CHRISTINE ANU

Christine Anu was born on 15 March 1970 in Cairns, Queensland, to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai. Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993 with "Last Train", a dance remake of a Paul Kelly song. The follow-up, "Monkey and the Turtle", was based on a traditional story. After "My Island Home", she released her first album, 'Stylin' Up' which went platinum, and also gained her a position as a spokeswoman for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

In 1995, Neil Murray won an Australasian Performing Right Association songwriting award for writing "My Island Home". Christine Anu won an ARIA Award for best female recording artist as well as a Deadly Sounds National Aboriginal & Islander Music Awards Award in 1996 for best female artist. Baz Luhrmann asked her to sing on the song "Now Until the Break of Day" on his 'Something for Everybody' album. It was released as a single and the video then won another ARIA award and led to her being cast in Moulin Rouge!.

It took five years for a follow-up to 'Stylin' Up' to be released; 2000's 'Come My Way' made her a mainstream star. The single "Sunshine On A Rainy Day" was a Top 40 hit for 13 weeks in Australia. 'Come My Way' went gold. In 2000 she sang the song "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony. Anu has been nominated for 16 ARIA Awards.

On 26 September 2010, she released a new digital only single, "Come Home". This was her first solo single since 2003. On 7 November 2014, Anu released a Christmas album, titled 'Island Christmas'. In March 2018, Anu released a duet version of "Without You" from the musical Rent with Greg Gould. The lyric video featured photography from around the world, each photo with a splash of red for HIV/AIDS support and awareness. 2023, sees Anu continuing to work on her first album since 2015's live album 'ReStylin' Up 20 Years'. The project is using German ethnomusicologist Wolfgang Laade's recordings of Anu's grandfather, Nadi Anu, which are held by the Australian Institute Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Studies.

SINGLES

Last Train

Christine Anu with Paul Kelly

31 OCT '93

#93

Island Home

5 MAR '95

#67

Party

9 JUL '95

#20

Come On

3 DEC '95

#94

Now Until the Break of Day

Christine Anu & David Hobson withRoyce Doherty

9 NOV '97

#5

Sunshine on a Rainy Day

15 MAY '00

#26

Jump to Love / Island Home [Remix]

25 SEP '00

#58

Coz I'm Free

9 APR '01

#86

Talk About Love?

27 OCT '03

#85

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Anu

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/