Overview
Black History Month: HERstory | HIStory is bringing some of the finest local First Nations artists to Clancestry on the Melbourne Street Green with a night of free live music and storytelling celebrating Mob.
Laugh, cry, dance and celebrate into the night with powerful songs, dances, vibrant visuals, and an unforgettable atmosphere, bringing together three generations of powerful Black/Blak performing artists!
HERstory Artistic Director, Deline Briscoe (Yalanji) leads a lineup of powerful Women, with Welcome to Country to Magandjin (Brisbane) by Gaja Kerry Charlton, Kiana Charlton and the Goodjee Youth Dancers, and featuring Women of song Kaylah Coghill, Aunty Dawn Daylight, Rochelle Pitt, BADASSMUTHA, Kristal West, Guyala Bayles and Suga Cane Mamas, supported by an all-female multicultural band.
HIStory Artistic Director, Gunggari man, Peter Thornley, leads a powerful night of music and story, joined on stage by legendary voices Fred Leone and Jungaji, with rising star Rowie. Together, they honour musical trailblazers and explore what it means to live Black/Blak in this country – past, present, and future.
Backed by an incredible live band, this Black History Month event weaves seamlessly between HERstory and HIStory, culminating in a finale that celebrates Black/Blak brilliance, rhythm, resistance, and community. This is a night not to be missed.
Black History Month: HERstory | HIStory is part of Clancestry. Find out more here.
Check out the line-up!

Deline Briscoe (Yalanji), HERstory Artistic Director
Deline Briscoe, a talented singer-songwriter from the Yalanji people, has been making waves in the Australian music scene with her powerful voice, heartfelt lyrics, and collaborations with industry legends. As a proud Indigenous artist, Deline’s music weaves together stories of her culture, community, and personal experiences. Deline’s musical journey has seen her share the stage and studio with iconic artists such as Archie Roach, Bart Willoughby, and Emma Donovan. In addition to her music, Deline is a savvy entrepreneur, running her own business, Gaba Musik, alongside her partner, Airileke Ingram. Gaba Musik serves as a platform for Deline to produce, publish and share music, supporting established and emerging Indigenous artists.

Gaja Kerry Charlton, Welcome to Country to Magandjin (Brisbane)
Gaja Kerry Charlton is a Yagarabul Elder and traditional owner in three native title claims – Yuggera Ugarapul Peoples (YUP), Quandamooka, and Kabi Kabi, and has Gulf ties. Gaja Kerry grew up Goori way in a culturally saturated lifestyle with traditional Elders and extended family within a small community. Her career includes teaching, counselling, social justice and Reconciliation. Gaja Kerry was a former Language Fellow at the University of Queensland, part of the Ancient Aboriginal genomic project with Griffith University, and works to repatriate local Languages, Culture, Country 2022-2024.

Kaylah Coghill
Kaylah Coghill is a Yagara/Koenpul woman from Nginila and Tjerangari, which is Inala and Stradbroke Island. She is a direct descendant of the Yagara peoples of Magandjin, who are the traditional custodians of Brisbane as well as the Koenpul peoples of Quandamooka, who are the traditional custodians of the Moreton Bay region. Kaylah is a teacher aide who works in her local community of Inala. She has spent the last 12 years raising her three children and working with many of the local communities teaching Indigenous workshops on art, music, language and dancing. She has also been a part of her family’s long language repatriation journey by learning, singing and teaching her ancestral Yagara language taught to her by her Gaja Kerry Charlton.

Aunty Dawn Daylight
Aunty Dawn Daylight is a published writer, singer, and artist from Jagera, Meanjin. She has been involved in many roles as a creative leader including Indigenous women’s workshops and art projects with local organisations BRISSC, IndigiLez Leadership and Support Group and Community Plus+. Daylight’s writing has been published in two different books including Bound by David Hardy and Witches: What Women Do Together by Sam George-Allen. She is passionate about cross-cultural exchange in schools, encouraging students to embrace cultural differences. Daylight is now endeavoring to publish new work and share her knowledge about relationships to land, people, and history.

