Emma Donovan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emma Donovan
Background information
Born	1981 (age 43–44) Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	R&B, soul, country, reggae
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Years active	2000–present
Labels	HopeStreet Recordings Cooking Vinyl Australia
Associated acts	The Donovans The Black Arm Band Stiff Gins

Emma Donovan is an amazing Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. She was born in 1981 and comes from the famous Donovan musical family. Emma started singing when she was just seven years old with her uncle's band, called The Donovans.

In 2000, she helped start a band called Stiff Gins. After three years, she left to release her own album, Changes, in 2004. Emma also performs with the Black Arm Band, a group that celebrates Indigenous music. She released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009.

Emma has been nominated for many Deadly Awards, which celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements. She even performed at the start of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. In 2009, she won Best Female Artist at the BUMP Awards. Emma was also featured in the ABC TV show Dynasties in 2004. A special SBS TV documentary about her, Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady, came out in 2005.

Emma has sung with many other talented Indigenous Australian musicians. These include Frank Yamma, her cousin Casey Donovan, Archie Roach, and Ruby Hunter. She has also performed with famous artists like Paul Kelly.

Emma's Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Her Family Background

Emma Donovan was born in 1981 in Liverpool, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. Her father, Neville Councillor, is from Geraldton in Western Australia. He has Naaguja and Yamatji heritage. Emma's mother, Agnes Donovan, is a Gumbaynggirr and Danggali woman. She is from the Nambucca Valley in New South Wales, where Emma grew up.

Growing Up with Music

Emma's journey in music began very early. Her grandparents, Micko and Aileen Donovan, started an Aboriginal country band called The Donovans. This was years before Emma was born. The band included their five sons and daughter Agnes, who sang at local events. Emma's uncles still perform today as the Donovan Brothers band.

When Emma was seven, she started singing with The Donovans sometimes. Her family, especially her mother Agnes, strongly supported her singing. Agnes would take her to talent competitions all over the country. Agnes also helped create special Aboriginal showcases at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the late 1990s, where Emma performed.

Her Education and New Sounds

Emma's family moved often, so she went to many different schools in New South Wales and Western Australia. She spent a longer time at North Newtown Primary. In 1997, at age sixteen, Emma studied contemporary music at the Eora College for Performing Arts in Chippendale, New South Wales. This college was created to provide education for Indigenous students. Here, Emma started to explore music beyond country music, including reggae and R&B.

Emma's Musical Journey

1999–2003: Starting with Stiff Gins

In late 1999, Emma Donovan formed a vocal acoustic band called Stiff Gins. She met Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs at Eora College. They released their first EP, Soh Fa, in 2000. Emma helped write their second release, the full album Origins. The group won two Deadly Awards. They won Most Promising New Talent in 2000 and Best Single Release for "Morning Star" in 2001. After touring in Australia and other countries, Emma left the group in 2003. She wanted to work on her own music.

2004–2006: Her First Solo Album, Changes

In 2004, Emma was featured in the SBS documentary Gumbaynggirr Lady. She also opened the 2004 Summer Olympics torch relay. Later that year, she toured Greece for an exhibition before the 2004 Olympics. She also performed at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau.

Emma released her first solo album, Changes, in 2004. The album's launch in Sydney was very successful. The music was a mix of soul, gospel, and reggae, with some country influences. In 2005, Emma toured Australia to promote her album. A representative from the Sydney Opera House said in 2007 that Emma was one of the most requested artists on Koori Radio 93.7FM. She was also becoming one of the most popular live performers in Sydney.

In 2006, she performed at the Perth Festival of the Arts and other events. She also made a short trip to Paris. Emma recorded three songs with her long-time writing partner, Yanya Boston, in 2006. He was a drummer she met while with Stiff Gins.

