1. Russell Crowe

The central figure in the Australian invasion of Hollywood is actually from New Zealand. He got to the "star factory" largely thanks to Sharon Stone, who promoted him to Sam Raimi's western "The Quick and the Dead." It took five years to turn into a “major” actor, absolutely necessary for everyone, capable of curbing the most utter pathos with a tired look. Sometimes it seems that he is removed exclusively in films that count on the most important Oscar.

Crowe will receive his first nomination for his supporting role in Michael Mann's "The Insider". The following year, the actor earns an Oscar for Gladiator, but his best role, in Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind, is ignored by academics. Then it was time to give out the prize to Denzel Washington, and Crowe completely inappropriately outplayed everyone (and himself from Gladiator) with A Beautiful Mind. For another five years, Crow produces works of the highest standard, until an everlasting fatigue settles in his eyes. It can be suspected that he picked up a harmful virus from Ridley Scott, who appointed Russell his favorite actor in the 2000s (five films - from "Gladiator" to "Robin Hood"). 49-year-old Crowe now looks tired and crushed by his own importance, the master, who - it's a fact - is even on the stamps of the Australian post. Veteran Ridley looks fresher.

2. Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett's father Robert was an American Navy officer originally from Texas. He met Kate's mother when his ship arrived in the port of Melbourne. At the end of the service, he married Kate's mother and stayed in Australia, where Kate was born in the suburbs of Melbourne, as well as her brother and sister. At the age of forty, he died of a heart attack. On Kate, who was then ten years old, his death made an indelible impression. As the actress admitted in an interview, at that moment her childhood ended. For the first time, Kate appeared on stage as a child - she took part in several school plays. Then she entered the institute, which she left to go traveling. In Egypt, Kate starred in a film about boxing. It was with participation in the crowd that her brilliant acting career began. To date, Kate has more than 40 films and 20 theatrical productions to her credit. The role in the film "Elizabeth" brought her worldwide fame, and Galadriel from "The Lord of the Rings" only strengthened this success. One of her last works was the role of Jasmine in the film of the same name by Woody Allen, which brought her the Golden Globe, Oscar and BAFTA award. After living in England for a long time, Kate and her family moved back to Australia in the early 2000s. Since 2008, she and her husband have run the Sydney Theater Company. Interestingly, Kate, who never wanted to live in the USA, considers herself an American. “I was born and raised in Australia and have never lived in America, but nevertheless, I feel like an American, like any other person who consumes American culture and politics. Only without the right to vote, ”the actress admitted in an interview with Vogue. “As a child, my father’s Texan origin was a curiosity for everyone, because Australia is a country where everyone knows each other. Now I see the same thing in my children. Two of them were born in England. And when we returned to Australia, they turned out to be "foreigners". It seems to me that when you have a father or mother from another country, the boundaries of your world inevitably move apart.

3. Mel Gibson

Contrary to the fairly well-established opinion that Mel Gibson is from Australia, his origin has nothing to do with this country. In fact, the Gibson family only moved to Australia from the US in 1968, when Mel was already 12 years old. Before that, his father was injured at work, lost his job and sued the employer for $145,000. Nevertheless, the future actor received his education in Australia. After leaving school, he was going to become a journalist, but life decreed otherwise. Mel's sister, having once seen an advertisement in the newspaper for a recruitment to a theater studio, decided to secretly send his data there with a photograph, and soon Mel received an invitation to audition. So Mel entered the National Institute of Theater Arts in Sydney. Gibson played his first role as a student in the film "Summer City". Well, the second part of the film "Mad Max" became a pass to Hollywood for Mel, after which he was noticed and invited to act in Hollywood. Today he is known throughout the world as a talented actor, director, screenwriter, producer and father of eight children.

