Jimmy Chi

Jimmy Chi was born in 1948 in Broome, Western Australia, to a Scots/Bardi Aboriginal mother and a Chinese/Japanese/Anglo-Australian father. He is a composer, musician and playwright.

His most acclaimed work was "Bran Nue Dae", written in collaboration with his band Kuckles, The Pigram Brothers and friends. "Bran Nue Dae", celebrates family, forgiveness and reconciliation, was a hit at the Festival of Perth in 1990 and went on to tour Australia extensively. it was Australia's most successful musical play at the time.

One of the famous verses from a song in the musical sums up Chi's dry humour and sharp political approach:

:"There's nothing I would rather be
":"Than to be an Aborigine
":"and watch you take my precious land away.:"For nothing gives me greater joy
":"than to watch you fill each girl and boy
":"with superficial existential shit."

The musical won the prestigious Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards in 1990. The following year the published script and score won the Special Award in the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.cite web |title= Western Australian Premier's Book Awards - 1991 Winners |publisher= State Library of Western Australia |url= http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/pbk91win.html |accessdate= 2007-08-11]

It brought acclaim for many Aboriginal artists including Ernie Dingo, Josie Ningali Lawford and Leah Purcell. The musical's success was also instrumental in the formation of the Black Swan Theatre Company.

He also wrote the musical "Corrugation Road", which toured Australia and broke box office records. It smashed taboos surrounding mental health, abuse, sexuality and religion with humour and optimism.

Both musicals played a significant role in the development and direction of Indigenous performance.

In 1990, Chi was awarded the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Drama Award for "Bran Nue Dae", for the "musical about a young Aborigine's journey to consciousness".cite web|title= 1990 Human Rights Medal and Awards |publisher= Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission |url= http://www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards/1990.html |accessedate= 2007-08-11] This award was followed by a Deadly Sounds National Indigenous Music Award for Excellence in Film or Theatre Score in 1999.

In 1997, he was presented with the Australia Council's Red Ochre Award for the lifetime achievement of an Indigenous artist. His songs have been covered by such artists as the Irish singer Mary Black, and Aboriginal singer Archie Roach.

Chi's music has come to represent the colour of Broome. Broome's Opera Under the Stars festival has featured Chi's "Child of Glory", from Bran Nue Dae, at every festival since 1993. It has been adopted as this festival's theme song in tribute to Jimmy Chi. His hymns are regularly sung at Aboriginal funerals in Broome.

In 2004 he was acknowledged by the WA Government as a State Living Treasure. He now chooses to spend most of his time at home in Broome with his family and friends. In spite of life’s challenges, his work continues to be imbued with an underlying sense of hope and humanity.

Works

* "Broome songwriters" with Michael Manolis and Ron Harper (Hodja Educational Resources, 1985) ISBN: 0949575372
*" Bran Nue Dae" (Currency Press, 1991) ISBN: 0868192937
* "Corrugation Road" (sound recording - Angoorrabin Records, p1996)

External References

* Aboriginality in Recent Australian Drama [http://www.currency.com.au/preview/b_and_w.htm] , Katharine Brisbane.
* WA State Living Treasures [http://www.artswa.wa.gov.au/documents/STATETREASURESBook.pdf]

Notes

References

* [http://www.ozco.gov.au/arts_in_australia/artists/artists_atsia/jimmy_chi/ Profile: Jimmy chi] Arts in Australia (Retrieved 1 August 2007)
* [http://www.greenleft.org.au/1991/27/618 Jimmy Chi's magical musical 11 September 1991, reviewed by Peter Boyle] from Cultural Dissent, Green Left Weekly issue #27 (Retrieved 1 August 2007)
* [http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A%23L( Jummy Chi] AustLit Agent (Retrieved 1 August 2007)