Talent Western Sydney Collectives Take Over Powerhouse Rooftop
Western Sydney collectives are hosting free rooftop events at the new $1 billion Powerhouse Parramatta through November 27. Organizers say the venue gives local talent the infrastructure it has long lacked, and the series runs from a Diwali party to a night of hip-hop and reggaeton.
Western Sydney music collectives are taking over the rooftop of the new $1 billion Powerhouse Parramatta with a series of free events running until November 27, giving local talent a major venue on its own doorstep.
The Powerhouse opened on Saturday after 11 years of planning, three years of construction, two parliamentary inquiries and four NSW premiers.
A Diwali party with a twist
Dancer Jeevi Bola performed a traditional Kathak, a classical Indian dance, in front of a wall draped in multicoloured saris. The Diwali party was organized by Kerfew, a western Sydney-based South Asian creative collective.
Kerfew drew on the day raves thrown by the UK's South Asian diaspora in the 1980s and 1990s. Migrant children often faced strict parental curfews back then but still wanted to party.
Kerfew's Sidd Sharma said public investment in western Sydney has taken years to arrive. "The people, the talent, the audiences are there. What has not been there is the infrastructure," he said. "And I think Powerhouse Parramatta really changes that."
What is on the rooftop
Country Always, an all-female First Nations acoustic group, opened the series on Saturday. Three Rivers Ensemble, a seven-piece group inspired by Islamic devotional music, plays this Friday, November 13. ARIA winner BOY SODA follows on November 21.
Beat Kitchen Records, a western Sydney label and creative collective, takes over the rooftop next Sunday. The series spans a range of practices and genres, curated by leading musicians, DJs and collectives.
A father's work, a son's night
For Beat Kitchen's Fernando Benavides, the timing is personal. His father worked on the museum's construction, fitting the air conditioning system. Benavides is now programming a night of music there.
"When I'd see him, I'd always be like, 'How's the Powerhouse, how's the Powerhouse?'" he said. "And then it was exciting when I got to tell him about us working there."
Benavides said western Sydney's mix of backgrounds and class origins makes it an exciting region for music. "It's a meeting point between different cultures and what breeds from that is hip-hop, reggaeton and garage and all these fun genres that are innovative and new and exciting," he said.
How the museum picked its acts
Nikki Brogan, the Powerhouse's senior program curator, said the museum chose young, emerging music makers and collectives "hungry" for spaces to make their own. She said the team also looked at families visiting the museum and at local communities, aiming for a cross-section of offerings.
Artist Nooky, who engineered the Country Always opening show, said western Sydney creatives can now perform at a cultural institution without traveling into the city.
"Starting to set up these cultural institutions and precincts in the heart of western Sydney will definitely alleviate [that travel]," he said.
Rooftop Music is at Powerhouse Parramatta until November 27, with free entry. Details are at powerhouse.com.au.