4. Hugh Jackman

In 1999, Hugh Jackman was named the best actor in Australia, although it is difficult to call him a native Australian: Hugh's parents were British immigrants who came to the "green continent" in search of a better life. Hugh was the youngest of five Jackman children. When he was eight years old, his mother left the family. The father soon remarried, and his new wife replaced little Hugh and his older brothers and sisters with their mother. They spent a lot of time together and often went camping all over Australia. After leaving school, Hugh entered the Sydney University of Technology at the Faculty of Journalism, but did not go to work in his specialty, but enrolled in theater courses. Being an aspiring actor, he refused to participate in the super-popular Australian TV series Neighbors, preferring to study at the Academy of Dramatic Arts instead. And, as we see, he did not lose. Hugh Jackman was noticed and invited to the TV series Corelli, where he played a prisoner. Hugh's career took off. The actor became world famous for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men movie. Today, Hugh has an Amy Award, a Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination and dozens of well-played roles, including a cattle driver in the film Australia, about which the actor joked: “I am an Australian who went to Australia to play an Australian in a film called Australia. Hugh Jackman currently resides in Hollywood. He is happily married, has two children and is not going to move to Australia. According to the actor, it is difficult to awaken the aggression he needs for filming films there.

5. Heath Ledger

Before marrying Schreiber, Naomi dated Heath Ledger for a while, who, coincidentally, was her fellow countryman. Heath (named after a character in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë) was born in Perth, Western Australia. His parents divorced when he was ten, and Heath stayed with his mother, but continued to maintain a good relationship with his father. As a child, Heath was fond of two things: hockey and theater, but at the age of 15 he made the final choice in favor of the second. After leaving school, Heath moved to Sydney, where he landed his first film role. Quite quickly becoming famous in Australia, he moved to Hollywood. After starring in the film "10 Things I Hate About You" and becoming an idol of teenage girls, Heath decided to refuse such offers in the future, expecting a serious role. And she followed. In 2000, Ledger, having beaten two hundred applicants, got the role of the son of a rebel hero in the film The Patriot. Thanks to the great success of the film, he gained worldwide fame, becoming one of the leading young actors in Hollywood. In 2005, four films with his participation appeared on the screens at once, one of which, Brokeback Mountain, was awarded three Oscars, four Golden Globes, and also received the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival. Heath himself was nominated for the Best Actor of the Year award at the Oscars, as well as many other film awards. But the most famous role of the actor is the villain and the main enemy of Batman - "Joker" in the film "The Dark Knight". Work in the film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Heath did not have time to finish - on January 22, 2008, he was found dead in his New York apartment in Manhattan. Heath Ledger became the second actor in history to receive an Oscar posthumously.

6. Nicole Kidman

Hugh Jackman's partner in the film "Australia" was his compatriot Nicole Kidman - the first Australian actress to receive an Oscar for Best Actress. “I come from a fairyland where kangaroos live not in the zoo, but wherever they want,” says Nicole Kidman. Her great-grandparents moved to Australia from Ireland in pursuit of happiness. “Their family was the beginning of a generation of proud Irish Australians, of which I belong,” says Kidman, who is not, however, born in Australia. The future star was born in Honolulu, the capital of the state of Hawaii. The girl's family returned to Australia when Nicole was already 4 years old. She began to study ballet, and then got into the Australian Youth Theatre. Already at the age of 17, Kidman knew that she would be an actress. She actively played in the theater, starred in serials. She was even recognized on the streets. But then her mother became seriously ill, and the girl left her favorite pastime for a while and devoted herself entirely to caring for the patient. Fortunately, her mother recovered, and Nicole continued her acting career. The series "Bangkok-Hilton", in which the actress starred, became known outside of Australia. Nicole was noticed and invited to star in the film "Dead Calm", which became her pass to Hollywood. So fame and success came to her. Then there was an unsuccessful marriage with Tom Cruise, which ended in a divorce, which Kidman was very upset about. She healed her broken heart with work. Today, the star is doing well: world fame, children and a loving spouse. By the way, he's also Australian. Now Nicole Kidman lives in the United States, but quite often visits her homeland and is even an honorary representative of the Children's Hospital in Sydney.

7. Guy Pearce

If Russell Crowe's parents brought to Australia from New Zealand, and Mel Gibson - from America, Pierce got there from England, where he spent the first three years of his life. In his youth, he successfully engaged in bodybuilding, but fell ill with acting, which first led him to national fame as a television star from the forge of local talent - the soap opera Neighbors, and then to the cult road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. After such turns, Pierce is unexpectedly called for the lead role in L.A. Confidential, where he and fellow countryman Crowe are dressed in costumes of the forties. It takes Guy Pearce a few years for Hollywood to recognize him as a selfless actor, ready for any experiments. The Time Machine tries to turn him into a mainstream, broad-spectrum star, but his talent as an actor works better in the environment of compact projects with bare nerves, like Remember, Cannibal, or The Proposal.

