Torres Strait Islander's song comforts the sleepless

Wouldn't you know it? On the first morning I could have slept in for six days, I woke up around 3 a.m., and couldn't fall back to sleep.
I usually don't suffer from insomnia, so I am not sure what made me wake up.
If I can't sleep, I thought, I might as well listen to some good music.
The first song I dialed up was "MY ISLAND HOME" by CHRISTINE ANU.
Born in Cairns, Anu is a TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER, one of the indigenous peoples of AUSTRALIA.
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia 's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. Most of the islands are considered part of Queensland.
American sports fans might be familiar with a Torres Strait Islander who starred on the college basketball courts this past season. PATTY MILLS starred for St. Mary's College in California.
"This Island Home" was originally written by Neil Murray and recorded by his Warumpi Band.
Anu served as a backing singer for Neil Murray and The Rainmakers in 1992.
"I was quite happy as a backing singer but Neil would always say, 'C'mon, you're the only chick in the band, we've gotta get your face out front. Surely you can sing a couple of songs to give me a break,'" Anu said. "I started singing one line of 'My Island Home,' then a verse, then it ended up becoming the song that I sang."
"My Island Home" is a beautiful song that expresses the longing of a city dweller for the tropical comforts of their upbringing. It's a song that resonates with Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous alike.
It even resonated with a wide awake American who wished he could have been sleeping.
You can check out a YouTube clip of Anu singing "My Island Home" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics by clicking here.