Jude McDues

Introduction:

In the late 15th century, the Malabar west coast of India was colonialized by the Portuguese. It was followed by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and 18th centuries. The towns still look like European settlements, with beautiful churches and old houses lining the streets to this day, with facades still preserved by the local law. During this stage, the Colonialists encouraged the Europeans employed in their public services and pampered them to marry the locals to keep them settled in the colonies and invigorate and build the trust of the local communities. The Portuguese controlled a few towns in India till the 1960s, so when they left the country after India's Independence, they allowed their citizens to take up Portuguese citizenship, buy a sailing ticket or become a Portuguese citizen and stay in India with a residence. 

The Early Years:

Jude was born in Fort Cochin to a middle-class family with three siblings. His father was working in the Indian railways. Most of the Anglo/Lusso Indians (of British/Portuguese ancestry) had the privilege of employment in the Public Services. His mother was a Montessori teacher. He completed his schooling and attended a Jesuit-run college in Mangalore, another colonized coastal town on the west coast of India. 

The Music Influence:

Music was a salient part of the family's social life. Jude remembers: that Dad always listened to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation every day from 2 pm to 6 pm Indian Standard Time. He was a big fan of Elvis Presley, The Carpenters, The Brotherhood of Man and George Baker. Jude started playing the guitar at 14 after many years of dad coaxing. His two sisters and elder brother were performing very well playing the guitar, Jude recalls. He grew up listening to The Beatles, Kenny Rogers, The Carpenters and Elvis Presley. In college, he went on to win several awards. A music career was a big dream. The Teenage years were spent with long hair and a hippie style and listening to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Santana, Jethro Tull, The Police and AC/DC. After his college education, He formed a band with his siblings called The Silver Streak and then secured an annual contract in a 5-star hotel. He took a keen interest in country music to entertain the classy audience of five-star dining and coffee shops. Kenny Rogers, Don Williams, Jim Reeves, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings became a part of his daily setlist.  

Move to the Big City:

He then took up a blue-collar job in Bosch as a CNC machine operator in Bangalore and performed many gigs in the big city on weekend nights. After three years of night shifts and sleepless days, a monotonous life of boredom with no challenges, he quit his factory job as he secured an annual contract with the Sheraton group of hotels in the Windsor Manor, Bangalore, in a band called the Electric Sprits. Jazz standards and hits of the 60s - 80s were on the band's repertoire. He later began performing as a 1-man band in an Irish pub called the Royal Derby at the Manor. He was an in-house solo artist for guests and celebrities of the Miss World Pageant in India. Entertaining high-profile guests from the Hollywood and Bollywood industry was an every-night gig.

Giving up on the Music Dream:

After eleven years in live music, he gave it up to pursue a (real) job in Video production for a TV production house in the Middle East. He is a 3D Motion Graphics Designer, studying during the day and music at night. I took up a day job even though I was earning four times an average wage at that time, with live music and working for only four hours a night with a healthy and entertaining nightlife, Jude recalls.

Live music was a distant memory.

An Entrepreneur:

After seven years of working in Graphics and Video Production, he registered a business in Dubai Media City as a Freelance Art Director. He made his first visit to Melbourne in 2010 with his wife and his year-old son. He then returned to Dubai and his daily work life.

Down Under for Good:

In 2014 he returned to Australia with his family left behind in Dubai. Loneliness and a call for a hobby kept calling as the long hours of emptiness after regular work hours. During the weekends spent in isolation, as he had not made friends? On one of his business trips to Dubai and back, he brought his old 100 USD acoustic guitar and 26-year-old Yamaha keyboard to Melbourne.

Back to where he feels he belongs:

He uploaded an online profile for opportunities to join a band or to meet people with similar interests. He did a few gigs for the screen as an extra and joined a band of retirees. After 15 years of being away from Live performances brought a lot of frustration and depression and a more dedicated rehearsing, he started to grow in confidence again. 

The Tamworth Calling:

In January 2016, after weeks of looking into the Tamworth Music Festival website and reading about the miracle of busking on Peel Street. Jude registered on the website. All he had now was a 100 acoustic guitar. Jude Recollects, I ordered a portable guitar/PA amp that arrived 2 hours before my flight. He made it to Tamworth with a frozen shoulder, an amp and a guitar.

The Tamworth 2019:

He did some Busking on Peel Street with Pete Dawson and friends, meeting up with many artists on and off the stage and back to the music scene in full gear. Ten days in a tent at over 40 degrees and singing on the streets with like-minded artists was life-changing. He made a new plan and new goals for the year ahead.

2020:

He began working on songs written in the past and a few new ones. He also started working on his video production skills and released a few cover songs on YouTube. He began setting up his audio video home studio in Windsor, Melbourne. The pandemic and the Lockdown were instrumental in getting this started in zest. He had to cancel his trip to Tamworth due to the Bush fires in the State.

2021:

He released a cover of "My First Taste of Texas" in tribute to Texas country singer Ed Bruce and a virtual live show performing the song on YouTube using the green screen and visual effects. All audio and videos were recorded and produced in his home studio during the Melbourne Lockdowns. The Tamworth Country Music Festival was cancelled due to the pandemic.

2022: 

His home Studio gets an upgrade with new hardware and software. Jude works on a few originals with no fixed date for release. Jude performed at the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He covered a few Country rock, pop and Americana hits and a few of his unreleased songs. He is building his fan base online and in Melbourne and Tamworth.