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BLAKSOUND reveals 100% First Nations youth-led music conference lineup

Parry Tritsiniotis
Originally Appeared In

First Nations music has never been more front-facing than in 2021 and now more details have emerged about BLAKSOUND

First Nations music has never been more front-facing than in 2021 and with the country still reeling from COVID closures, more details have emerged about BLAKSOUND, so-called Australia’s first dedicated Indigenous music event led by youth and broadcasting globally online from Meeanjin.

Presented by Digi Youth Arts and Vyva Entertainment and supported by QMusic and BIGSOUND, the virtual event will take place from September 6-8 with young First Nations musicians Sycco, Jem Cassar-Daley, DOBBY and Loki Liddle co-curating the event, supported and mentored by Alethea Beetson, Lead Artistic Director of Digi Youth Arts.

Renowned artist and keynote speaker Naomi Wenitong leads the inaugural line up in 2021, and will be joined by fellow speakers Emily Wurramara, rising rapper BARKAA, Bianca Hunt, song writer, hip hop artist and producer DRMNGNOW and radio & podcast personality Rhianna Patrick.

A Spotify Masterclass Presented by Jono Harrison (Artist & Label Partnerships Lead, Spotify Australia & New Zealand) will address navigating the platform as a young First Nations musician and demonstrate how to make the most of Spotify, while triple j’s Karla Ranby and Nooky will host a virtual networking opportunity for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander young people, where they can meet and yarn with the faces of triple j’s Blak Out program.

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BLAKSOUND is free to register (with payment options available for those who can) and will be held on the Swapcard platform. You can register for BLAKSOUND HERE.

Full program lineup:

SPEAKERS:

Naomi Wenitong (Keynote)

Barkaa

Bianca Hunt

DRMNGNOW

Emily Wurramara

Rhianna Patrick

WORKSHOPS:

Spotify Masterclass:

Navigating the platform as a young First Nations musician Presented by Jono Harrison

(Artist & Label Partnerships Lead, Spotify Australia & New Zealand)

triple j Blak Out:

A Music Yarn Presented by Karla Ranby & Nooky (triple j)

Ditto:

Distribution, DSPs and Playlisting with Ditto Music - Get Your Music to the World Presented by Jinaya Walford

(Australian and New Zealand A&R Representative for Ditto Music)

LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC HERE

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