Melanie Shanahan
Melanie Shanahan (January 1964 - 11 December 2003) was an Australian world folk singer and songwriter. She was a member of the groups Arramaieda and Akasa, whose hits included "Tell Me Now", "She Will Not Lose", "Walk With Me", and "Human Zoo".[1] She also collaborated with Coco's Lunch and Safara.
Melanie was influenced by political singer/songwriters, in particular Sweet Honey in the Rock, and decided to form her own female a cappella band in Hobart. The band, Arramaieda, originally had nine or ten members, but reduced down to three. They released their debut album, "More Ways than One", in 1992, and more than half of the songs on the album were compositions of Melanie's. Unfortunately, it was her issues with mental health that led to the breakup of the band.[2]
She was invited to sing with Coco's Lunch, but the need to sing politically relevant music led her to join Akasa, contributing songs to their first two albums. She also directed four choirs,[3][4] including Living Out Loud and Yirriba.
Melanie committed suicide at the age of 39. A memorial concert was held soon after to commemorate the loss.[5]