Ziggy Ramo moved to Perth when he was six years old and began pursuing music in his mid-teens, the social messaging of classic US hip-hop resonating with him. After graduating from school, he embarked on a Pre-Medicine degree, determined to advocate for Indigenous health, before switching back to music, aiming to represent Indigenous Australian perspectives in rap.
To say Ziggy Ramo’s voice is an important one in the Australian hip hop scene would be a gross understatement – over a very short period it’s become as integral as peers like Briggs and Remi. At a time when artists like A.B. Original are (quite rightly) swinging sledgehammers in their efforts to expose Indigenous issues in this country, Ziggy is right there beside them with a cut-throat razor, slicing deep into the heart of race relations in modern Australia. Over the last year, the 24-year-old Sydney-based artist has risen from “emerging” to “established” with his insightful, emotional and arresting debut EP Black Thoughts, quickly followed by the powerful single, ‘Black Face’. With a style that owes itself more to the Golden Era of hip hop than the glossy, over-produced, auto-tuned “rap gods” of today, Ziggy’s scything flow, effortlessly combined with a politically-charged focus, puts him in a league of his own.
Growing up in remote Arnhem Land, regional NSW, Sydney and Perth and with family connections in Far North Queensland, his voice whether through music or public speaking, addresses the silenced injustices of Aboriginal Australia as well as other social issues. Lyrically influenced by artists such as Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Lauryn Hill and Common, along with activists like Charlie Perkins, Gary Foley and Adam Goodes, Ziggy finds passion in giving voice to issues affecting those often unheard.
Stand up and join Bart Willoughby, Tasman Keith, Emma Donovan, Deline Briscoe, Barkaa, Allara, Kee’ahn, Sorong Samarai and Ziggy Ramo in this one-off special event.
In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement leapt out of the United States and proliferated around the globe; Australia was no exception, but our movement has its own unique history and identity. At the heart of BLAKTIVISM is a collaborative set featuring musicians that have redefined the voice of activism music across decades and to the present day, performing together as the galvanised chorus of an unstoppable movement.
Featuring Yothu Yindi
BLAKTIVISM set featuring Bart Willoughby Tasman Keith Emma Donovan Deline Briscoe Allara and Kee’ahn
Sorong Samarai Ziggy Ramo Mundanai - Embrace (Healing Ceremony)
Artistic Director Deline Briscoe