Nooky, Barkaa and more to perform at We Are Warriors event in Sydney this month

First Nations social enterprise We Are Warriors is set to host Blak Powerhouse, an evening of musical performances and discussions held in Sydney/Eora later this month. 

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Blak Powerhouse will take place at the Powerhouse Museum on January 26 – the date which marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and is known as Australia Day but also as Invasion Day or Survival Day.

The event will feature performances by First Nations artists Nooky, Barkaa and Kobie Dee, all of whom are ambassadors for the We Are Warriors outreach project. Alongside the music program, Blak Powerhouse will also feature film screenings, art installations, and other displays of “Blak excellence”, according to We Are Warriors’ website.

“On Jan 26, one of the most polarising days of the year, [We Are Warriors] will be taking over the Powerhouse”, the website reads. “We’re taking back a day of sorrow and turning it into a day of power and positivity.” Register to attend the free, one-night-only event here.

Musicians Kanada The Loop, Mi-Kaisha, Tom Foolery and Latifa Tee will also appear at Blak Powerhouse, with additional acts to be announced in the coming days. In addition to his performance, Nooky will also deliver a keynote address, which will cover topics from identity to First Nations representation. Speaking about the event in an interview with triple j, Nooky said “Blak Powerhouse is another mark in the We Are Warriors song line.”  

The rapper continued: “Launching WAW on January 26 and now creating Blak Powerhouse on our 1st birthday really has changed what this day means to me personally, and hopefully we can do that for others as well.”

Last January, Nooky marked the launch of We Are Warriors with the release of his single ‘Run Dingo’. Since then, the First Nations empowerment platform has hosted a music event at Oxford Art Factory, which featured performances by Dallas Woods, Jade Le Flay, Jayvy, Muggera, Roman Jody, Scraps, The Terrys, Triple One, Ziggy Ramo and more.

Speaking of First Nations-focused events in a 2021 interview with NME, Nooky said: “It’s an open door now. It’s a win for me that people know that platforms [are] there for them.”