Bunna_Lawrie

Coloured Stone

Coloured Stone

Aboriginal Australian music band


Coloured Stone is an Aboriginal Australian band whose members originate from the Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna, South Australia. The band performs using guitar, bass, drums, and Aboriginal instruments – didjeridu, bundawuthada (gong stone) and clap sticks – to play traditional music.

Quick Facts Origin, Genres ...

"Mouydjengara" is a whale-dreaming song of the Mirning people.

Background and members

Bunna Lawrie (Feb 2012)

The original Coloured Stone band members were three brothers, Bunna Lawrie (drums, lead vocals, songwriter), and Neil Coaby (rhythm guitar and backing vocals) and Mackie Coaby (bass guitar and backing vocals), and their nephew, Bruce (aka Bunny) Mundy (lead guitar and backing vocals). All are from the community of Koonibba, South Australia.

Lawrie is a member and respected elder of the Mirning people coastal Nullarbor region in South Australia. He is known as a whale-dreamer, songman, medicine man and storyteller. He is Coloured Stone's founding member and chief songwriter.

The band's single, "Black Boy" was a success when first released in 1984. It became the number one song in Fiji, and sold 120,000 copies. The lyrics included the line "Black boy, black boy, the colour of your skin is your pride and joy", which was a somewhat revolutionary sentiment for Aboriginal people in the 1980s. Four decades after its release, the single still inspires hope and inspiration for generations of Aboriginal people.[1]

Lawrie's son, Jason Scott, played guitar, bass, drums and didgeridoo for Coloured Stone from the age of 13 years. His first major gig was "Rock Against Racism" in Adelaide. Scott has also performed at the Sydney Opera House and he toured the US in 1994 with the Wirrangu Band as part of a cultural exchange program. With his band Desert Sea, Scott released an album in 2002 titled From the Desert to the Sea.

The current[when?] members of Coloured Stone are: Lawrie (vocals, rhythm guitar, didgeridoo, gong stone), Selwyn Burns (lead guitar, vocals), Peter Hood (drums), Cee Cee Honeybee (backing vocals) and guest musicians (bass guitarist, didgeridoo player, keyboard player.

Support for Aboriginal causes

On the first day of an April 1998 outdoor gig, Wild Water opened for Coloured Stone and Regurgitator at Brown's Mart Community Arts Centre. On the third day the band went to Jabiru, Northern Territory, to play at the Sports and Social Club. At dawn on day four, Coloured Stone travelled to Jabiluka to play on a makeshift stage in support of the Mirrar people's protest blockade of the road to a uranium mine on Mirrar land.

From March to August 2001, Lawrie and fellow Aboriginal musician Barry Cedric took part in a songwriting workshop for Aboriginal youth at Yarrabah. The young people learned to play musical instruments, compose a song and set it to music. At the end, six youths went to Cairns to record their song, "One Fire", in a recording studio.

In the media

"A Rare Gem: Coloured Stone" is an episode of 2013 TV series Desperate Measures, which features the band.[2]

Awards and recognition

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Coloured Stone has one ARIA Award and been nominated for three, as follows:[citation needed]

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Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards, (commonly known simply as The Deadlys), was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. It ran from 1995 to 2013

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Don Banks Music Award

The Don Banks Music Award was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia.[3] It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.

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Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.

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National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. It commenced in 2004.

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Discography

Albums

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Compilation albums

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Singles

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References

  1. "Coloured Stone's 'Black Boy' continues to offer hope, almost four decades on". Double J. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  2. "Don Banks Music Award: Prize". Australian Music Centre. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. "Don Banks Music Award : Prize : Australian Music Centre". Australian Music Centre. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  5. "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  6. "Gurrumul dominates NIMAs". Deadly Vibe. Vibe Australia. 22 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  7. O'Toole, Kate (20 September 2011). "Bunna Lawrie and Coloured Stone perform at the NIMAs". ABC Radio. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  8. "Australia - single". Apple Music. 2000. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  9. "Black Boy (remix) - single". Apple Music. 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2020.

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