She’s been Australia’s high priestess of pop, an award winning jazz singer, wears the hat of a fine artistic director and, above all that; Kate Ceberano is a songwriter with the talent to take a tune to the top of the charts.
In 2014 Ceberano became the first Australian woman to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) Hall of Fame. Joining such luminaries…
She’s been Australia’s high priestess of pop, an award winning jazz singer, wears the hat of a fine artistic director and, above all that; Kate Ceberano is a songwriter with the talent to take a tune to the top of the charts.
In 2014 Ceberano became the first Australian woman to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) Hall of Fame. Joining such luminaries as Don Walker, The Easybeats, LRB and The Angels.
Time Out Melbourne got it right when they wrote “(the) first thing you notice about Ceberano is her energy, which actually sends the atoms crackling as she walks in the room. Flashing eyes, a ready roar, warm and funny ? she’s your dream conversationalist”. Whether it is that soulful voice, her charismatic nature or exotic looks: Kate is captivating. Over a thirty four year period she’s earned her ‘Australian icon’ status.
A woman widely respected across various mediums, Kate as a singer has gathered numerous awards: as well as occasionally lighting up our big and small screens (Dancing with the Stars, Who Do You Think You Are? and Getaway), she is also well known for her charity work. Then there was her award winning performance in South Pacific and the penning of her acclaimed autobiography I’m Talking. She counts motherhood to daughter Gypsy as her biggest achievement yet.
Kate first found fame with her funk band I’m Talking. I’m Talking are acknowledged as the band “who pioneered New York-style art pop in Australia during the Jurassic Period of Pub Rock”. The group was managed by Ken West, now famous for being co-founder of the Big Day Out. The group’s ‘platinum’ debut album included three top ten singles and won the Best New Talent (1984) gong at the Countdown Awards. Kate followed that up the following year with the award for Best Female Vocalist (1985). Kate won Best Female Singer (1985) at the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. After such an auspicious debut album, the group broke up and Kate went solo.
Quite rightly radio labeled her as having “one of the greatest voices our music industry has ever produced”. Kate’s first solo album was the live recording Kate Ceberano and Her Septet (1987). Her following platter You’ve Always Got The Blues (1988) earned her an ARIA Award for Best Female Artist (1988). A year later, she won another ARIA for Best Female Artist (1989), as well as one for Highest Selling Single (1989) for Bedroom Eyes from her triple platinum effort, Brave.
In 1992, Kate hit the stage to perform the role of Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar. The show, which had a star-studded cast which included John Farnham, toured nationally, and the album was the biggest hit of the year ? earning four times platinum status. In 1993 Kate won the Logie Award for Most Popular Music Video for ‘Everything’s Alright’.
Kate followed this success with her own late-night cabaret-style show on ABC TV simply dubbed Kate Ceberano And Friends (1993-1994), the album from which went Gold. In 1996 Kate released her next solo album Blue Box, which also went Gold and saw her nominated for another Best Female Artist at the ARIA’s. In 1997 Kate wrote and released what has become an Australian pop classic ? Pash. A gorgeous slice of three-minute pop, the song went Platinum and established Kate as one of our leading female songwriters. The subsequent album shot to #5 in the ARIA charts. Richard Wilkins of the Today Show simply referred to her as “Australian Music Royalty”.
Her achievements now included five Platinum albums, five Gold albums and over 1.5 million albums sold in Australia alone.
Like many high-profile musicians, Kate Ceberano uses her celebrity to support and bring awareness to many causes close to her heart; for many years Ceberano has been an Ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This role sees Kate help raise funds and awareness about an illness that affects so many lives.
“I like to be as involved as I possibly can in causes I feel strongly about” Ceberano said of her appointment. “Yes I am a musician, but if I can do more to help others then I will.”
In 2013, Kate recorded a new album of original material, Kensal Road, at Kensaltown Studios, London. The Daily Telegraph’s Kathy McCabe was moved to write “Kensal Road fits perfectly in the pocket of dreamy folk pop that has captivated the airwaves for the past couple of years…Ceberano is a true original” while Cameron Adams reminded us “in case you’d forgotten, that voice is still something special”.
Annette Sharp of The Daily Telegraph went on to say: “There is something undeniably mighty about Kate Ceberano. The singer has always been a fascinating character in the Australian rock industry. Luminous and vibrant, she has, since the age of 19.
In April 2014, Kate released her autobiography, the aforementioned, I’m Talking. The Daily Mail noted that I’m Talking documented “the milestones in the iconic jazz and pop singer’s life”. At the same time she was also nominated for the Instyle Women of Style Awards in the Arts & Culture category.
23 albums over 30 years makes Ceberano the most prolific Australian female artist of this era. Her work, her craft and her vision are now imbued in our collective DNA. Kate Ceberano is a bone fide national treasure, possessing one of the great voices of her generation. Long may she run.
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