Rochelle Pitt
Rochelle Pitt Watson is a Black Bold Beautiful Quandamooka, Meriam Erubam Le singer, songwriter who started singing and performing at an early age in the churches and choirs of Far North Queensland. Her long journey has forged a powerful voice that celebrates the strength, beauty and love within all of us. In her early twenties, Rochelle had breakout success with her original tracks “To deadly my sister” and “Black to Reality” from her seminal EP Black to Reality, an uplifting and inspirational ode to her first nations people, followed by the release of EP, Soul Mumma. Today she continues to enjoy performances across Australia and is a proud Ambassador for APRA AMCOS, advocating for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander singer songwriters.

BADASSMUTHA
BADASSMUTHA writes songs for silly gooses, soft ones, staunch ones, bubba ones, aunty ones and the mama ones. A Githabul, Migunberri-Yugumbeh, Gamilaroi woman residing and working between Tulmur and Magandjin, BADASSMUTHA is a seasoned multidisciplinary artist weaving stories through lyrical wit-poetry and catchy melody with an eclectic sound inspired by reggae, pop, soul, funk and a powerhouse presence.

Kristal West
Kristal West is a Meriam, Manbarra, Nywaigi and Palawa singer-songwriter and proud of her roots. She is granddaughter to the legendary First Nations land rights activist, Dr. Eddie Mabo, who campaigned for ten years to eventually have the legal doctrine of terra nullius overturned. Her grandmother, Dr. Bonita Mabo AO, was a staunch black rights activist, recognised for her ‘distinguished service to the Indigenous community and to human rights as an advocate for the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples’. Kristal is heavily influenced by her grandparents and strives to capture the stories of her bloodlines and black rights through her music.

Guyala Bayles
Guyala Bayles is a 25-year-old Birri Gubba and Wonnarua model and actress, signed to Chic Talent Management. Born in Magandjin (Brisbane) but later raised on Gadigal (Sydney) and Dhungatti (Kempsey) country, she transforms her challenging experiences and uses the knowledge passed down by her elders to powerfully advocate for First Nations issues and human rights. As a poet, singer/rapper, case manager and facilitator, Guyala inspires others to embrace their identity and pursue their goals and dreams no matter how big.

Suga Cane Mamas
Suga Cane Mamas are voice, string and stories told by three Blak women. Berniece Peeauake, Eilla Appo and Georgia Corowa are the gentle breeze that brings original soul songs, woven from generation to generation of First Nations and South Sea Islander bloodlines. Each melody is an invitation to pause, rest and reflect over a cuppa and to have a yarn with your fave person.

Peter Thornley (Gunggari), HIStory Artistic Director
Peter Thornley is a Gunggari songman, producer, and educator from Meanjin (Brisbane), whose work bridges ancestral wisdom and modern sound. Founder of Old Lore Studios, Peter nurtures the next wave of First Nations artists through mentorship, music production, and cultural leadership. Known for blending traditional instruments with cinematic and contemporary styles, his work honours the old while amplifying the voices of the now. Whether teaching, producing or performing live, Peter’s mission remains the same: create, uplift, and connect.

Fred Leone
Fred Leone is a Butchulla Songman with Garrwa, Aboriginal, Tongan, and South-Sea Islander heritage, and one of the few custodians of the Butchulla language and songlines. Known for blending ancient tradition with raw contemporary edge, Fred weaves voice, Kuluru (didgeridoo), and natural elements from K’gari into an unforgettable sound. From global stages to Triple J’s Hottest 100, Fred’s work – like his hit with cousin Birdz, “Bagi-la-m Bargan” – transcends genre while staying rooted in culture, resistance, and story.

Jungaji
Jungaji is a Western Gugu Yalanji amd Birrigubba songman whose music journey spans more than 30 years, from the 90s R&B of his Inala vocal group Aim 4 More, to a profound cultural rebirth inspiring his solo career. Now named Jungaji (meaning rock, strength, and knowledge, pronounced Jun-gah-jee), he shares his contemporary cultural stories through his music, visual art, theatre and advocacy, inspiring resilience and empowerment.

Rowie
Rowie is a Gimuy-born producer, songwriter, and performer shaping his sound from Brisbane’s West End. A dynamic force in pop, R&B, and hip-hop, Rowie’s music confronts perception and identity with high-energy honesty. His debut single “Fool” flips the script on being underestimated, showcasing a self-made artist unafraid to play the game on his own terms. As Vice President of Old Lore Records, Rowie is not just emerging – he’s setting the pace for 2025.