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In Reply to: in the steps of the pioneers posted by dave c on April 6, 2007 at 20:35:57:
also fled to the American south and settled in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and the whole of Appalachia. The old tunes of their homelands became, over time, the foundation of bluegrass music. Then in the mid 20th century this Americanized folk music wormed it's way back home....see the documentary Bringing It All Back Home by the BBC.
What is strange to me is that those who fled to Oz did not seem to carry the songs and tunes of their heritage with them. Is it because many were of the criminal element and there were few artists and instrument builders among them? Did I miss something, is there a Oz version of Appalachia/Celtic that developed separately? Why is the tradition, if it exists there, so far under the radar?
Dolly Parton is a National Treasure, she has written 2000-3000 songs, and in the last few years has returned to sing and write the kind of tunes that she learned at her mother's knee and that was sung in her church. To see her and hear her wonderful voice is one of the very finest musical joys I have experienced. Here is a bit about her roots:
"She was born in Sevierville, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children born to Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lolo Owens. Her siblings are Willadeene Parton (a poet), David Parton, Denver Parton, Bobby Parton, Stella Parton (a singer), Cassie Parton, Larry Parton (who died shortly after birth), Randy Parton (a singer), twins Floyd Parton (a songwriter) and Freida Parton (a singer), and Rachel Dennison (an actress).Her family was, as she described them, "dirt poor", and lived in a rustic, dilapidated one-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains, near Locust Ridge, Tennessee. Parton's parents were parishioners in the Assembly of God Church, a Pentecostal denomination, and music was a very large part of her church experience. She once told an interviewer that her grandfather was a Pentecostal "holy roller" preacher and today, when appearing in live concerts, she frequently performs spiritual songs. (Parton, however, professes no denomination, claiming only to be Christian while adding that she believes that all the Earth's people are God's children.)"
Quote from Wikipedia
Follow Ups:
I have actually met Dolly and a lovely person she is too.But the story of taking DP to see XTC is for another day.
The reason Australian "roots" music was under the radar fro so long is the same reason nearly all things Australian were under the radar for so long.
It was a long way from anywhere where music was a major business. Long way from Britain and a long way from the USA. Not to mention a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll!
It's the same reason that really until very recently the only Aussie singers you might have heard of were Frank Ifield (I remember you-oo) and Rolf Harris.
And even they had to leave to make it.
Look at how The Triffids passed completely by you...
So before the 60s, it was such a backwater that its music developed uninterfered with.
Now it's a different story, but those very localised things are almost disappearing or at least being absorbed into an Australian version of the musics that now exist everywhere.
We have the gorgeous singers, some great writers and in ACDC the band with the biggest selling rock album in history.
And there was always The Easybeats...
he said meekly, pointing his trembling finger at the lone vinyl Triffids that I have owned since it was released....I was speaking more of roots type of music being dragged from Ireland and England and being refurbished as was done in Appalachia. You know, the jingly folkie stuff....
... but the same applies to all Australian music.
This whole country has been ignored, apart from sports, more or less since the Brits stopped dumping its hungry, its poor, its huddled masses... errr, criminals, here.
the Ozzies sent THEIR bad eggs to Taz.....thus improving the overall IQ of both places....or something like that....
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