Various Aussie Bush Songs CD

Aussie Bush Bands originated in the outback of Australia in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The instruments of choice were generally of the homemade variety, for example tea chest bass, lagerphone and bones as well as concertinas, fiddle and harmonica. 
 
The songs these Bush Bands played were derived from many sources and were truly unique in their evocation of a way of life unknown to most listeners, even those who have lived in Australia all their lives. They were based on Irish and Scottish tunes, brought to Australia by the early settlers and the lyrics reflected the outback life of those people and their struggle with the land.
 
The songs not only represent the historical culture of outback Australia, they also feature a mixture of homespun philosophy, humour and tall tales. They were often sung and played around the campfires in the outback and at woolshed dances, where many of the Bush Bands featured on this disc originated. From musical versions of A,B, 'Banjo' Paterson's bush poetry to adaptations of Irish traditional melodies, all of the songs in this collection have one thing in common – they take us back to life in the Australian outback as it was in the colonial days.
 
Happily, the tradition of Bush songs is carried on today by bands such as those featured on this collection: The Bushwackers, The Sundowners, The Colonials and Ants Bush Band, to name just a few.