In Hollywood, his charisma is greatly simplified, offering mainly images of antagonists grinding their teeth at the main characters, and often at the whole world. An outlet is television, to which Pierce returned with success in the Todd Haynes miniseries Mildred Pierce, and native Australian cinema.

8. Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving was born April 4, 1960 in Nigeria to Wallace and Anna. He spent his childhood in South Africa and then moved to England as a teenager. There he studied at the private school "Queen Elizabeth Hospital", better known as the QEH school in Bristol. Weaving arrived in Australia in 1976.
Weaving's first major role was in the television series Bodyline in 1984, as English captain Douglas Jargine.
Weaving starred in the 1988 Australian film The Dirtwater Dynasty and later in 1989 in the Bangkok Hilton. In 1991, he received an award from the Australian Film Institute (Australian Film Institute) as the best actor for his performance in low-budget films. He also played Sir John in the 1993 comedy Yahoo Serious episode "Reckless Kelly", a libel on notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. However, Weaving first gained fame across the ocean for his role in the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). In 1998, he received the Best Actor award at the Montreal Film Festival for his performance in The Interview. Weaving also played Poseidon in a miniseries adaptation of the Odyssey. He voiced the animated film "The Magic Pudding".

His role as the enigmatic Agent Smith in the 1999 blockbuster The Matrix brought him worldwide fame and made his face recognizable around the world. Weaving reprized his role as Smith in the 2003 Matrix sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He cemented his success by starring as the elf Elrond in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of John Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Weaving starred in the films Everything Goes (2004) and V for Vendetta (2005), in the latter film he played V. This role was originally intended for James Purefoy, but he turned down the role after four weeks of filming.

10. Chris and Liam Hemsworth

The Hemsworths are the most famous Australian brothers in cinema today. There are three of them: Luke, Chris and Liam. The elder Luke is less known to viewers, as he is filmed mainly at home and is in no hurry to make a career in Hollywood. But his younger brothers were much more fortunate. Having moved to the USA in 2009, they quickly got roles that glorified them all over the world. Chris became Thor from The Avengers, and Liam became Gale from The Hunger Games. Currently, both brothers live in Los Angeles and are in no hurry to return home. At the same time, Liam is an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation. “I had the best parents that can be,” says the actor. “They worked in the field of child protection, and they always gave me support. The world is a pretty scary place for kids and it's important that home is always a safe place for them." When asked if he considers himself a hero for children, he replied: “I don’t know if I am a hero for children, but I would like to be one. I would like to be a good example."

11. Naomi Watts

Nicole Kidman's best friend, Naomi Watts, is also of Australian descent. Naomi, like Kidman, was not born in Australia. The girl was born in the UK. When she was four years old, her parents divorced. Three years later, Naomi's father died, and her mother traveled half the country in search of a better life. I decided to settle down in Sydney. Naomi was already 14 years old by that time. Since childhood, she was fond of the theater, the girl demanded from her mother to arrange for her to study at an acting school. After graduating from it, Naomi began to go to various auditions, but this was not crowned with particular success. She was given a small role in "For Love Only", but that was it. Disappointed in the profession, Naomi decided to try her hand at something else. For six years she worked first as a model, then as a journalist, and then she realized that cinema was her vocation. And she continued to go to auditions. Fate rewarded her for her perseverance - they began to shoot her. An offer from Hollywood soon followed. Watts packed her suitcase and left for Los Angeles. After several passing roles, Watts was noticed by David Lynch himself, who invited the girl to a role in the film Mulholland Drive, for which she received her first major awards. It was a success that remains with Naomi to this day. Today Naomi is a Hollywood star of the first magnitude. She lives in New York with her husband, actor Lev Schreiber. They are raising two sons.

12. Eric Bana

The progressive film community took notice of the actor (born Erik Banadinowicz) after Andrew Dominik's powerful debut, Inside Out. The director was looking for the lead actor for a long time and, having already signed his impotence, he heard the advice of Mark "Chopper" Reed (a film about him, an Australian crime) to pay attention to the actor from the television sketch show. It turned out to be Bana, who clung to the image with all his teeth and played, without any discounts to his youth, an outstanding and so far his best role.

