She SaiD/ Australia's Blog
August 2009
..In this player are collaborations I’ve done so far here at Ourstage…I consider my self incredibly fortunate for the opportunity to work with these wonderful musicians..Thanks guys.xox
Tony Reynolds Greg Bertinelli Robert Seikawitch Mathew Newman Jeff Wright Joe (Jazz The Ripper)
April 2009
Charlie McMahon took up playing the didjeridu as a child, long before it became popular outside its home in the tropical north, and has become the most acclaimed didjeridu player in Australia. While Charlie revered the playing of the Aboriginal people in their traditional ceremonies, he did not seek to mimic their performance, but took the didjeridu to contemporary music. Charlie learned how to tune didjeridus to concert pitch and practiced different styles while jamming with bands at gigs.
At 16 years Charlie lost his right hand while experimenting with rockets in his backyard. He reckons it was not all bad for afterwards he “hooked” into school work & won a university scholarship. He holds an Honours degree in Government & Economics from Sydney University. In 1975 was appointed to the academic staff, teaching & researching town planning.
Finding academic life “too much talk” Charlie took to the bush & learned & skills he’d previously thought impossible one-handed. In 1978 Charlie was appointed an adviser in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (now ATSIC) in central Australia, which at the time was moving from administering big settlements to encouraging self determination. While on secondment to the notorious Papunya Settlement 200km west of ALICE SPRINGS, some Pintubi elders showed Charlie the WESTERN DESERT country they called home. They asked if he could find & develop water bores so they could move back. Charlie resigned from the DAA to work for the Pintubi’s Councils. By 1984 a line of water bores extending over 400km into the GREAT SANDY DESERT & across the NORTHERN TERRITORY border into WESTERN AUSTRALIA was established.
“Never a dull moment in those seven years in the swag” Charlie says. “I wouldn’t really call them highlights, but some big moments were being bitten by a venomous snake while asleep & the encounter with a group of nine nomadic Pintubi (the so called “Lost Tribe”) at KIWIRRKURRA, where we were erecting the windmill on the last bore.
..For some Reason, this Video/song “Life Of Me” Of Lee’s, really hit me emotionally..I absolutely adore the song..and wanted to share it with you all..Please go and visit Lee and welcome him to Ourstage..I’m sure you’ll love his songs :) Thanks Guys :) Jen..oxoxox
November 2008
Hi to all my friends here and thanks again for all the support and love you’ve shown to me and Our band in the past couple of months..I’m still very overwhelmed with the love and friendship that you’ve so easily shown to me and to others here at Ourstage…You’re wonderful wonderful people and I’ll never be able to thank you enough & you’ll never be forgotten….
Well I’ve decided that I’m not the best at writing blogs and even have trouble writing a simple bio for the band, so instead every now and then I may post a vid or 2 with a bit of a story attached…lol..
I have always had a very strong passion for classical music…SHOCK HORROR..LOL…Which I put down to the fact that my mother was and still is a classical pianist and singer, so growing up with this music around me from the time I was conceived, gave me the passion to really appreciate the classical genre…Also being a classical ballet dancer, I was pretty much surrounded by it 24 hours a day….
This Piece of music I remember so vividly from my childhood, performing a Ballet dance to it and hearing my Mum play it on piano…It’s always been in my memory and even thinking about it gives me Goosebumps..Literally…I was searching the other day through You tube hoping I could find it, and found about 100 different versions from different musicians, but came across this interpretation of the piece, which is so very close to the original that I remember loving almost 40 years ago..The violinist is Janine Jansen and the piece is titled “Meditation” from Thais…By composer,Jules Massenet in 1893 I believe….Hope you enjoy listening..This girl is both visually and musically wonderful…Thanks for listening…Just wanted to share this with you all..xoxoxo
October 2008
