Joyous celebration
Two aboriginal singers celebrate a life with music that touches the soul.
RUBY'S STORY March 18, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Sunday March 23, 2008
THE world of Australian aboriginal art has stumped me before. I distinctly remember being clueless when I attended an art exhibition featuring the work of Walpiri artist Dorothy Napangardi in 2003. For while I clearly saw that she was trying to communicate stories to me, her methods were too abstract for my thick skull to absorb.
I had no such problems, though, during a memorable Tuesday night at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre. In fact, it's been a long time since I enjoyed myself at a live show as much as I did during the course of Ruby's Story.
A collaborative effort between acclaimed aboriginal singers Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach and the highly flexible 10-piece Australian Art Orchestra, Ruby's Story was both moving and a joyous celebration of aboriginal life.
Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, ably backed by the Australian Art Orchestra, gave us a night of moving and joyous song. - RICKY LAI / The Star Hunter and Roach are both members of Australia's "stolen generation", that unfortunate group of children who were whisked away from their parents and community because the Australian Government of the time (and, frankly, this horrendous policy was practiced for many decades, up until the 1970s) believed that they would be better assimilated into society if they were raised in orphanages or foster homes.
While Roach is perhaps the better-known artiste of the two (he has released four albums and performed alongside a host of legends, including Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega), the central figure of Ruby's Story is undoubtedly Hunter.
Ruby's Story, which is essentially the live delivery of a series of conceptually linked songs backed by some truly sumptuous "world music" colouring, tells of the life of Hunter, a Ngarrindjeri woman "who was born by the river bank".
It tells of her simple but happy childhood and the traumatic separation from her family and how she and Roach found each other on Adelaide city streets in South Australia and built a life for themselves; the pair have been together since the 1970s and live with their children in a home that helps troubled aboriginal youths.
Everything about the show was just right. From the storytelling skills of the two central characters - who effortlessly complemented each other, mainly with humour and occasionally with emphatic pain and anger - to the smooth playing of the multi-talented musicians led by pianist Alister Spence, right down to the length of the show ... everything was ideal.
The homage to Hunter's life began with Kura Tungar, a song of river stories. Hunter's birth was well-documented, as Roach (probably the stronger vocalist of the pair) sang A Child is Born Tonight while Hunter told us of how, as a premature billabong-born baby, she looked just like a rabbit as she was rolled in the ashes on the ground (according to traditional aboriginal precepts, being premature, she couldn't be cleaned in water).
Another interesting song was Coolamon Baby, which told the tale of how Hunter's little brother (whom she later described as now having a long, white beard) was nearly carried away by the river and had to be rescued by her father.
The musicianship of the orchestra, which very briefly threatened to be avant-garde jazz, soon settled into a charming mix of simplicity and skill. As the vocal melodies chosen by Roach and Hunter were relatively uncomplicated, most songs used blues and soul as a base, although the musicians each took time to shine. Daisy Chains, String Games and Knuckle Bones, for example, provided an excuse for a playful percussion break by drummer Simon Barker and percussionist Alex Pertout.
Even though the first half of the show was joyous and amusing, we knew that big emotional meltdowns were on the way, and when Roach launched into Took the Children Away, the hurt and anger was clearly felt by all. This song, initially recorded for his debut solo album, Charcoal Lane, actually won Roach a Human Rights Achievement Award back in the early 1990s.
While the musicians used melodies that often reminded me of Paul Simon's magnificent Graceland album, Roach's voice was pure soul power and harked back to the giants of the 1960s. The subtle physical accompaniments that both Hunter and Roach made while the other was singing (I did wish that they would essay a duet, but that never happened) only added to the sense of togetherness.
Thankfully Ruby's Story had a happy ending, and I dare say the entire audience was grinning when Hunter and Roach told of their love affair: "you've gotta get your man quick, and a Hunter always get her man!" she quipped. When they danced together for a brief moment, it was a truly emotional conclusion to a relationship that Roach credited with saving his life.
It is perhaps unfortunate that Ruby's Story only ran for one night (it was originally scheduled to come to KL in the middle of last year, but that fell through when Roach fell ill) and I can only hope that they bring their act to town again soon (this performance was courtesy of the Australian embassy).
In fact, aside from Roach's four albums and Hunter's two recordings (Thoughts Within and Feeling Good), they have also collaborated on another project called Kura Tungar: River Songs and Stories. I really do hope that this awesome show is captured either in the form of a musical CD or a DVD, because it really is worth passing on.
- Review by MARTIN VENGADESAN starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my
