Morrissey Dancing a Latin Beat
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V1 - AUSE01Z01MA THE AUSTRALIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016 ARTS theaustralian.com.au/arts 13 Morrissey dancing a FIONA MORRISON Jukuja Dolly Snell receiving her national art award Latin beat Loved storyteller’s art Mexrrissey takes a British institution was ‘just filled with joy’ and gives his songs a Mexican feel Jukuja was among a group of AMOS AIKMAN Great Sandy Desert artists JANE CORNWELL NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT responsible for the production of the iconic Ngurrara II native title Octogenarian and spindly as a canvas in 1997. But her first show It’s the Day of the Dead in Mexico, cha to these songs gave them desert oak, she was nonetheless was not until 2014, at Outstation and down in Tobacco Dock, a vast another perspective. His songs are at the peak of her career. Gallery in Darwin. warehouse space in Wapping, strong; they stand up to reinter- Arriving in Darwin to collect the “There was this amazing East London, they’re celebrating. pretation.” A grin. “Like the works National Aboriginal and Torres thing about her, about this Thousands of hipsters working a of Shakespeare.” Strait Islander Art Award last woman from the depths of the look best described as cadaver-in- “Reactions ranged from laugh- year, Jukuja Dolly Snell insisted desert who was painting in such Victorian-dress — skeleton face ter to jumping to wild dancing to on buying a new outfit first. an extraordinary, contemporary paint, neon flower headbands, screams and tears,” wrote the Socks may have hung loose way,” Outstation’s director Matt dusty top hats and tails — are Observer.com of Mexrrissey’s around her ankles and weak legs Ward remembers. enjoying a weekend fiesta of Latin only New York gig in May last confined her to a wheelchair, but “Her paintings were just filled American-themed food, art and year. A recent show in Manches- she looked resplendent in a with joy.” music. The year 2015 was the Year ter, Morrissey’s birthplace, drew a perfect Driving Miss Daisy hat, Jukuja’s work is held in public of Mexico in Britain; fittingly, the standing ovation, with a sold-out thinking always about the and private collections including most starry act on the bill is crowd yelling the lyrics back at tradition and culture she the National Gallery of Mexrrissey: seven musicians from Mexrrissey in English. represented. Australia, the National Gallery some of Mexico’s finest bands Lara smiles from underneath Jukuja died peacefully at an of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW reinventing, in Spanish, with Latin his large Amish-style hat. “If aged care facility in the West and the Museum and Art Gallery arrangements, the songs of par- you’re a Morrissey fan it’s like a Australian town of Fitzroy of the Northern Territory. ticularly British singer Morrissey. guessing game,” says this former Crossing on December 30. Together with her husband, The former Smiths frontman- EMI label boss, whose longstand- Dorothy Snell, Jukuja’s she maintained active turned-solo artist has long been a ing cutting-edge electronic music daughter, recalls when her involvement in ceremonies cult obsession south of the border. project, Mexican Institute of mother and father (the famous emanating from her birthplace at “Nothing the world holds could Sound, has involved remixes for artist and lawman Nyirlpirr Kurtal. match the love waiting for me in the likes of Placebo and the Beas- Spider Snell) used to gather meat The pair starred alongside Mexico City,” wrote Morrissey, tie Boys and seen his music fea- like wildcat and sand goanna. Tom Lawford in the recently now 56, in his 2013 Autobiography. tured on TV shows including “She used to take me to get released film Putuparri and the Moz-loving Latinos tease their Californication and Ugly Betty. He Mexrrissey (“I guess we started off as a bit of a joke”), above, with their inspiration, Britain’s Morrissey, below pujurl, all the sand goanna; you Rainmakers, about Lawford’s hair into quiffs, have his lyrics tat- counts off highlights from Mex- have to dig down, down, down to journey to escape a troubled tooed on their arms, and graffiti rrissey’s set list on his fingers. Mexico City in the 80s, the son of typical ultra-macho Latin men the Mexican superstar Juan Gab- self? Has Morrissey ever wit- get pujurl,” Dorothy Snell says. urban life and reconnect with his his image everywhere from Pasa- “Girlfriend in a Coma is usually human rights activists and intel- singing along, tearing at their