After that, there was a painless move to Hollywood. There, Bana immediately got to that casting site where big studios and big directors graze. Ridley Scott, Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg, Wolfgang Peterson, Curtis Hanson, J. J. Abrams, Judd Apatow, Joe Wright. Two factors should be taken into account. Firstly, the actor has practically no gaps between the work of the masters (that is, he is removed, mainly from them). On the other hand, for any of these directors - with the exception of Abrams and Spielberg - films with Bana were not a creative stroke. It’s a paradox, but it’s hard to blame Ban for the inability to choose projects, rather, for bad luck and some kind of lack of charisma, which the actor disciplined sacrifices to the material. A failure in karma occurred, apparently, on Ang Lee's ill-fated "Hulk". Bana has grandiose external data - Tom Cruise plus Russell Crowe. Against this background, beautiful women look great. Directors love to use this (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Time Traveler's Wife, even Hannah: The Ultimate Weapon). In the role of beautiful furniture, Bana pleases the eye and is quickly forgotten, and images remain in the memory, where the actor, if recognized, then with great difficulty - the same Chopper or the villain Nero in Star Trek. Bana needs a breakthrough, like what happened with a colleague in "Munich" Daniel Craig after being invited to the role of Bond. It is not yet possible to pull out a lucky ticket, you have to rely on your own strength.

13. Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska was born in Canberra, Australia, to Polish immigrants. From the age of eight, the girl studied at the ballet studio and dreamed of seeing herself on the big stage, but at the age of fifteen she became interested in cinema. “When I decided to become an actress, I was 15 years old, I heard that you need to have an agent to act in films and on television,” recalls Mia. - In general, in a search engine on the Internet, I typed "acting agencies in Sydney." I especially liked one of them, I literally forced the employees to take me as a client and start trying.” Soon the girl received an invitation to play in the Australian drama Suburban Murder. Then the girl played in several more Australian films, and in 2008 she received an invitation to act in American films. The first role on the American continent for Mia was the role in the TV series "Treatment". “I got a call from Los Angeles, then I got the script by email, read it,” says Mia. “Then I got in touch with my agent in Sydney and he set up the auditions. The film was sent to Los Angeles to the executive producer of the series, Rodrigo Garcia. And a week later I was in America.” After the film "The Challenge", she was noticed by Tim Burton, who decided that Mia was the perfect Alice. The director shot her in the film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. After the film was released, Mia woke up famous. Today, Mia has more than twenty roles in her track record, and her popularity is only growing. But she doesn't feel like a star. “Brother Kai and sister Jess do not allow me to be conceited, they keep me in a black body. In general, we are all very friendly,” says Mia.

14. Emily Browning

Emily Browning, who is always one year older than Mia, also began her career in Australia. At the age of ten, she played in the TV series Echoes of Thunder. Emily became known to a wide audience after her role as a little girl in the thriller "Ghost Ship" and, of course, after participating in the film "Lemony Snicket: 33 Misfortunes" with Jim Carrey. The film received an Oscar, and Emily herself received an award from the Australian Film Institute. And then there was a lull in the career of the actress - she did not act for three years, until, finally, in 2009 she got a role in the horror film The Uninvited, which received rather low critical acclaim and an average level of fees. In 2010, director Zack Snyder offered the actress a role in his new project Sucker Punch. The film premiered on March 24, 2011. It was followed by the scandalous "Sleeping Beauty" and the film "The Guest" - an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. Despite several passing roles, Emily does not let the viewer forget about herself - most recently, the catastrophe film Pompeii by Paul W. Anderson was released, where the girl played the main female role.

15. Geoffrey Rush

An outstanding character actor who broke through to Olympus thanks to the great role of pianist with a mental disorder David Helfgott in the biographical film "Shine". Rush appeared out of nowhere (more precisely, from the theatrical environment) and greedily, without missing a year, began to amaze critics and spectators with the acting technique honed by the theater. He does this without any hint of a conversation with eternity, masterfully performing the proposed work - whether it's a blockbuster series worth a couple of billions, a second plan in historical canvases where it's easy to get lost in the folds of costumes, or infrequent central roles like the recent "Best Offer", remarkable, first of all, precisely Rush.

