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Sydney Onikenbai Club
Onikenbai – whose name derives from demon-like masks and sword dancing – has been danced for more than 1000 years in Japan’s Iwasaki region, Iwate Prefecture. This traditional Japanese Buddhist dance is usually performed by a group of eight dancers, often with swords and fans. Sydney Onikenbai Club was formed in 2011 and has performed at many events, including the 2024 Matsuri Japan Festival in Sydney. The club’s members travel to Iwasaki annually to learn the dance from the original group “Iwasaki Onikenbai”.
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Prodikal-1
Prodikal-1 is an exciting hip-hop act with a unique sound and a powerful message whose music fuses First Nations culture with hip hop, rock, global melodies and rhythms.
Prodikal-1’s vibrant and energetic live shows have wowed crowds at festivals and gigs like Ngana Birrung, Coastchella, Friends of the South, Surflife, Parramatta Lanes and more, billed alongside the likes of JK-47, Barkaa, Kobie Dee, Urthboy, Radical Son, Justice Crew, AGirl, Nooky, The Terrys, The Rions and Ms Thandi – to name a few. The duo has been featured on NITV and had airplay on triple j, FBI Radio, Koori Radio and ABC radio. Coming from the Yuin Djiringanj community of Wallaga Lake on the South Coast of NSW, Prodikal-1 front man Warren Foster Junior is a powerful storyteller and speaks on the importance of culture and Country in his music.
Instagram: @Prodikal-1 / Spotify: Prodikal-1
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Major Zulu
Major Zulu is a Zambian-born soul singer and songwriter who now calls Sydney home, bringing a rich international career to her performances. Having collaborated with Grammy Award-winning Basement Jaxx and shared stages with icons like Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, and Earth Wind and Fire in London and Paris, she's no stranger to the global music scene. In Australia, Major Zulu has captivated audiences with sell-out shows at the Sydney International Jazz Festival, Jazz in the Vineyards, and the Art Gallery of NSW.
Her original music is a profound journey through love, loss, and yearning, infused with positivity and the echoes of her Zambian upbringing under post-colonial rule. Her critically acclaimed EP, The DIY Project Called Life, was followed by her second, Create NSW-sponsored EP, l Am Major Zulu.
Instagram: @iammajorzulu / Spotify: Major Zulu
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Rapaport
Joel Rapaport has been at the cutting edge of Australian hip hop as a songwriter and performer for two decades and is the founder of record label Big Village Records. Rapaport was nominated for Best Song at FBi Radio SMAC Awards (2017) and his 2024 album Roadkill received widespread acclaim.
Rapaport is studying jazz guitar at the Sydney Conservatorium and his current live band features acclaimed jazz musicians Daniel Pliner, Matt Lamb, Ned Olive and Josh Ahearn. This band has evolved through more than a decade of live shows, mostly in Sydney’s inner west, blending hip hop, soul, jazz and afro beats. They will be touring nationally in late 2025 with funding from Creative Australia as part of the CMTP regional touring program.
Instagram: @rapaportbv / Spotify: Rapaport
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