Line up announced for BLAKSOUND, the 100% First Nations music conference

Artist and keynote speaker Naomi Wenitong, rising rapper BARKAA, hip hop artist and producer DRMNGNOW and radio and podcast personality Rhianna Patrick, are among the latest names to join new music event BLAKSOUND.

BLAKSOUND is so-called Australia’s dedicated Indigenous music conference 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.

Delivering a series of online workshops and discussions, BLAKSOUND is designed to elevate, celebrate and represent the voices and perspectives of current and future First Nations artists and industry workers.

Ditto Music’s Jinaya Walford will discuss distribution, DSPs and playlisting. 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 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.

BLAKSOUND is free to register (with payment options available for those who can) and will be held on the Swapcard platform on Monday 6 September, Tuesday 7 September and Wednesday 8 September with panels and keynotes targeting the wider music industry in the mornings and workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the afternoons.

“BLAKSOUND provides a sovereign platform for conversations that need to be heard by the wider music community,” said Alethea Beetson. “Digi Youth Arts invites the music industry to listen to our community, and then respond or where required step aside so we can continue the work of carrying on our stories through song.”

“Vyva Entertainment is excited to be collaborating with DYA to present BLAKSOUND,” said Vyvienne Abla, Director – Vyva Entertainment. “We invite you to learn, listen and grow as we dissect our current ecosystem and take a look into the future of our music industry from the perspectives and experiences of our youth and First Nations industry and communities.”

“BLAKSOUND is an opportunity for First Nations youth to talk back and challenge the music industry at large. It is charged with powerful conversations that will shine a light on the issues we face, and the future we plan to create,” said co-curator Loki Liddle.

BLAKSOUND

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.