Black Allan Barker

Black Allan Barker
Birth nameAllan Moarywaalla Barker
Born(1942-04-12)12 April 1942[1]
Died5 December 2003(2003-12-05) (aged 61)[1]
near Onslow, Western Australia[2]
Genrescountry,[3] blues[4]
Instrument(s)Vocals, Guitar
LabelsAbmusic

Allan Moarywaalla Barker (12 April 1942 – 5 December 2003), known as Black Allan Barker, is a singer and songwriter from Port Hedland. He described his music as "Aboriginal grassroots blues"[5] and is about Aboriginal oppression and rights.[6] Barker was a co-founder (with Gordon Mutch) of Greenpeace Australia.[7] Barker only recorded one album, 1983's Fire Burning (Abmusic)[4] which is now rare to find.[8] "Black Al" was well known for his performing in Sydney's Central Station tunnel in 1991 where he sang in language whilst his son Alan Jr accompanied him on didgeridoo. Barker spent some time in Nimbin during the 1990s and was involved with local Aboriginal youth in cultural and musical pursuits.

Barker sang both "Run Dingo Run" and "Take Me Back", in both the SBS documentary and accompanying cd, Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music.

References

  1. ^ a b Barker Senior, Allan Moarywaalla. "Australian Aboriginal Culture & Didgeridoo News and Articles". Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2009. Blog. No info.
  2. ^ Gilbert, Kevin (1978). "The Search For Identity". Living Black. Melbourne: Penguin. pp. 161–171.
  3. ^ Webb, Hugh (2005). "Say Goodbye to the Colonial Bogeyman: Aboriginal Strategies of Resistance". Altitude. 6. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b Walker, Clinton (2000). "I'm a bludger, I'm a drunk, I'm a jailbird". Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music. Pluto Press. p. 94. ISBN 1-86403-152-2.
  5. ^ Breen, Marcus (1989). Our Place Our Music. Aboriginal Studies Press. ISBN 0-85575-197-5.
  6. ^ Our Place, Our Music: Aboriginal music: Australian popular music in perspective, Volume 2. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. 1989. p. 127. ISBN 0855755679. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ Syron, Brian; Kearney, Briann (2008). Kicking Down the Doors - A History of Indigenous Australian Filmmaking 1968 - 1993. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-84799-364-9.
  8. ^ "Buried Country reissue illuminates once again the rich trove of Aboriginal country music". ABC.net.au. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.