2007–2012: The Black Arm Band and Ngarraanga

In 2007, Emma performed at the WOMADELAIDE festival and other festivals. She also performed at the Sydney Opera House with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Emma was invited to join the Black Arm Band in 2007. This touring group performed a stage musical called Murundak/Alive – The Black Arm Band. The show featured famous songs from the Aboriginal resistance movement. It toured England and Canada and received great praise. The group has a changing lineup of Australian Indigenous musicians. In 2007, murundak won a Helpmann Award for Best Contemporary Music Concert.

While working on Murundak, Emma also created music with drummer Yanya Boston. They co-wrote the song "Ngarranga – Remember." This song was meant as a prayer to remember the Stolen Generations. It was first released on a 2007 compilation CD called Cry Stolen.

In 2008, Emma worked with Vicki Gordon to create a gospel remix of "Ngarranga – Remember." They also made four other songs for a five-track EP. The EP, Ngarraanga (Remember), or Ngarraanga Ngiinundi Yuludarra (Remember Your Dreaming), is a tribute to the Stolen Generations. The songs include Emma's traditional language. The EP was released on National Sorry Day on May 26, 2009. A music video for "Ngarranga" was filmed, featuring Emma and a dancer.

In October 2009, Emma performed in the musical Dirtsong at the Melbourne International Arts Festival. This show was created by the Black Arm Band. Some songs were sung in Indigenous languages. Emma also performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

2013–2021: Emma Donovan & The PutBacks

In 2013, Emma started performing with The Putbacks, a funk and soul band from Melbourne. They became known as Emma Donovan & The PutBacks. They have toured and recorded several albums together. Their first album, Dawn, came out in November 2014. Crossover was released in November 2020, and Under these Streets in September 2021.

2022–Present: New Collaborations

In January 2022, Emma Donovan released a cover of Archie Roach's "Get back to the Land" with The Teskey Brothers.

In November 2022, she worked with other First Nations artists like DOBBY and Emily Wurramara. They created a song called "Forever 15" to remember Cassius Turvey. Cassius was a 15-year-old Noongar-Yamatji boy who sadly died after an attack in Perth. The song was played at his funeral and released on November 21, 2022.

In July 2023, Emma released "Take No More" with Kee'Ahn.

In February 2024, Emma announced her fifth studio album, Til My Song is Done. It was released on April 19, 2024.

Emma's Unique Musical Style

Emma Donovan's singing and songwriting often mix reggae, gospel, smooth soul, roots, and country music. Her work with The Putbacks, which has a soul and funk sound, has been compared to Aretha Franklin's early recordings. However, her record label points out the influence of Australian Indigenous music. They say her songwriting is more like classic Aboriginal bands such as Coloured Stone.

Emma is proud of her Naaguja, Yamatji, and Danggali heritage. But she most often expresses her Gumbaynggirr heritage from her mother's side in her music. She often sings in the traditional Gumbaynggirr language.

Documentaries Featuring Emma

Emma Donovan has appeared in or been featured in a few documentaries. The documentary Gumbayngirr Lady focused on her. It was filmed and shown by the Special Broadcasting Service in 2004 as part of their BLAKTRAX series. This hour-long film followed Emma to her home region of Macksville, New South Wales. In 2005, she appeared in the ABC series Dynasties (episode 5). This was filmed in Woodford, Queensland while she was performing at the Dreaming Festival.

• Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady (SBS TV) (2004)
• Dynasties (ABC series) (2005)
• murundak – songs of freedom (AFI) (2011)

Emma's Music Albums

Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Awards and Nominations

Emma Donovan has received many awards and nominations for her incredible music. Here are some of them:

AIR Awards

The AIR Awards celebrate the success of Australia's independent music artists.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's biggest music awards, recognizing excellence in all music genres.

The Deadly Awards

The Deadlys celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements in music, sport, and entertainment.

Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards celebrate music from the state of Victoria, Australia.

National Indigenous Music Awards

These awards recognize amazing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians across Australia.

National Live Music Awards

The NLMAs celebrate contributions to live music in Australia.

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

These awards are given by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for great contributions to popular culture.