Ted Egan – 100 Years of Territory Songs
Ted Egan came to live in the NT when he was 17. He turned 85 last birthday and is still here, still going strong.
Over his career he has written hundreds of songs about the characters of the Northern Territory – and this month performs Namiuk Kwaruk: 100 Years Of Territory Songs.
Of the hundreds of songs you’ve written over your career is there one particular song you always look forward to performing?
‘Granny’ is a favourite and it always gets a positive response. It’s a song about Granny Lum Loy, a much- loved old Darwin woman, who came to Australia from China as a child bride aged seven and died in Darwin aged 97. She was the grandma of the first local I met when I arrived in Darwin, Ron "Hoonga" Chin. I developed the tune of the song from the principle that Eastern music is based on the black notes on the piano.
Who are the characters who have inspired you to write music recently?
There are not as many inspirations as in former years – perhaps we are running out of characters? I have a couple of songs on the go, one about a pioneer woman of the Barossa Valley and another about Dr Gilruth, the subject of my new biography. The Gilruth song is principally aimed at getting proper pronunciation of his surname: "Tell us the truth, about Doctor Gil-RUTH".
Tell us about the ‘pearling songs’ that form part of your repertoire. Why are these songs something you are so passionate about?
People came from all parts of the Pacific to Darwin in the pearling days, especially from the Philippines, Malaya and Indonesia. They brought with them their work songs. The tunes of these songs became well-known around Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and Broome and while people joined in singing the tunes they often imposed phrases of their own languages. As a result there is this musical "hotch-potch" of terrific tunes with confused, often meaningless words. The songs are sung differently in Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and Broome accordingly.
Your honorific name is “Namiuk Kwaruk” – who gave you this name, and what does it mean?
It is an honorific bestowed by the Khungarakung people. It means "Singing Elder" and was given to me when I wrote my song ‘Alyandabu’, about the famous Khungarakung matriarch.
You’re launching your book Gilruth in September – a book about the first NT Administrator John Anderson Gilruth. Why is Gilruth a Territory identity whose life you wanted to document?
Gilruth has been badly treated in historic terms. He was certainly not faultless and I acknowledge many silly mistakes he made, but I also point to the fact that he had the Territory's best interests at heart and was at all times energetic, knowledgeable and innovative, and thereby deserves to be re-evaluated as the Administrator of the Northern Territory, rather than the Viceroy of Darwin.
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