FRANK POVAH, BACK OF WOLLAR, 1990

Frank Povah at the National Library of Australia

Rob has edited John Meredith’s film (Super 8) of the late Frank Povah, musician, poet, author, raconteur, writer and editor.

Frank plays autoharp and guitar and sings some interesting songs from various sources, including Tex Morton, Aboriginal performers and himself. He does some nice blues, as well.

The film is now available on our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT7ySj0NJ88

Frank in his hut at Wollar

VERANDAH MUSIC - AMERICAN SHANTY BOAT STYLE

Verandah music afloat – why not? Here’s a lovely blues on the river shanty boats by Jimmy Murphy, recorded in 1951, Knoxville, Tennessee.

This site is also the home of a great folklife project, ‘A Secret History of American River People: the lost narratives of river people, river communities, and the river itself’. And they’ve built their own shanty boat which they sail around the rivers collecting, documenting and learning …

MANY VERANDAHS ...

The current edition of the National Library’s magazine, Unbound, holds a feast of verandah music:

Salvatore Rossano writes about Italian traditions in Australia https://www.nla.gov.au/unbound/sonu-songs-from-the-homeland

Salvatore Rossano, Angelo and Dora Marchese, Melbourne, 2017

Barry York writes on the life and achievements of the late Australian bluesman, Peter Gelling https://www.nla.gov.au/unbound/if-it-wasnt-for-the-blues

 

Barry York, Peter Gelling and Blues Band Blind Freddy, 1995

Jennifer Gall looks at domestic music in colonial house museums

https://www.nla.gov.au/unbound/listening-to-the-past

J.R.B., Mary Cunningham, Griselda Dorothy Cunningham, T.J., Unity Alexandra Cunningham, A.C. and Alexander William Cunningham, Tuggeranong, between 1910 and 1914.


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