FLIGHT: The Next Generation of Artists

FLIGHT is a showcase featuring the new generation of Naarm’s best artists, featuring 14 acts from First Nations and culturally diverse backgrounds. New musical adventures across a range of genres for a new community of young artists on display as they take flight after a five month professional development program. To celebrate their achievements we’re finishing it off with a BANG(!) at Fitzroy Town Hall as part of Leaps and Bounds Music Festival which will not only include music but workshops, food and more to be announced!   Young musicians, composers and singers, informed by their divergent cultural backgrounds offer listeners songs that are original, rhythmic and compelling.

This event is part of The Boite’s Portfolio Project initiative supported by City of Yarra, Inner North Foundation, Australia Council for the Arts and industry partners, Music Victoria and Melbourne Polytechnic.   

Artist line-up:  Amla, Canisha, Jun Parker, Leticia, Melody Kin, Minhy, Monrxe, Sirak, Svitak, Tariro, The Seventh, Y.C.Liu, Zemzemeh

𝗔𝗠𝗟𝗔 Amla is a multi-instrumentalist (flautist, violinist and vocalist) who creates original and improvised worldly soundscapes. Informed by her Classical background in flute and years of experience in a diverse range of musical genres with other musicians (Latin pop, Electronic, Mariachi, Celtic Folk, Jazz, Flamenco, to name a few), she floats through carefully crafted melodies and emotive lines that take you on an enjoyable journey. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4VQuZNu6BuPUqaZ9pzh184... https://www.instagram.com/amlamusic/

𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗔 Canisha is an exciting emerging First Nations artist to put on your radar. Though still new to the local music scene, her powerful and soulful vocals have gotten the attention of big names in the industry, including rapper and record label owner, Briggs. Canisha is currently working on her upcoming EP.

In 2022, Canisha put herself on the map, performing alongside Adam Briggs, and other First Nations Artists at the Bad Apples House Party. This opened many doors for Canisha, leading to securing a slot at the 2023 St Kilda Music Festival, Music for Mob and headlining Melbourne’s “Blak Stage” at the Retreat Hotel. https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gQ6RBQFW1RmEMDN2XQQt9... https://www.instagram.com/canisha.ck/

𝗝𝗨𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗥 Taking inspiration from City Pop and Retro Tokyo sounds, Jun creates bilingual intercultural music that is groovy, yet melancholic, and funky, yet nostalgic. Fusing elements of pop, jazz, fusion, folk, funk, R&B and bossanova, he creates his distinctive sound from a rural costal outpost in Victoria. Infusing elements of Japanese 70's and 80's City Pop vibe and sentimentalities, his lyrical world of love, philosophy and dreamscapes elevates the listeners to a whole new universe. Jun brings urban-style 'City Pop' soundscapes to collide with his sense of Australian rusticality, uniquely derived from his life experience of having lived half of his life in urban Tokyo and the other half in rural Australia. C'mon and enter his world of Funky Nostalgia

His first worldwide single 'Embracement' in July 2022 has been well received globally with radio play across not just Australia and Japan but finding its way to European, North American and South American stations. His sophomore single Say Goodbye built on this success. His latest release, “Dancing in the Dark” was produced by an eminent Japanese synth pop producer, Seiki Sato. His latest release, “All Because of the Moon” as heard on Triple J, and Double J was released from a South American record label. https://open.spotify.com/artist/7rzTiiZN5Um49MlQ9dN42X... https://www.instagram.com/junparkermusic/

𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔 𝗞𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗘 Leticia is an up and coming indie fusion pop artist who has a deep passion for lyric interpretation and finding creative ways of telling thought provoking stories. Leticia’s hope is to deliver powerful emotive messages that resonate deeply with listeners. https://www.instagram.com/leticiakeane/

𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗞𝗜𝗡 Melody Kin writes jazz-infused neo-soul melodies that ooze a sense of cosy wholeness while her lyrics invite her audience to embrace their own inner power. Her sound embodies the feeling of a warm hug and an inspired pep talk from your bestie, leaving you soothed and ready to celebrate your own self-worth. https://open.spotify.com/artist/79lYBLsJ7eLLYOaTnIGMxT... https://www.instagram.com/itsmelodykin/

𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗛𝗬 Multi-award winning songwriter and designer, Minhy [mini], is here to live fully and truly, inspired by her parents’ refugee journey to Australia after the Vietnam War.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Minhy has been creative since young and is forging a path that sets her apart. From automotive design, to designing logos and artwork for fellow musicians, she is now reconnecting with her identity, heritage and life purpose after discovering songwriting 3 years ago.

Minhy’s self directed Music Video for her debut single ‘Dead Of The Night’ won Best Music Video at the LA Film Awards, New York Film Awards, Top Shorts, and Best Animated Music Video at the International Music Video Awards and Munich Music Video Awards. After releasing ‘Entangled’ APRA AMCOS invited Minhy to play her first gig at their Regional Sessions 2022 in Gippsland. Her releases have received enthusiastic radio play from 3RRR, FBi Radio, Syn FM, and InnerFM. With storytelling at the heart of her creative process, Minhy builds sonic and visual worlds to immerse in. Her songwriting is ruminative, with the intertwining of original metaphors and catchy melodies to express her multilayered emotions and concepts. With influences including Alicia Keys, Grimes, Kimbra and BANKS, Minhy’s style is an explorative fusion of pop, electronic and R&B. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4T2L1RNrIzlVzstBNQ2osU... https://www.instagram.com/minhymusic/

𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗥𝗫𝗘 With a notable six octave range, powerhouse harmonies, dance repertoire and an impressive lyrical pen with catchy hooks, it's about time that an artist like Monrxe starts to make her mark on the ever growing Australian RnB scene. Monrxe has been a fixture for many years within the local Melbourne scene as one of the lead vocalists for the iconic residential Tuesday nights improvisational group, Now. Here. This All Stars at The Toff in Melbourne CBD - a program that has been curated for seven years.