riel, the country’s very own Elton nessed the force that is “They used to leave us by the culture. dena in Los Angeles to Juarez in a sad song, but we make it happy: lectuals, Lara’s first memory of chests and weeping over beautiful John: “It’s funny that one of our Mexrrissey? Has Lara ever shaken river (at Kurungal or Christmas “She was happy, happy for Chihuahua. Tribute acts are too ‘Mi novia esta en coma/I know/I Morrissey was hearing The songs such as The Boy With the most important icons is also some- the man’s hand? Creek) and we would get the fire everything: for talking, telling many to mention, but Mexrrissey know/Es muy serio/cha cha cha,’” Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead blast- Thorn In His Side (or if you like, El one who plays with his sexuality.” “I don’t think he’s seen us,” he ready. These two would come stories, funny jokes and singing,” is a cut above. Whatever you do, he recites. “Everyday is Like Sunday ing through his elder brother’s Chico de L’Espina Clavada) isn’t Arranging Morrissey’s music says. “But he’s been very sup- back with all the food and they says Japeth’s sister Rosetta don’t call them a covers band. is completely a mariachi song; bedroom door: “We didn’t have lost on Lara either. He mentions wasn’t an easy task. Sergio Men- portive, writing about us on his would cook it before we took it Rangie. “She made us laugh. She “I would hate to do anything they have the same structure, the NME or Q to tell us who to lis- doza, who isn’t here today, has website, giving us permission to back to camp. liked talking in language, in cliched and touristy,” says band- and the synth line is totally ten to. We went for bands you previously said that melodies had record Spanish versions of the “I miss her, but her spirit Walmajarri and leader Camilo Lara, 38, a Mexico replaceable with a trumpet. We could easily hear about. You either to be sacrificed and several mean- songs for our album coming out in always comes here to the house, Wangkatjungka. She had too City-based electronic DJ and pro- recently did a cumbia version of liked The Cure or The Smiths. I ings left out. the new year. I like to think he’s not bringing humbug or trouble many languages: Jaru, Nardi, ducer who co-founded Mex- Bigmouth Strikes Again in a sta- just fell for Morrissey’s voice.” “Morrissey has a thing about flattered and interested in what for us, just quietly. We relax to Kukuja, too many.” rrissey in late 2014 with multi- dium in Argentina and everyone Morrissey’s dark humour and fitting a lot of words into a small we are doing. her and we just go to sleep.” Towards the end of her life instrumentalist Sergio Mendoza went wild. Those first moments of heart-on-sleeve confessions dove- space,” says Lara. “I nearly met him once. I was in Japeth Rangie, Jukuja’s she began to fear for the of Tex-Mex rockers Calexico. “I playing a song are always amaz- tail, he says, with genres such as “In Spanish we use more words LA doing another project and he grandson, says his grandmother continuation of her culture, guess we started off as a bit of a ing, watching people’s faces as mariachi and ranchera, which than English so that was OK. But was there at the same time; some- used to cry when she saw him: lamenting in Putupirri the film: joke; I’d been asked to remix they connect and work out what it tackle similar themes. As does translating stuff into Mexican one said they could get me a meet- “This is how much she missed “Old people finished … Old [Morrissey’s song] Someone Is is. They’ll catch on to the choruses the Mexican psyche: “We’re a slang was problematic.” Not ing. His manager sent me a long me. I felt sad and loved. I used to people are going to pass away. Squeezing My Skull and realised and sing along in Spanish, but it’s melodramatic country,” says always: the “bomb” in Ask questionnaire with about 20 ques- look back to her and always Whole lot.” there were so many connections no different to the way Mexicans Lara. “We love tension and became “la bamba”. But how to tions covering what the meeting stayed with her for holidays.” A close friend of many years between Morrissey and tra- respond to Morrissey; many don’t irony. Morrissey’s music is convey a lyric about Reggie was about, topics I couldn’t men- Born in about 1933 at a thinks differently. “Her singing ditional Mexican music. speak English but they’ll still sing similar to a telenovela Kray, the East End gangster tion. I filled in three pages,” he remote waterhole known as was redolent of her passion for “We were only going to do one the lyrics, the sounds.