The Sorong Samarai movement has once again made it to the internationally renowned Bluesfest in Australia.
Called the Byron Bay Bluesfest, the event is Australia’s Premier Contemporary Blues & Roots Music Festival.
It showcases music from around the world annually on the Easter long weekend on 120 hectares at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just north of Byron Bay, NSW.
Sorong Samarai movement brings rebel music, combining fellow PNG and West Papuan artists, in the fight to push the message for freedom for neighbouring West Papua.
The band includes names like Airileke, Sprigga Mek, Jaggarizza and Baine, among a few others.
They’ve brought this message onto many international music platforms, including the first nation’s festival called the Boomerang Festival, within this Blues Festival arena.
They also had the opportunity to rub shoulders with big names in the global music industry like El-Boogie aka Miss Lauren Hill from the famous Fugees band, Lionel Richie, Jamaican ska and reggae musician Jimmy Cliff, Seal and Sheryl Crow, to name a few.
The Sorong Samarai artists have each been keeping their fans in on the fun through live videos and recorded videos posted on social media.
“We are honoured and privileged and humbled at the same time to represent the country and the Sorong Samarai movement. We live for this moment,” said Sprigga Mek in one of his live videos.
The 2018 Bluesfest Byron Bay began at 1:30pm on Thursday 29 March and ends on Monday 2 April (PNG time).
“It's by far the best festival I've attended so far,” Sprigga said.
Bluesfest annually presents over 200 performances with various stages over five 12 hour days, as well as camping for up to 6,000 people, 5 licensed bars, over 100 food and market stalls, undercover food courts, beer gardens and children’s entertainment.
(Picture: Sprigga Mek)