These do not fly out of the cage due to external factors or the wrong choice of roles, only of their own free will. Rush shoots exactly as much and exactly as an actor of great talent, to whom fame came late, should work - greedily and accurately. He is one of the few to whom the big acting triplet obeyed - the movie Oscar, the TV Emmy and the theater Tony. And he is also on Australian stamps - with Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett.

Kylie Minogue.

Known to many singer and actress Kylie Minogue, became popular thanks to the occasion. So all people like to call the word that decides everything in life!))) Why do they say that? There is one reason.) It's just that many don't want to lift their "F" out of the chair and take their first step towards success. And they find excuses, like this word "case". I believe that if luck does not come to you, then you should do everything possible to find this door, where a new amazing world opens up.

The Glamor Women of the Year award ceremony was recently held. It brought together the most successful and beautiful women from around the world. The main winner was - singer from australia Kylie Minogue. This girl received two awards "Artist of the Year" and "Woman of the Year".

In the Australian city on May 28, 1968, a little girl was born to Carol and Ron Minogue. They called this angel a beautiful name - Kylie.

They did not yet know that this little man would become the most popular singer in their country in many years. After, they had a son, Brandon, and a daughter, Danny. Their son became a television cameraman, and their youngest daughter followed in the footsteps of her older sister Kylie - she became a singer, not as famous as her sister, but in her native Australia she is very popular.

A story that changed lives, Kylie Minogue.

This girl lived like everyone else! She never thought that she would be famous all over the world. But it so happened that this little princess was destined by fate to show herself to the whole world.

One day, Brandon and Danny asked their mom to come with them to a screen test. The loving mother, of course, agreed, as she loved her children very much and rejoiced at their determination.

And so that she would not be bored alone, she asked Kylie to go with them. And at the very audition, Kylie decided to try herself as an actress!) And to the surprise of her family, it was her that the commission chose for the role in the series "The Sullivan Family"

Then her next debut was a role in the well-known TV series Neighbors. She played the role of car mechanic Charlene. After, the young girl decided to try herself as a singer. And she did it well.

At the same time, she begins dating Jason Donovan, who, along with Kylie, starred in the series. This young guy was the sex symbol of Australia. All the girls in this country wanted to date him, but he chose - Kylie Minogue.

Two years later, the "singer from Australia" releases her first single (a cover of the pop track "The Locomotion"). Jason, secretly from his beloved, shows the recordings of the song to his friends music producers. Jason did not expect that this record would be interested, but surprisingly, the song aroused interest. As a result, a contract was signed with a well-known recording company in the country.

The very first album was named after the girl "Kylie". Its circulation is 2,000,000 copies. And the songs "Got To Be Certain", "I Should Be So Lucky", "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi" became super popular, not only in Australia, but also in other countries.

Fate brings us gifts. For Kylie, the gift was her boyfriend, thanks to whom she became popular in the world of music! But in a relationship, everything is much more complicated, and it happened to them, this couple had to leave forever.

In the late 90s, pop singer Kylie Minogue was considered the sexiest singer in the country according to the polls of viewers of the British channel VH1, where a third of viewers were polled.

After this confession, Kylie began a new life. A tour of the countries where she won the hearts of many people. In one of the periods of her life, she realizes that she can pursue her career herself, without the help of other contractors.

And from that moment on, Kylie becomes a producer for herself. She recruits musicians to the group, writes scripts for clips. In a word, she became her own boss.

The period from 1994 to 1996 was a testing time for Kylie Minogue.

But this girl never gave up, and she decided that her talent as an actress could help her to be on top, and this year she starred with Van Dam in the film "Street Fighter". In this action movie, Kylie shows off her martial arts prowess.

During this time, she released her autobiography with candid photos, Kylie: Evidence. Then there were collections of remixes with old hits of the singer.

Since 1997, Kylie has been getting better, and she releases her new album. Closer to 2000, she again takes the stage and continues to sing pop songs. Her new song "Spining Around" was performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Her other songs also became very popular, thanks to which her album "Light Years" sold out in a very short time in a large circulation. The song "I Can't Get You Of My Head" became especially famous.

Thanks to a small role in the musical "Moulin Rouge", she became even more popular than she was before. In 2001, the album "Fever" appears. And the song from this album "Come Into My World" becomes mega popular all over the world.

Everyone's opinion is always changing, and many say that this is not serious. But successful people know that their thoughts today may be different from tomorrow. That's what happened to Kylie.

