Boomerang Festival, which celebrates Indigenous culture within Bluesfest, returns (19-21 April) with a dazzling line-up including Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project, Baker Boy and Archie Roach.
“Our Indigenous festival within a festival, at Bluesfest, is one of our highlights,” Bluesfest director Peter Noble says. “It is a musical and sensory delight. We have the best artists and dancers from Australia and surrounding regions. The dance troupes are thrilling.
“To have a musical showcase presenting the Young Australian of the Year, the incredible Baker Boy, [as well as] the legendary Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi & the Treaty Project, Mojo Juju, the Mission Songs, Benny Walker and much, much more – this is a dream bill for us.”
Headliner rapper Baker Boy, aka Danzal Baker aka The Fresh Prince of the NT, recently added Young Australian Of The Year to his string of accolades. He'll be joined at Boomerang by tour mate and fellow hip hop talent, Dallas Woods.
Making a welcome return to Boomerang will be singer-songwriter and guitarist Archie Roach, Melbourne-based, genre-defying performer Mojo Juju and Brotherhood of the Blues, a ten-piece band built on friendship, passion and a shared love of music.
Also gracing the stage will be Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project – the collective responsible for one of the stand-out performances at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games last year.
Complementing the line-up are Yorta-Yorta singer songwriter Benny Walker, multi-instrumentalist DOBBY, Tibetan musician Tenzin Choeygal and Jessie Lloyd's Mission Songs Project, an initiative to revive Australian Indigenous twentieth century songs.
It's not just music though. There'll be dance from Aboriginal, Torres Straight Islander and Polynesian traditions, courtesy of Muggera, Malu Kiai Mura Buai, and Rako. Local Arakwal people will be on hand to welcome revellers to Bundjalung country where Byron Bay is located. Te Kopere Maori Healers from Aotearoa (New Zealand) will be exercising their healing powers to leave festival-goers focused and centred.
Boomerang Director and member of the Bundjalung nation, Rhoda Roberts strongly recommends the Closing Ceremony. “Many have said [it] is one of the most moving experiences, not only of Bluesfest, but of their lives.”
Boomerang Festival takes place within Bluesfest Byron Bay from 19-21 April, 2019.
2019 BOOMERANG FESTIVAL LINE-UP
Baker BoyArchie Roach
Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project
Mojo Juju
Benny Walker
Dallas Woods
DOBBY
Mission Songs
Brotherhood Of The Blues
Malu Kiai Mura Buai
Rako
Tenzin Choegyal
Muggera
Te Kopere Maori Healers
Bundjalung Weavers
Saltwater Dubay
plus more acts to be announced
