The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) has awarded CQUniversity researcher Dr Karl Neuenfeldt with the inaugural National Film and Sound Archive Award for Sound Heritage.

The award recognises those who have enriched Australian culture through a substantial contribution to the preservation, survival and recognition of sound heritage.

Below is a link to the song We Sing Kumbaya Cygnet Repu.

Dr Karl Neuenfeldt is an Associate Professor from CQUniversity's School of Humanities and Communication, and is best known for his work in collecting, preserving and disseminating the musical culture of the Torres Strait as a sound engineer, field recordist, oral historian, author and musicologist.


Associate Professor Karl Neuenfeldt. Image courtesy of the NFSANFSA CEO Dr Darryl McIntyre said today's presentation of the Award to Dr Neuenfeldt honours his work, not only as an active music researcher, but also as a producer and performer.  

"In the last decade Dr Neuenfeldt has collaborated extensively with Indigenous communities in Queensland on CD and DVD projects and archival research, and has also co-produced several albums including two ARIA Award winning CDs by Henry ‘Seaman' Dan," Dr McIntyre said.

The NFSA is celebrating sound in a number of other ways.

"Every year we ask Australians to nominate the recorded sounds they think represent Australia. Then a panel of experts from industry and cultural institutions select 10 to be added to the Sounds of Australia register," Dr McIntyre said.

Sounds of Australia is a public list of Australian recordings that celebrates the widest traditions of recorded sound culture and history in Australia. Nominations for the 2010 sounds are now open and can be made online at http://www.nfsa.gov.au/. Nominations close on 4 July 2010.

ABOVE Thursday Island Stringband musicians circa 1920s. Courtesy of Gladys Bingarape (nee Tatipata). BELOW is L to R - Karl Neuenfeldt, Henry 'Seaman' Dan, Will Kepa. Courtesy of Colyn HuberThere are already 40 sounds on the register and these have been the inspiration for a new travelling show developed by the NFSA called Cooee Cabaret. Funded through the National Collection Institutions Touring and Outreach program, the show is an original family cabaret show that weaves together iconic Australian songs and sound recordings, drawn from the NFSA's Sounds of Australia registry.

With performances in Mildura and Gunnedah, local artists will join acclaimed musical director Nigel Ubrihien, Indigenous actor and singer Lisa Maza and NFSA interpreter Nielsen Gordon on stage as they journey through the sounds that made Australia, from early voice recordings to advertising jingles and popular contemporary music. Visit www.nfsa.gov.au/whats_on for more information about Cooee Cabaret.

The complete Sounds of Australia list is available online at
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/whats_on/soundsofaustralia/complete.html

Associate Professor Karl Neuenfeldt. Image courtesy of The Canberra Times