Maroochy Barambah facts for kids

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

Maroochy Barambah is a famous Aboriginal singer from Australia. She is known for her powerful mezzo-soprano voice. Maroochy is also a respected song-woman, law-woman, and elder of the Turrbal people.

Early Life and Heritage

Maroochy Barambah was born Yvette Isaacs in the 1950s. Her birthplace was Cherbourg, Queensland. She belongs to the Turrbal-Gubbi Gubbi people. Maroochy was part of the Stolen Generations. This was a time when many Aboriginal children were taken from their families. She believes this experience helped her in some ways. To honor her Aboriginal background, she chose the names Maroochy and Barambah. Maroochy means "black swan" and Barambah means "source of the western wind."

Singing and Acting Career

Maroochy Barambah became well-known in 1989. She starred in the Sydney Metropolitan Opera's show Black River. This opera was about important issues faced by Aboriginal people. Later, she also appeared in the 1993 film based on the opera. This film won a major award in Paris.

She also performed in the Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae. Maroochy was in the 1981 TV series Women of the Sun. She also starred in an opera called Beach Dreaming. This opera was written especially for her.

Maroochy has released two popular songs. One of them, "Aborigine," became a top 10 hit. It was very popular on the U.S. Billboard Dance chart.

Notable Performances

In 1993, Maroochy sang at the AFL Grand Final. She performed "Waltzing Matilda" and "Advance Australia Fair." She was very nervous during her performance.

In 2013, Maroochy's special translation was performed. She translated "Advance Australia Fair" into Turrubul. This is the traditional language of the Brisbane Aboriginal people. It was sung at the Indigenous All Stars Rugby League match. This event took place in Brisbane.

On November 15, 2014, Maroochy was part of a big event. She performed at the opening of the G-20 Australia Summit. This important meeting was held in Brisbane. She sang in front of many world leaders and special guests.

Music Releases

Albums

Singles

Featured Appearances

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

See also

In Spanish: Maroochy Barambah para niños