Brazilian bombshell, best and worst of 1968, protest music wraps up U3A's busy year

The University of the Third Age in Wollongong finishes its fourth and final term for 2025 with several informative and entertaining lectures.

Carmen Miranda, presented by writer and creativity teacher Walter Mason, well-known for his warm storytelling and literary depth (Monday, 24 November at 11am)

Carmen Miranda was a hugely popular singer, actress and dancer known as the 'Brazilian Bombshell'. Carmen was born in Portugal in 1909, but her family moved to Brazil when she was a child. In the 1930s she became the most popular recording artist in Brazil where she also appeared in five films and was then brought to America by a Broadway producer. She became known for her vibrant performances and signature fruit-laden headwear and became an international icon of the samba dance. Walter will reveal how her Brazilian rhythms with American showbiz flair made her the highest-paid woman in the US during the 1940s and he will describe how her exaggerated image sparked both adoration and criticism. Carmen Miranda died of a heart attack in 1955 at the age of just 46, leaving a legacy of colour, charisma, and cultural fusion.

Protest and revolutionary music presented by Aileen Harland (Thursday, 27 November at 9.30am)

Wollongong U3A will be rocking along, as the music of both Protest and Revolutionary Music hits the stage. Aileen Harland will ask why choose the medium of music to protest and explain why 'protest music' is one of the most powerful cultural tools for resistance, solidarity, and social change. Her claim will be that protest songs don’t just reflect the times – they shape them, raising awareness, giving people a sense of belonging, and challenging systems of power. Aileen will show how protest and revolutionary songs burn themselves into our consciousness – even if we only manage to hum the tune! Songs like Beds are Burning (Midnight Oil), You Don’t Own Me (Lesley Gore) and even La Marseillaise are examples she will explore.

Why protest? Aileen asks. Because we need to!

The best and the worst of 1968 presented by Barbara Cattunar (Thursday, 11 December at 9am)

Barbara Cattunar has borrowed the famous Charles Dickens line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” to show how history is doomed to repeat itself, whether it is the 18th, 19th or the 21st century. She will explore 1968, a year that historians often label as a year that changed history, by detailing the social and global upheavals that were a feature of this period as a new generation took to the streets, chanting their protest songs over civil rights, the Vietnam War and the Cold War tensions, challenging entrenched systems and inspiring future activism. While the worst features of 1968 were the US political assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F. Kennedy, and the violence between warring police and demonstrators, there were positive things happening, with the Moon missions advancing. Barbara will show how the arts, music, film, fashion, and art improved our human capacity to laugh, unite, and cheer each other up, in spite of what was going on in the world.

The U3A guest lecture series is held on Monday and Thursday mornings between 9.30am and 12 midday at the Salvation Army auditorium at 13 Burelli Street, and non-members are always welcome to come and try (for free) the friendly learning experience of U3A.

For more information visit www.wollongongu3anet.org.au