Australia's biggest music industry gathering, BIGSOUND has partnered with Spotify to open more spaces and increase the representation of First Nations artists.
The BIGSOUND First Nations House will be located at TSO throughout the festival and will feature striking art by respected Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie.
The House will be a space for supporting, promoting and celebrating First Nations music and includes workshops, a dedicated space for First Nations artists, as well as events showcasing diverse Indigenous music.
2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and BIGSOUND is weaving a thought-provoking Indigenous-led programme overseen by First Nations Producer Alethea Beetson, featuring discussions, forums, networking events and music, designed to create participants rather than audiences.
“BIGSOUND’s continuing push to centre First Nations artists within the event is driven by cultural continuum through music, its relevance within global contexts and the need for the industry to have challenging conversations,” Alethea says.
“First Nations artists are continuing to produce some of the most diverse, unique and export-ready music in (occupied) Australia today. Increasing visibility to the role that First Nations people have played and continue to play in the industry and celebrating the music of one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world is what the First Nations stream of BIGSOUND is all about.”
This year's BIGSOUND features the strongest line-up of First Nations artists in the event's history, with Queensland's Deline Briscoe, Dream Coast, Miieshaand Sycco, New South Wales' Mack Ridge, Mojo Juju, Rebecca Hatch and Tasman Keith, Northern Territory's Black Rock Band and Mambali, Victoria's DRMNGNOW and South Australia’s Electric Fields.
BIGSOUND (Brisbane) is on 3-6 September.
First Nations Programme
• The annual HOME: Official BIGSOUND Welcoming Party featuring a line-up of Electric Fields, DRMGNOW, Deline Briscoe and Mambali - Valley Drive-In 3 Sep @ 12:30pm• A unique shared Keynote Under Occupation: Indigenous Perspectives on the Global Industry with Neil Morris (DRMGNOW, VMDO), Sosefina Fuamoli (Beat Magazine), Chelsey June (Twin Flames Music) and Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau (Tikidub Productions) offering insight into the varied, vast and connected experiences of Indigenous musicians and industry professionals operating across the globe in the settler-led global music industry - Cloudland 5 Sep @ 10:15am
• Keynote from Mojo Juju, one of Australia's most important artist voices, taking BIGSOUND through her journey of self-discovery and storytelling through music and breaking-through in 2018 with her triple-ARIA nominated album 'Native Tongue' - Cloudland 4 Sep @ 3pm
Mojo Juju
• The Indigenous North @BIGSOUND party, in partnership with Manitoba Music, showcasing Indigenous artists from Turtle Island/ Canada, featuring two-time Polaris Prize Shortlist hip hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Twin Flames and Renée Lamoureux - 6 Sep @ 2.30pm
• Sovereign Sounds: First Nations Governance Models in the Music Industry, unpacking the current challenges for self-determination in the music industry while considering the Indigenous-led governance models that will allow the music industry to thrive - Cloudland 5 Sep @ 4pm
• The annual Women in Music event, this year in celebration of the International Year of Indigenous languages - X-Cargo 3 Sep @ 10am
• Re-Awakening Voices: Music's Role in the Revitalisation of Indigenous Languages panel amplifying the vital connection between language and song for First Nations artists globally - Cloudland 4 Sep @ 3pm