She used to say that her work comes first, and then her personal life, but over time, having matured, Kylie Minogue said that I was tired of thinking only about work. I want a real happy family life.

And that soon you will see my wedding with Briton James Gooding. I have calmed down from a permanent career, and now I am ready for a new stage in my life.

PS: I believe that every person creates his own life! What if even Kylie, at first a case was thrown that directed her to success. But she also could not become popular around the world, only one luck. This girl had to work a lot and go through so that the whole world knows the name Kylie Minogue.

Performers Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Sie Furler, Cody Simpson, Jessica Mauboy, Havana Brown, Gautier, Tina Arena, Peter Andre and Helen Reddy, pop group The Mixtures, synthpop group Cut Copy, jazz guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, rock and roll pioneer Johnny O'Keefe, pop/folk band The Seekers, rock bands Men At Work, The EasyBeats, Air Supply, Crowded House, AC/DC, INXS, Little River Band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Midnight Oil, Silverchair, Youth Group and Pendulum, pop rock duo Savage Garden, alternative music exponents The John Butler trio, Wolfmother, Tame Impala and The Vines.

History of Australian music

Australian Aboriginal Music

Main article: Australian Aboriginal Music

A characteristic feature of Australian Aboriginal music is the connection between the content of the song and its modal structure, which differs for hunting, ritual, love and corroboree. Variation in the timbre of singing during dancing is achieved with the help of clapping, on the stomach or hips.

As musical instruments, the natives use the simplest percussion; a plank on a rope that makes a buzzing sound when rotated, a nasal flute (in Northern Australia). Stones are used as shock; pieces of wood or boomerangs; animal skins stretched between the knees or on a wooden resonator base. To amplify the sound of the voice, a didgeridoo (eng. Didgeridoo) is used - a pipe made of bamboo or a hollow piece of wood.

colonial music

At the end of the 18th century, the first European colonists appeared in Australia, with whom European music began to penetrate the continent. The basis of the musical culture of the settlers was English and partly Irish folk songs and works created in their likeness. The first professional performances: instrumental and choral concerts - date back to 1830. The Sydney Philharmonic Society was founded in 1833. In 1834, the first operatic performance took place in Sydney.

In 1847 the first national opera "Don John of Austria" by composer A. Nathan was staged. In the 1850s, productions of Italian operas in various Australian cities were organized by a company led by the conductor L. H. Lavenue. The second half of the 19th century was also marked by numerous tours of opera, ballet and operetta companies in Sydney. In 1880, the first Australian chamber ensemble, the Zerbini Quartet, appeared. In 1906 the first symphony orchestra was founded under the direction of A. Zelman.

In 1836, violinist W. Wallace and organist F. Dean opened Australia's first music schools. In 1883, a college of music appeared in Adelaide, which later became a conservatory. Also growing into the conservatory was the Melbourne School of Music, opened in the 1900s. Sydney Conservatory Sydney Conservatory of Music ) was founded in 1914, and in 1925 an opera school was opened there.

Contemporary Australian music

Classical music

There are six permanent symphony orchestras in Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland, Tasmanian, South Australian and Western Australian - formed in the middle of the 20th century. In 1973, an opera house opened in Sydney, which became the hallmark of the city and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The National Council of Musical Associations was founded in 1932 and the Australian Composers Guild in 1935. The Adelaide Arts Festival has been held every two years since 1960.

Country

Australia has a long tradition of country music having a style distinct from American. Australian country music is based on the folklore traditions of Ireland, England, Scotland and other nations. Songs of the late 19th century can serve as examples of it. Botany Bay and "Waltzing with Matilda"; the latter in 1977 claimed to be the anthem of Australia. They show strong influences from Celtic ballads and some American country music. Country songs written exclusively on Australian motifs have a special name - "bush music". But since the 1930s, the country scene in Australia has become heavily influenced by Western countries. This trend has spawned the most successful performer in the country in terms of the number of records sold - Slim Dusty. Currently, country crossovers are the most popular. The influence of country music can be felt in the work of artists such as Nick Cave and The John Butler trio. Famous pieces of country music are Click Go The Shears(“Click the scissors”, folk), Lights on the Hill("Lights on the Hill", 1973), I Honestly Love You ("To be honest, I love you", 1974) and Not Pretty Enough(“Not pretty enough”, 2002).

