Stiff Gins

Last updated

Stiff Gins
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
  • World
  • folk
  • acoustic
Years active1999 (1999)–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Website stiffgins.net

The Stiff Gins are an Indigenous Australian band from Sydney. They call their music "acoustic with harmonies" and are regularly compared to Tiddas. [1] The band was formed by Emma Donovan, Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs in 1999, [2] after meeting at the Eora Centre while studying music. The band's name uses the word gin (a derogatory word for an Aboriginal woman which was also a Dharug word for woman/wife) with the word stiff to become strong black woman, [3] a name which caused debate about use of the word gin. [4]

Contents

The band won Deadlys in 2000 for Most Promising New Talent and in 2001 for their single "Morning Star". [5]

Discography

Albums

TitleDetails
Origins
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Stiff Gins (SGO2500)
  • Format: CD
Kingia Australis
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Didgeridoo records
  • Format: CD
Wind & Water
  • Released: March 2011 [6]
  • Label: Gadigal Music (GAD006)
  • Format: CD, DD

Extended plays

TitleDetails
Soh Fa
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Stiff Gins (TSG500)
  • Format: CD

Awards

Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as "The Deadlys", was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The awards ran from 1995 until funding cuts lead to their cancellation in 2014. [7]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
Deadly Awards 2000 Stiff GinsMost Promising New TalentWon
Deadly Awards 2001 "Morning Star" by Stiff GinsBest Single ReleaseWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous music of Australia</span> Music of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders

Indigenous music of Australia comprises the music of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, intersecting with their cultural and ceremonial observances, through the millennia of their individual and collective histories to the present day. The traditional forms include many aspects of performance and musical instrumentation that are unique to particular regions or Aboriginal Australian groups; and some elements of musical tradition are common or widespread through much of the Australian continent, and even beyond. The music of the Torres Strait Islanders is related to that of adjacent parts of New Guinea. Music is a vital part of Indigenous Australians' cultural maintenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Donovan (singer)</span> Australian singer-songwriter and actress (born 1988)

Casey Donovan is an Australian singer, songwriter, actress, theatre actress and author, best known for winning the second season of the singing competition show Australian Idol in 2004. She won the competition at the age of just 16, becoming the series' youngest winner. In 2017, Donovan won the third series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. Donovan also hosted the NITV music show Fusion with Casey Donovan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Roach</span> Aboriginal Australian musician and elder (1956–2022)

Archibald William Roach was an Australian singer-songwriter and Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung elder who campaigned for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. His wife and musical partner was the singer Ruby Hunter (1955–2010).

The Donovans (The Donovan Band) are an Australian Aboriginal country music band.

The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013. The Dreamtime Awards are a successor in recognising Indigenous achievements.

Deadly Awards 2004 the awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Donovan</span> Musical artist

Emma Donovan is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle's band, the Donovans. In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes in 2004. She performs with the Black Arm Band and released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009.

The Deadlys Awards was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The Deadlys Awards was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

Fitzroy Xpress is an indigenous Aboriginal country rock band from the remote Kimberley town of Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia.

The 2007 Deadly Awards took place at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Featured guests included many people associated with the 1967 Referendum. Guest performances included Jessica Mauboy, Casey Donovan, Lou Bennett, Michael Tuahine and Kutcha Edwards, and several South Sydney Rabbitohs. The awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The Deadlys Awards were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The Deadlys Awards 2000, were an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

Black Arm Band is an Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander music theatre organisation.

The 2010 Deadly Awards were hosted by Luke Carroll and Naomi Wenitong at the Sydney Opera House on 27 September 2010. Performers included Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, Christine Anu, Frank Yamma, Ali Mills and the Bangarra Dance Theatre. The Awards program will be broadcast on SBS and SBS Two on 3 and 6 October respectively. The awards event was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The 2011 Deadly Awards were hosted by Aaron Pedersen and Casey Donovan at the Sydney Opera House on 27 September 2011. Shellie Morris, the Yanyuwa Singers and the Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir all performed at the ceremony. The Awards program were broadcast on nationally on SBS TV in October. The event was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The 2012 Deadly Awards were hosted by Luke Carroll and Casey Donovan at the Sydney Opera House on 25 September 2012. Jessica Mauboy and opera singer Deborah Cheetham performed at the ceremony. The Awards program were broadcast on nationally on SBS One on 30 September 2012. The event was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community.

The National Indigenous Music Awards 2018 were the 15th annual National Indigenous Music Awards.

Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay musician and writer in Australia. She is a founding member of the Indigenous folk group Stiff Gins. Her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile, was published in 2020.

References

  1. Ewans, Michael; Rosalind Halton; John A. Phillips (2004). Music Research: New Directions for a New Century. Cambridge Scholars Press. ISBN   9781904303350.
  2. Davern, Pearl (4 May 2009). "Emma Donovan shoots her first music video". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  3. TE Archive Drink up the Heady soul of Stiff Gins
  4. Dunbar-Hall, Peter; Chris Gibson (July 2004). Deadly Sounds, Deadly Places. Contemporary Aboriginal Music in Australia. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN   9780868406220.
  5. Michael Ewans, Rosalind Halton, John A. Phillips Music Research: New Directions for a New Century 2004 Page 159 "... 2000, the group won a Deadly Awards for Most Promising New Talent, and in 2001, they won the Single Release of the Year award for their song "Morning Star."
  6. Elder, Bruce (11 June 2011), "Indigenous folk", The Sydney Morning Herald
  7. Feneley, Rick (14 July 2014). "Deadly Awards founder Gavin Jones dies after funding cut". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2021.

Further reading

Davis, Therese (2006). "'The Spirit, the Heart and the Power': An Interview with the 'Stiff Gins' on Music, Friendship and History". Aboriginal History. 30: 111–123.