Maroochy Barambah facts for kids

Maroochy Barambah during a Welcome to Country & Dreamtime Storytelling ceremony in Brisbane (February 2021)

Maroochy Barambah is an Australian Aboriginal singer known for her powerful voice. She is a respected song-woman, law-woman, and elder of the Turrbal people.

Early Life and Name

Maroochy Barambah was born Yvette Isaacs in the 1950s in Cherbourg, Queensland. She is part of the Turrbal-Gubbi Gubbi people. She is also a member of the Stolen Generations, a group of Aboriginal children who were taken from their families by past government policies. She believes her experiences helped her in some ways. To honor her Aboriginal heritage, she chose the names Maroochy, which means "black swan," and Barambah, which means "source of the western wind."

Her Career in Music and Acting

Maroochy Barambah became well-known for her role in the 1989 Sydney Metropolitan Opera show called Black River. This opera was about important social issues affecting Aboriginal people. She later starred in the film version of Black River in 1993, which won a major award in Paris.

She also appeared in the Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae. In 1981, she was in the TV series Women of the Sun. She also performed in an opera called Beach Dreaming, which was written especially for her by Mark Isaacs.

Maroochy has released two singles, which are individual songs. One of them, "Aborigine," became very popular and reached the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Dance chart.

In 1993, she sang Waltzing Matilda and Advance Australia Fair at the 1993 AFL Grand Final, a big Australian sports event. She was very nervous during her performance.

Maroochy translated the Australian national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, into Turrubul. This is the traditional language of the Aboriginal people from the Brisbane area. Her translation was performed at the 2013 Indigenous All Stars Rugby League match in Brisbane on February 9, 2013.

On November 15, 2014, Maroochy took part in the Welcome to Country ceremony for the opening of the 2014 G-20 Australia Summit in Brisbane. She performed in front of many world leaders and important guests.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Appears on

• Women of the sun (1981) miniseries
• Black River (1997) soundtrack - MusicArtsDance Films

See also

In Spanish: Maroochy Barambah para niños