She has gone on to perform at Strawberry Fields with The Foreign Brothers, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange, Killah Hurtz and Amin Payne. As well as receiving rave reviews as a soloist cast member in the Australasian premier of The Color Purple Musical.

This triple threat artist will not only be showcasing a mesmerising music performance, she'll also be wooing audiences with choreographed dancing supported by a team of 7 dancers. Monrxe will be releasing her debut single on July 12, titled "Bad4Ya" as part of her 12 track mixtape. You won't want to miss this special performance. https://www.instagram.com/munnimonrxe/

𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗞 𝗔𝗕𝗨 Sirak is a guitar wielding, singer songwriter and producer that aims to express his rawest of emotions into music. He has been described as a mix between Kid Cudi and Teezo Touchdown. https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dtWBMqjj3gnuansTkVNn4... https://www.instagram.com/openspacemastering/

𝗦𝗨𝗭𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗢 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘 Suzie So Blue is a singer-songwriter in a dark folk style. Having played previously Czech Polka, Bossa Nova and rock folk she is broadly influenced. Now emerging with her own unique voice and instruments, Suzie So Blue’s dobro banjo and tremolo tenor guitar explore love and life with four strings and the truth. https://www.instagram.com/suziesoblue/

𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗞 Adrianna Svitak is an interdisciplinary artist from the United States. She works with manipulated acoustic instrumentation, field recordings, tapes and voice to weave densely textured sonic landscapes. Her work is characterised by sustained tension and a sense of longing, with a range of emotional and aural textures that combine to create a distinctive and haunting atmosphere.

Adrianna Svitak was born in Eugene, Oregon on December 16th, 1995. She started playing piano at the age of five, and violin at the age of six.

Since then, she has played at events and competitions such as the Seattle Young Artists' Festival, the CWU Sonatina Festival, the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside, for the Music Teachers' National Association (MTNA), at the Northwest Chopin Festival, and at the October Bach Festival. Among other awards, she won first place at the City of Covington Piano Competition. She was concertmistress for the Redmond Junior High Honors Orchestra at the Junior All-State Violin Competition. https://svitak.bandcamp.com/album/born-to-pine https://www.instagram.com/meatclump/

𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗥𝗢 Tariro is a neo soul and R&B girl group that formed in the year 2023. The group consists of portfolio participants Vimbai Shammah and Chi who are talented and dynamic artists that are passionate about creating music that connects with their audience on a deep emotional level.

Inspired by the likes of Beyoncé, Sabrina Claudia, Jasmin Sullivan, Ari Lennox, and many other powerhouse vocalists and artists in the industry, Tariros music encompasses a unique blend of soulful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics that speak to the heart of their listeners.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗛 The Seventh are a 6-piece Burmese Chin soft rock band that sing in their native language Hakha Chin and Burmese. https://www.instagram.com/theseventhband/

𝗬.𝗖. 𝗟𝗜𝗨 Born in Taipei and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Naarm-based singer-songwriter Y.C. Liu is no stranger to migration. Just like moving to a new place allows for reinvention, Liu’s songs are invitations for the truest and deepest parts of ourselves to emerge amid often difficult and uncertain emotional terrain.

His music is lush with evocative imagery attuned to the most subtle turns of the heart, reminiscent of writers like Sufjan Stevens and Joni Mitchell. Guided by his distinctive, velvet baritone voice, flickering guitar chords and choir-harmonies, his debut single ‘Some Nights’ has an unmistakable warmth that evokes the image of a family huddled around a campfire at dusk. Written after the passing of his father, it is a tender ode that explores the unravelling of identity in the wake of loss, and is the first single to emerge from a collection set for release in 2023. https://open.spotify.com/artist/7r2IYcnrt3wqpbh57cIDiK... https://www.instagram.com/_ycliu/

𝗭𝗘𝗠𝗭𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗛 (𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗛 𝗙𝗔𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗡 & 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗛 𝗡𝗔𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡) Zemzemeh was formed in 2022, consisting of two talented musicians; Sepideh on vocals and Mohsen on guitar and piano. With over 10 years of experience in the music industry, they have honed their skills and created a unique sound that blends different genres and styles.

The band's purpose is to use music as a tool to eliminate geographical boundaries and bring people together from different cultures and backgrounds. Zemzemeh achieves this by performing in various languages, showcasing the beauty of different cultures through music.

With music sung in French, Arabic, Azerbaijani (Folk song), Persian, and Turkish languages, their performances offer a magical experience. The band has carefully selected popular songs from each language, ensuring a captivating and diverse performance. https://www.instagram.com/_sepidef_/