My Island Home

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Island Home is a song about Australia, originally written by Neil Murray and performed by the Warumpi Band. It was later covered by Christine Anu in 1995 who had worked with Murray in The Rainmakers. Murray and Anu won "Song of the Year" at the 1995 Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) Awards for Anu's version of the song which was reworked from the Warumpi Band version.[1]

Contents

[edit] Warumpi Band version

On his website, Neil Murray recalls writing the song in June 1985 on a bus between Melbourne and Sydney. He had been staying with lead singer George Rrurrambu at Rrurrambu's home on Elcho Island in Arnhem Land before travelling back to Melbourne to promote the Warumpi Band's first album. Murray composed the song on the bus and kept it in his mind until he got off the bus and could get a pen and paper to write it down.[2] It was first performed on the Warumpi Band's second album Go Bush.

Rrurrumbu would later record a version of it in the Gumatj language for his debut solo album Nerbu Message.[2]

[edit] Christine Anu

Christine Anu recorded a version of it for her 1995 album Stylin Up. Anu is a Torres Strait Islander and changed some of the lyrics to reflect her circumstances.[3] Anu's version of "My Island Home" became a hit on the Australian charts and Stylin Up sold well going platinum. It also was a critical favourite with My Island Home winning Song of the Year at the 1995 APRA Awards and Stylin' Up winning an ARIA Award for Best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Release.[4][5] Anu would perform the song at the closing ceremony for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

[edit] Tiddas

Aboriginal band Tiddas has also recorded a version of the song for the Radiance soundtrack.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Wondering and wandering far yet deeply rooted", The Age, 2005-03-06. Retrieved on 2006-06-27. 
  2. ^ a b c Neil Murray song list
  3. ^ Undercover "Christine Anu interview
  4. ^ Vibe Australia November 2004
  5. ^ Encyclopedia of Australia's Aboriginal Peoples "Christine Anu" accessed through Macquarie.net 27 June 2006