Declan Affley
Encyclopedia
Declan Affley was an Australia
n folk singer and musician. He was born in Cardiff
, Wales, and became a seaman, jumping ship in Australia in 1959.
and later at Frank Traynor's Folk Club, Melbourne
, as well as many other venues and folk festivals. As well as being a leading figure in Australian folk music, he appeared in several films including Peter Weir
's The Last Wave
, and Richard Lowenstein
's Strikebound
, where he was musical director. He also made a musical appearance in the Tony Richardson version of Ned Kelly in 1970.
Affley was well known as a singer of traditional songs such as Carrickfergus
as well as performing the work of contemporary songwriters, notably including John Dengate
, Don Henderson
and Harry Robertson
held annually in Canberra
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n folk singer and musician. He was born in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales, and became a seaman, jumping ship in Australia in 1959.
Folk singer and musician
Affley became a regular performer at the Troubadour Coffee Lounge in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and later at Frank Traynor's Folk Club, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, as well as many other venues and folk festivals. As well as being a leading figure in Australian folk music, he appeared in several films including Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
's The Last Wave
The Last Wave
The Last Wave is a 1977 Australian film directed by Peter Weir. It is about a white Australian lawyer whose seemingly normal life is disrupted after he takes on a murder case for Aborigine defendants...
, and Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say a Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking and award-winning music videos for bands such as INXS...
's Strikebound
Strikebound
Strikebound is a 1984 Australian film directed by Richard Lowenstein and based on the Wendy Lowenstein novel Dead Men Don't Dig Coal. The film got several AFI Award nominations and won in the Best Achievement in Production Design category....
, where he was musical director. He also made a musical appearance in the Tony Richardson version of Ned Kelly in 1970.
Affley was well known as a singer of traditional songs such as Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus (song)
"Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, "Do bhí bean uasal" , which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, who died in 1745 in County Clare.The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid...
as well as performing the work of contemporary songwriters, notably including John Dengate
John Dengate
John Dengate is an Australian folk singer and songwriter. His songs, mostly but not exclusively humorous and satirical have been recorded by performers including Declan Affley, John Warner and Margaret Waters. In addition, he has appeared on a number of recorded collections and has produced a CD,...
, Don Henderson
Don Henderson (folk singer)
Don Henderson was an Australian folk singer and songwriter. His songs including The Basic Wage Dream, Boonaroo and Put a Light in Every Country Window are widely played and sung in the folk music tradition.-External links:* .*...
and Harry Robertson
Harry Robertson (folk singer)
Harry Robertson was a Scottish-born, Australian folk-singer/songwriter, poet and activist, who became a key figure in the development of the Australian folk music tradition....
Declan Affley memorial award
Affley's sudden death at the age of 45 was a shock to the Australian folk music community. He is remembered by the Declan Affley memorial award for excellence in a young performer, awarded at the National Folk FestivalNational Folk Festival (Australia)
The National Folk Festival - Australia’s premier folk festival event – is a colourful and diverse family orientated celebration attended by over 50,000 people.It is the best Easter week-end in Australia!...
held annually in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.