Pop music

Rock music

In mid-1956, the first rock and roll single was released in Australia. Rock Around the Clock, which became the best-selling in the country in the history of the music industry. Since the 1950s, many popular US acts have toured Australia, including Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. In the same years, the career of the Australian representative of the genre Johnny O'Keeffe began.

In 1964, the first generation of performers were replaced by bands inspired by The Beatles. The main impetus to this movement was given by the Australian tour of the famous British band. Among the most popular are the Bee Gees, Jethro Tull and singer Normie Rowe, voted Australia's most popular vocalist. At the same time, New Zealand performers entered the Australian scene.

Around the 1970s, another change of generations and styles took place. One of the important factors that influenced the development of Australian rock was a dispute between copyright holders and commercial radio stations, as a result of which new works by Western artists ceased to air. They were replaced by local groups that not only covered foreign songs, but also managed to develop their own special sound. Among them were AC / DC, Radio Birdman, and among the soloists - Reddy, Helen. Nick Cave entered the post-punk scene as a member of The Boys Next Door.

In the 1980s, Australian rock gains independence. New bands emerging at this time are TISM, Men at Work, Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. In the 1990s, the Australian bands AC / DC, INXS, The Bad Seeds, Midnight Oil, which appeared at different times, enjoyed worldwide success.

Alternative rock

Popular bands playing in this genre are Angelspit, Cut Copy, The Presets, Miami Horror, Bag Raiders, The Potbelleez, Art vs. Science, Empire of the Sun and Pnau. The Presets in 2009 became the owner of the ARIA Music Award, which indicates the wide interest of the public in this type of creativity. The first album of Pnau, Sambanova, was released in 1999, when the Australians thought that the electronic music genre was dying, but since then the band has successfully toured in the US and Europe, proving that this genre is being revived.

Among Australian DJs, world fame won

Gauthier now - one of the most fashionable showbiz characters. Performs indie rock, hairstyle - appropriate. His third album is out Making Mirrors containing the hit - a duet with a New Zealand singer kimbray. On YouTube, the video in less than a year was watched by 160 million people! To date, Gauthier already five awards Aria is the Australian equivalent of the Grammys.

Wouter De Bakker born May 21, 1980 in Belgium; a couple of years later, his family moved to Australia, which the musician considers his homeland. Creative alias Gotye pronounced exactly like the designer's last name Jean Paul Gaultier but that's just a coincidence. If an artist is compared with someone, then with Sting and Peter Gabriel- for the vote.

Since childhood Wouter showed a passion for playing various musical instruments, especially drums and piano. Organized a group Downstars with three school friends, among them - Lucas Taranto. With him Gauthier still performs (in general, the "live" composition is ten people). On the way to success Gauthier put a lot of effort: for example, in 2001, having recorded his songs, he drew a cover with pencils, sent it to all radio stations and record companies whose addresses were in the telephone directory, and then he also personally called, checking whether the package had reached ...

Around the same time De Bakker met the singer and composer Chris Schroeder with whom they formed a group The Basics. They released four albums from 2004 to 2010; performed a lot. "From then on, I began to appreciate good beds," says Gauthier. - And then for six years of active tours somewhere and in what positions I didn’t have to sleep! On the floor, that's not the worst."

The solo work of the musician did not even think of quitting. Released an album in 2003 board face, and in 2006 - Like Drawing Blood. This work went platinum in Australia. And the third album Making Mirrors, became platinum and gold in Europe. The job took about two years filled with passion Gauthier to the search for new sounds and the study of vintage synthesizers. In one of the tracks State of the Art, you can hear the organ of the 1970s and synthesizers bought by the musician for $100 at a second-hand store. A variety of instruments became like family members during the recording Making Mirrors held in a barn on the parent farm.

Father Gauthier- an engineer for creating computer systems and software - after his retirement, he devoted himself to his son's affairs. It was he who built a room of mirrors in three months, where the video was filmed Somebody That I Used to Know.

"Making Mirrors is the first album where I'm proud of every lyric. It's very personal," says the 31-year-old musician. "Knowing myself, I doubt that I'll be able to record the next album in two or three years. It usually takes longer."

"I didn't expect it all: chart success, worldwide popularity," adds Gauthier. "I didn't expect it at all."