charles Dickens to his son, Edward Bulwer Lytton, fondly referred to as Plorn, upon his departure to Australia.
Sunny Cowgirls – Green and Gold [Video]
The Sunny Cowgirls paint a vivid picture of Australia in their brilliantly written song called “Green and Gold“.
I’ve been everywhere [Video]
I found this to be the best way to get to know of Australian town names – listen to one of the giants of Australian folk music, Lucky Starr performing “I’ve been everywhere“. And here’s a lyrical list of the towns he says he’s been to.
Tim-Berners Lee in Sydney [Article]
The father of the internet, Sir Tim-Berners Lee was in Australia & New Zealand & cautions that what our politicians have in the pipeline as data-retention law is so dangerous it is dynamite. This follows several leaders in the industry who have been voicing their opinion that governments around the world are disregarding the very principles of democracy that they want the rest of world to espouse.
Vincent Lingiari; from little things big things grow [Video, Paul Kelly]
An Australian icon, Paul Kelly inspires, cajoles, tells stories, and is an incredibly talented songrwriter, although he claims otherwise. Listen to this song of Vincent Lingiari (or more popularly known as the song “From Little Things Big Things grow”) co-written with Kev Carmody. Vincent Lingiari is an Australian aboriginal activist – who I think is to Australia what Rosa Parks is to the United States of America