Australia Up Close Australia Makes Mark On World Music Scene By DARREN McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
豪ポップグループが世界で人気 オーストラリア出身で世界的な人気を得たポップグループは、これまでにもいくつかありましたが、3年前にデビューした Savage Garden は今もっともホットなバンドです。男性2人のユニットで、失恋や恋愛を歌った曲が、世界中の人たちの共感を得ています。

As a music lover and aspiring musician, I take a keen interest in Australian Top 40 hits and enjoy watching little known Australian acts become international superstars. One such act is pop duo "Savage Garden," consinting of singer Darren Hayes and instrumentalist Daniel Jones.

Three years ago they were writing music in a one-bedroom apartment in Brisbane, less than an hour from where I live. With their enormous talent and a bit of luck, Savage Garden became one of the world's most popular bands.

When the opportunity arose to see Savage Garden perform in Brisbane as part of their Australian "Affirmation" tour, I gathered a group of friends to go. It was, without doubt, the best concert I've ever seen.

Savage Garden thrilled a packed house at the Brisbane Entertainment Center with their awesome sound and technicolor lighting effects. The entire stadium was singing and dancing to such famous tunes as "I Want You," "Break Me, Shake Me" and "Truly, Madly, Deeply."

The entire concert, including a shower of balloons and confetti, two encores and a standing ovation that lasted five minutes, was recorded for worldwide television release.

My friend and singing partner Susannah Lathlean, who saw the concert with me, was amazed by the energy that Savage Garden gave to their music. "Savage Garden are my favorite group because they put so much heart and soul into their music and the fans really appreciate that," she said.

In an age when most of the new music we hear is derived and similar in style, Savage Garden has its own fresh and unique sound that isn't easily defined. Their catchy melodies and groovy dance beats have made people all over the world tap their toes and sing along, but more important, they convey honesty and passion in their music.

Savage Garden sold 11 million copies worldwide of their self-titled debut album, which included the United States and Australian No. 1 single "Truly, Madly, Deeply." This beautiful love song remained at the top of the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts for a record 102 weeks.

At the 1997 Australian Recording Industry Awards, Savage Garden received a record 10 awards, including best album and song of the year.

The success of Savage Garden is due largely to their accessibility. "What people do relate to is what it's like to have their hearts broken, to fall in love, or to have that occasional bad day," says singer Darren Hayes in an interview on the official Savage Garden Web site. "Those are things that continue to affect all of us every day of every year."

After the success of their first album, Hayes moved to New York to discover life outside Australia. There he had the chance to record the band's second album, "Affirmation," with the same company that made Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion famous.

"Affirmation" was written mainly from the emotions and les sons Hayes experienced while living in America. "I placed myself in very adverse conditions because I was intent on making a record that could be a soundtrack not just to my life, but to everybody's lives," said Hayes.

"I Knew I Loved You" was the first single from their "Affirmation" CD and it shot immediately to No. 1 on the American Billboard Singles Chart, making Savage Garden only the second Australian band in history to have two U.S. No. 1 hits!

"We discussed how amazing it was, that we were again at the top of the American charts. We are ecstatic that our music is reaching and touching such a vast audience," says Hayes.

Savage Garden is by no means the only group to be making waves in the Australian pop scene recently. In an Australian version of the British Spice Girls revolution, a group of five young girls known as "Bardot," after film legend Brigitte Bardot, has burst onto Australian television and radio.

"Bardot" grew from a television show that auditioned 2,000 young Australian girls, all hoping to become pop stars. Australians young and old were glued to their TV sets to see which five girls would be selected to join the group.

Now, only six months later, Bardot has the No. 1 Australian single, "Poison," and has become the only new Australian act to debut at the top. Thousands of screaming teenagers flock to see these five superidols at concerts and public performances. They even have their own magazine and clothing brand!

Unlike Bardot, which many Australians see as a passing fad, Savage Garden will be around for many years to come. In their short three-year history they are already one of the all-time great Australian musical groups. As an aspiring singer/songwriter I can only hope that one day people around the world will enjoy my music as much as they love Savage Garden's.

Shukan ST: June 9, 2000

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