Yorta Yorta, Yirendali and Kalkadoon woman Miss Kaninna performed an electric set to a sold-out crowd at The Vanguard in Newtown on April 6.
Her fresh blend of R&B and hip-hop got the room fired up as she performed hit tracks “Blak Britney”, “Push Up” and “Pinnacle Bitch”, as well as some new songs.
Fresh from supporting Irish language rap group Kneecap for the Australian leg of their world tour, Miss Kaninna showed that she is a powerful force who will be tearing up stages across so-called Australia for a long time.
Kaninna sparked headlines when she spoke out for Palestine on Triple J in November 2023, playing “Long Live Palestine” by Lowkey, saying “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and correctly identifying Israel’s attacks as a genocide.
As the corporate media went into a frenzy, and the ABC cowered, Miss Kaninna refused to back down.
She told the crowd she wrote the song “Dawg In Me” about her refusal to concede to censorship and silencing.
In between songs she led chants of “Free free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea”, which the crowd enthusiastically took up.
Hailing from lutruwita/Tasmania, Miss Kaninna spoke about the difficulty of being the only Aboriginal girl in her friend group, and the racism she experienced growing up.
“This land was never ceded, it was stolen … and we are still being killed by police, killed in custody to this day,” she said.
She said she wrote “Blak Britney” in response to racism against First Nations people and to give young Aboriginal women something positive to aspire to.
The song calls out all those who continue to oppress First Nations people: “I'm a, a pig hater, death to invader, and all the land takers, and all the treaty breakers, and all the dictators, and all manipulators.”
Kaninna said it was “not about Black people and people of colour against white people, but Black people and POC against racism”.
Rhia Alone, who last year won the 2024 Triple J Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative, opened the night with covers and original songs that showcased her soulful melodies and unique voice.
She explained that her vibrant musical sound is inspired by her Aboriginal, Tongan, Fijian and Italian heritage.
Make sure to catch Miss Kaninna and Rhia Alone if you get a chance. You’ll be sure to hear a lot more from them in future.
[Miss Kaninna is performing at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid, get tickets here.]