Ziggy Ramo
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

Ziggy Ramo

Ziggy Ramo

Indigenous Australian singer, songwriter and activist Ziggy Ramo is appearing at Prince Bandroom on June 30.

The Australian hip-hop artist is known for his lyrics that cut deep into subjects that matter. Tackling race relations, toxic masculinity, mental health and true love with unflinching honesty, he’s an incredibly important voice in the Australian music scene. He’ll be performing at St Kilda’s own Prince Bandroom, alongside support acts Charlie Needs Braces and Kiwat Kennell.

Black Thoughts, released in 2020, was a phenomenally important album that rocketed Ziggy Ramo into the public eye. It champions vital and powerful messages that have commanded the attention of listener and commentators around the country. Representing Indigenous Australian perspectives in rap, Black Thoughts combats colonial dispossession, systematic racism and intergenerational trauma.

With the album being nominated for the Australian Music Prize’s Album of the Year award, he’s performed it live at Sydney Opera House. Additionally, he was the headline artist at the Adelaide festival’s hip-hop finale contest. Boasting an all-Indigenous line-up, he performed alongside Jimblah, JK-47 and J-Milla.

An undisputed voice of the future, Ramo released Black Thoughts in June 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. Originally written in 2016, Ramo was worried about how an album that confronts systematic racism head-on would be received at the start of his career. Four years on, it was released into a climate of people forced to confront racial inequality, with its raw emotion and uncompromising message rocketing Ramo into the public eye. Using his art to knock down barriers for himself and future generations to come, he’s an undisputed voice of Australian music’s future.

He has also recently released a reworked version of ‘Little Things’. Following the Gurindji strike orchestrated by Indigenous activist Vincent Lingiari, it’s a Paul Kelly classic protest anthem. Clocking in at almost seven minutes, it’s received widespread praise and radio play – and has even been used as a teaching tool in schools.

Supporting Ziggy Ramo on the evening is Charlie Needs Braces. The latest project from Naarm musician and proud GuriNgai woman, Charlie Woods, she’s played on stage with outfits such as Teskey Brothers,The Seven Ups, Ogopogo, WVR BABY and TEK TEK Ensemble. An inspired multi-instrumentalist, her work features live looping. A solo project that uses original compositions, it’s inspired by her new braces as well as learning about her family’s Aboriginal heritage.

Also joining the line-up on the evening is Kiwat Kennell, a Torres Strait Islander that walks between two worlds. Born in Meanjin, QLD, he’s travelled and lived across countless towns and cities across the East Coast, before settling into the cultural and musical kaleidoscope that is Naarm.

He uses his past experiences of strength, courage and overcoming depression to create an expansive array of musical expression that blends genres, invokes emotion and breaks down cultural barriers between societal groups. A part of the award winning band Key Hoo, Kiwat Kennell is a survivor, a creator and a leader that’s stepping out on his own and allowing his voice to be heard.

Set Times
Kiwat Kennell: 7:30pm – 8:00pm
Charlie Needs Braces: 8:20pm – 8:50pm
Ziggy Ramo: 9:15pm – 10:00pm

One of Australia’s best voices in hip-hop, Ziggy Ramo is definitely not one to miss. It all goes down at Prince Bandroom next Thursday, on June 30. The best part? It’s a free gig.