If you've ever wondered about a key to your soul's door, Archie Roach has it.
Carrying 'learnings' (less like the politicians who spawned the term) spanning generations before and after the stealing of children, here is a man who has witnessed by participation, many dimensions of human existence and woven them into a language regular humans can receive.After COVID-19 postponed his farewell 'Tell Me Why' Australian tour last year, Archie is set to appear at the re-formatted, all-Oz WOMADelaide, in what will be a record seventh appearance at the festival since he played its inception in 1992.
About that first festival Archie marvels: "Playing and seeing a huge crowd of people outside – that was pretty amazing. But, being outside – and I've seen photos of it – I said 'wow that's a big crowd'."
"Songwriting is a strange beast. . . I'll put it that way." - Archie Roach
At that time, Archie's first album 'Charcoal Lane' had been out for two years, featuring the essential song 'Took The Children Away' and which he was awarded the first Human Rights Achievement Award bestowed on a songwriter, giving voice to the Stolen Generations that included Archie.
"I think to express it, or deal with it through music – it was a big healing for me to be able to do that. It's always been a part of my healing, that song."
After losing Ruby Hunter, his life-long wife and stage partner almost 11 years ago, Archie experienced and embodied the role of singing and publicly sharing grief and connection.
The day after Ruby's funeral in South Australia, near her billabong birthplace, Archie was due to perform at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, and was graciously given the option to decline, but perplexed himself by persevering.
"I realised everybody knew about Ruby passing. . . I remember saying to the audience 'I don't even know why I'm here – if I should be doing this – but if ever I needed you before, I need you more today than I ever have'. And people just yelled out 'you've got us brother, you've got us'.
"They just supported me and lifted me up through that performance. [It] had a great effect on me through my grief, through that grieving process."
Archie and Ruby wrote many of their songs together, and Ruby was a driving force in Archie even persevering with performance. "She was good to bounce off, a sounding board," for songs and lyrics.
The first time he saw and heard one of Ruby's songs was the making of 'Charcoal Lane'. Producers Paul Kelly and Steve Connolly suggested it needed ten songs.
"I said well I've got nine," Archie says. "And that's when Ruby nudged me under the table and said 'what about my song 'Down City Streets'?' and I said 'sing it to Paul'."
Archie's new album, 2020's 'The Songs Of Charcoal Lane' is the 1990 album re-recorded at Archie's kitchen table in Gunditjmara country in southwest Victoria, for its 30-year anniversary.
To the author himself, the songs have taken on a new maturity – albeit robed with a new interpretation. "They've grown as I've grown through the years.
"To listen to them and sing them again today – I suppose it's like catching up with old friends. . . That relationship [is] still as strong as ever, if not stronger.
"They were just new songs – the ink was hardly dry on the paper – when [performed] 30 years ago, and this time I had a better idea of how they should be sung. . . I was more sure of the songs now."
Archie loved poetry at school and accidentally wrote his first song, 'Open Your Eyes', when he set out to write a poem during his first attempt to stop drinking. "Songwriting is a strange beast. . . I'll put it that way."
As for visiting the stomping ground where some earlier scenes played out, turns out he has been back to Gertrude St a fair bit. “Charcoal Lane itself isn't really there any more, it's been turned into a carpark," laments Archie.
Archie also tells of a restaurant on Gertrude Street now called Charcoal Lane. "A lot of young First Nation kids go there to work and do apprenticeships there as chefs or in hospitality."
Sometimes a soul has so much strength it causes others to flourish by the faintest association. Make a point of catching Archie where possible, before he's taken away one last time.
Wriiten with Troy Troutman
Archie Roach appears at WOMADelaide's Sunset Concerts series at King Rodney Park (Adelaide) 5 March. He'll be joined by Sarah Blasko.
Archie also plays Live At The Bowl at Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne) 19 February, Perth Concert Hall 8 March, Bendigo Venues & Events 17 March and Bunjil Place (Melbourne) 22 April.
