F E A T U R E S

Poetry: If I Were a Rich Man
Through a distortion in the time-space continuum, we have found a recording showing how people a few years into the future will deal with health care.

Interview: League of Nations
ICFTU general secretary Guy Ryder on the war, core labour standards and why Australia is an international pariah.

Industrial: 20/20 Hindsight
A retrospective analysis of the Accord is needed to help develop future strategies. Is it worth trying again? And if so, what would need to be different?

Organising: On The Buses
A new rank and file leadership team is standing up for the harried bus driver in the run-up to the NSW State Election

Unions: National Focus
A gaze around the country reveals some inspiring and innovative organising initiatives, a fruitful connection with young workers in South Australia and some typically robust industrial campaigns reports Noel Hester.

History: The Banner Room
On the eve of it�s refurbishment, Jim Marr ventures into one of Trades Hall�s best kept secrets; the room that houses relics of labour�s halcyon days.

International: The Slaughter Continues
Chilling new statistics from Colombia's main trade union confederation CUT: nine trade unionists assassinated in the first two months of this year.

Legal: A Legal Case For War?
Aaron Magner looks at the legal implications of the crusade of the Coalition of the Willing

Culture: Singing For The People
When there�s a struggle for social justice, when a war is brewing or rights are being eroded, the first ones to pen, paper and protest are often the folkwriters.

Review: The Hours
On the eve of International Women�s Day Tara de Boehmler follows the tale of three women who would rather choose death than a life devoid of personal choice.

Poetry: I Wanna Bomb Saddam
Scarier than Star Wars, the latest weapon to be deployed in the battle for Iraq is the Singing Dubya.

Satire: Diuretic Makes Warne's Excuses Look Thin
Australian cricketer Shane Warne today admitted that he was still feeling the after effects of the diuretic he tested positive to.

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Workers Friend
Shock jock Alan Jones snubbed his Liberal mates to bucket the Cole Royal Commission and launch Jim Marr's book

The Locker Room
Boer Bore Boring
In the face of oppression Phil Doyle falls asleep in front of the TV

Guest Report
Dead Labor
The Hawke and Keating legacy is John Howard, Leonie Bronstein argues.

Seduction
Hands Off, Tony
John Della Bosca argues the NSW Industrial Relations System gives his State a competitive advantage.

Bosswatch
Groundhog Day
Another year, another round of corporate excess. Bosswatch returns from its summer slumber to find the same old dogs up to the same tricks.

E D I T O R I A L

Re-considering The Accord
The twentieth anniversary of the Hawke Government�s election provides an opportunity to ponder the Accord�s historical conundrum: how at the moment of the union movement�s greatest influence did it suffer its greatest loss of members?

N E W S

Sacre Bleu � It�s �La Gong� Now

Mum Raises Labour Hire Bar

Investigate the Buggers

NSW Libs Madder Than The Monk

Kits Strike Terror into Govt

West Braces for Shelling

Executive Pay Under Senate Spotlight

Clean Energy�s Jobs Bonus

Zoo Workers Buck �Mercy Killing�

Canberra Firefighters Win Union Backing

Global Equity Under Spotlight

Aussie Workers Fight Indian Child Labour

Water on the Brain

Activists Notebook

L E T T E R S

WHAT YOU CAN DO

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Singing For The People

*************

Folk song and poetry has a long, strong link with working class struggle so it's small wonder that the two movements have shared a history in many areas.

One of the most popular programme features of the National Folk Festival is the Trade Union Concert, celebrated in the spacious Budawang venue where the stage is hung with the banner of the CFMEU, the union that is a loyal and consistent supporter of the National; other banners often join the display.

This year, two of Australia's most dynamic women singers, Margret RoadKnight and Jeannie Lewis, will bring their energy to the Trade Union Concert, Jeannie with a selection of Phil Ochs' songs and Margret with the style, voice and forthright interpretation that have made her a household name around the world.

Another great performer is the UK's Roy Bailey, a much- loved union- loyalist who has a gentleness in his singing that reinforces the political and social honesty of his songs; this man knows where the line is drawn - and he holds it. He and British Labor MP Tony Benn have recently been presented with the BBC's Folk Awards 2003 Best Live Act Award for their two-man show The Writing On The Wall, an anthology of dissent in words and music.

Another favourite is John Dengate. John has been writing and performing folk songs for nearly forty years and is fiercely proud of his working- class battler origins, a pride that is reflected in many of his politically satirical songs in which the dividing line between satire and libel becomes perilously thin. But John doesn't make his principles heavy going he has a wry and wonderful sense of humour so his audiences go away smiling as well as thinking.

Also on the concert is Fine Friday , an exciting young trio from everywhere, it seems; fiddler Anna- Wendy Stevenson is from Edinburgh, Nuala Kennedy (flutes, whistle and vocals ) is from Co. Louth and Kris Drever, guitar and vocals, hails from the romantic, remote and madly musical Orkney Islands. The group had for its seedbed the weekly sessions at Sandy Bell's, Edinburgh's most famous folk pub - a fine place for musicians to polish their pedigree.

An exciting trio of performers rounds off the programme; accordion player Tim van Eyken, who is is one of the fast-rising stars of the English folk scene, acclaimed English- style fiddler Nancy Kerr and James Fagan , master of the bouzouki .

...... 2.

And there's more! Icons of Australian folk culture Alex and Annette Hood, Chris Kempster and Alison Jones give an accolade to battlers at their concert "We Were There Songs of Struggle" - and as Alex adds with a familiar grin," And we're still here and we're still struggling!"

They will present songs from the '60s to the '80s and a few of quite recent origin centred on the issues that have mobilised the people in those decades; equal pay, the Vietnam War, political prisoners, Green Bans the marches and rallies and protests that changed the direction of the world. The songs of struggle will include Merv Lillie's Give a Fair Go and Cane Killed Abel (music by Chris Kempster); Alex's Green Army and The Asian Wild Colonial Boys and the Equal Pay Song with tune by Chris' and words by Denis Kevans. Also featured will be the green protest song written by the late Don Henderson, Hooker Rex. The story has it that the company offered to buy the song from Don and when he refused, threatened to sue him. Don's laconic response was; "Go ahead -I could use the publicity!"

These are just snippets from this great people's festival that rolls along for the whole of Easter, this year a special event that pulls focus on traditional song, our maritime history and featured State South Australia. There are blackboard venues, dances and balls, singing, dancing and instrumental sessions and workshops, circus and circus training;17 performance venues and over 1200 performers, including such greats as Eric Bogle; Australia's only Shakuhachi Master, Riley Lee, and Japanese drummers Taikoz; Merri- May Gill, the Fagans , Nancy and Sandra Kerr, Bob Fox from the mining country of north -east England, Ajak Kwai from Sudan, Rough Red, Dya Singh and many, many more.

There are more than 110 food and craft stalls and on-site restaurants, bars and a supermarket. This is a family festival, so everyone's catered for; there's the daily Children's Festival and parades and afternoon and evening professional childcare is available at reasonable rates. The site and most venues are wheelchair friendly.

Canberra's Exhibition Park in Mitchell is easily accessible by public transport, there's plenty of free parking - and if you'd like to move in for the duration the all-amenities camping ground is right next door.

Come and join us this is an event that can change lives in the nicest possible way.

For information on programme, prices and camping. check out the website on www.folkfestival.asn.au or call us on 02 62 49 7755

© 1999-2002 Workers Online
Workers Online is a resource for the Labour movement
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URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/features/200303/d_review_folk.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005