G'day Percustard and Christine,

I've seen a fair few sets of words that have various degrees of Aboriginal origin ... but the tunes always seem to come from the currently popular Gubba Music. I suspect that much of the real Aboriginal music is of tribal and religious significance and so will not be turned to other uses.

Keep in mind that, to many of the tribal groups, the "songs" are much more than a mere song is to us ... for instance, holding and knowing a specific song may be the claim to ancestral territory and spirit country. A friend of mine did her doctoral thesis on "songs and land ownership amongst Arnhem Land women" ... but I would imagine thaty much of what she studied would be embafrgoed from open publication ... especially under our present elected racists.

It certainly seems that, nowadays, the most popular musical medium for Aboriginal singers is "Country" style ... although some groups have been using 'Rock' very effectively. I recently went along to Macquarie University to hear preliminary presentations of thesis material by anthropological musicologists working, mostly, in the Islands to our north - and there was much more integration of traditional music with western styles. However, I presume that there were fewer religious proscriptions applying to their music.

Regards,

Bob Bolton