Mills Sisters
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1950s |
| Headquarters | Thursday Island , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
The Mills Sisters, initially known as the Singing Grandmas, consisted of three siblings from the Torres Strait Islands: Rita Mills along with the twin sisters Cessa and Ina.
Early life
Born on Naghir Island within the Torres Strait, twins Ina and Cessa arrived in 1927, followed by Rita in 1934. Their ancestry includes Torres Strait Islander roots, with a great-grandmother belonging to the Kaurareg people, traditional custodians of Possession Island, and a grandfather from Samoa. Ina later married a man from Timor of Indonesian descent.
After marriage, their surnames became Nakata (Cessa), Titasey (Ina), and Fell-Tyrell (Rita).
Career
Each sister contributed vocally; Rita accompanied herself on the guitar, Cessa played the ukulele, and Ina added rhythm with the tambourine.
Their musical journey began in the 1950s under the name Singing Grandmas, performing primarily in pubs on Thursday Island. By the 1980s, their performances expanded beyond the Torres Strait. They featured at significant events such as the Brisbane Expo in 1988 and the Woodford Folk Festival, undertaking tours across Australia, as well as internationally to England, France, New Zealand, and various Pacific locations.
Their interpretation of "TI Blues," composed by Seaman Dan, became a signature piece representing Torres Strait culture. The group released their album Frangipani Land in 1995.
Cessa and Ina retired approximately between 1995 and 1996, whereas Rita continued her solo endeavors until she stepped back from performing in 2001. She passed away in 2004.
Musical styles and languages
The Mills Sisters' extensive catalog included over 200 songs embracing Torres Strait Islander love ballads, modern genres, Australian country music, blues, and reggae. Their performances incorporated several languages aside from English, such as Samoan, Hawaiian, Papua New Guinean dialects, Aboriginal languages, and those native to the Torres Strait Islands.
Awards
In recognition of their lifelong contribution as exceptional Indigenous Australian musicians, the Mills Sisters were honored with the Red Ochre Award by the Australia Council for the Arts in 1995.
In film
In 2008, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Indigenous division produced a thirty-minute documentary titled Frangipani Land Forever, directed by Douglas Watkin. This film was part of the "Message Stick" series.
Discography
- Frangipani land (1993) – New Market Music
- Those beautiful TI girls (2002) – Zuna Entertainment
- Musical groups from Queensland
- Indigenous Australian musical groups
- Torres Strait Islanders
- Culture of the Torres Strait Islands
- Australian folk singers
- Musical groups established in the 1950s
- Musical groups disestablished in 1996
- Australian women folk singers
- Torres Strait Islander women
- Australian musical trios
- Sister trios