Talking to and listening to Christine Anu is such a delight says reporter Bev Jordan.
Her beautiful voice just lulls you into a place that is both fascinating and relaxing. It’s that fireside chat without the smoke which is why her show, Christine Anu In conversation and song, which arrives in Castle Hill on February 7 has been so popular.
The versatile entertainer has forged a 30 year career with her wonderful music and is also an actor, broadcaster and mum.
Born in Cairns in 1970, she is proud of her Torres Strait Island heritage and counts her mum as one of the strongest role models in her life.
“She is one of the toughest and strongest women I know.”
Anu’s own message is to stay positive even when being positive is not always an easy thing to do.
“When you get that positive mindset, it is amazing how far you can go… days can be tough but with a positive mind-set you can go far” she says.
The list of awards she has won, the shows and movies she has appeared in are numerous and then of course there is her legacy as a singer and that song, My Island Home, which has been inducted into the Sounds of Australia Registry by the National Film and Sound Archives.
When you ask her what she would like to do next she says, honestly, “I would really love to sleep. It’s right up there on my, To Do list, “she says, laughing.
Seriously though, she would like to “get better at the things she does” including acting which she loves. She has just finished filming her part in a new movie in production and has been playing the role of Teen Angel in Grease the Stadium Experience.
There is so much she has packed into her life so there is no shortage of material for her show.
“I like to have a bit of a chat,” she laughs. It was her manager who suggested the conversation and song format for her show which last year reached well over 30,000 people, young and not so young, across Australia.
“It’s evolved,” she says. “I don’t find it hard to talk about myself. The stories I tell are specific to the song I am about to sing.”
While talking is not difficult, creating the intimacy of talking to a listener rather than audience is an art she has perfected over her three years on radio, “It’s not a scripted show but there is a shape to it,” she said.
