Fred Leone: Song Man

Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Fred Leone, recorded March 6, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.

Fred Leone is a musician with Australian Aboriginal, Tongan, and South-Sea Islander heritage. One of the few Butchulla song men, he is a cultural custodian preserving their language through music. He the front man for the hip hop group Impossible Odds. Fred is also a passionate community activist and a First Nations advocate. He is committed to passing down the cultural knowledge of his ancestors by passing on traditional songs and dances to younger generations via his work as a song man.

In this episode we talk about Fred’s surprise hit song, growing up with a Robin Hood mentality, what it means to be a “song man” in his culture, saving his dying native language, the importance of passing on knowledge, the politics of land rights, the sterility of anthropology, how to be a better ally, and traditional burning methods that can prevent brush fires.

Twitter:

@impossible_odds

Music:

https://www.impossibleoddsmusic.com

https://amandapalmer.bandcamp.com/track/solid-rock-with-fred-leone

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