Steady Steady

Overview

Replete with Seaman Dan's stories of his active and sometimes dangerous life in Queensland, Australia, as a boat captain and pearl diver, this memoir follows his fascinating life and later development as a professional singer and musician. From his birth on Thursday Island in 1929 through the release of his albums following his 70th birthday, this account showcases traditional music from the Torres Strait Islands—which brings together Polynesian, Melanesian, and Indigenous Australian traditions—and reflects the important periods in the life of this Australian national treasure. A CD of Seaman Dan's tracks is also included.

Reviews

"[Seaman Dan's] musical career, his entire life since, has been nothing short of remarkable. Australia is indeed a lucky country."  —Ted Egan, Australian folk musician

Author Biography

Henry "Seaman" Dan is not only one of Australia’s oldest active recording artists and performers, he is also one of its best loved and well regarded. He has released several albums, including Follow the Sun, showcasing traditional music from the Torres Strait, and revealing his love of jazz and blues. He is the recipient of the Australia Council for the Art's Red Ochre Award and the Australian Recording Industry Award for Best World Music CD. Karl Neuenfeldt is an editor, a music producer, and the author of Austronesian Soundscapes: Performing Arts in Oceania and Southeast Asia and Landscapes of Indigenous Performance. He is the recipient of various awards, including two Australian Recording Industry Awards for Best World Music and the inaugural Cochrane Smith Award for Sound Heritage by Australia's National Film and Sound Archive.

Awards

Winner: Australia Council for the Art's Red Ochre Award 2005; ARIA Award: Best World Music CD (Perfect Pearl) 2004; ARIA Award Nominee Best World Music CD (Island Way) 2006; ARIA Award Winner Best World Music CD 2009 (Sailing Home)