The NAIDOC theme this year is Songlines and it's particularly fitting for 15-year-old Mi-kaisha Masella, a Dharambul and Tongan singer will be kicking off a whirlwind week of performances at the Premier's NAIDOC event this morning before hitting the stage at NAIDOC in the City in Hyde Park, Sydney this afternoon.
Music has always been a part of Mi-kaisha's life but her destiny was set in 2011 when she was given the opportunity to sing on the soundtrack of hugely successful Australian film, The Sapphires. Mi-kaisha says "I really had a taste of what it was like to live and breathe music and I haven't turned back since."
"Singing side by side with Jessica Mauboy and many other powerful women was an amazing, eye-opening experience and sparked a passion for music that I never thought possible."
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In 2013 Mi-kaisha auditioned for The Voice Kids and made it through to the Battle Rounds on Team Madden which was another growing experience for the singer. "I was inspired by all of the amazingly talented kids and it also pushed me to stand out and be unique, but true to myself."
Taking all of her experience so far, Mi-kaisha has started writing her own music and can't wait to share her songs with the community during NAIDOC week.
NAIDOC is my favourite time of year because I get to stand proud of who I am and I believe this year is especially exciting, because the theme is Songlines, meaning the sharing of stories and music! This means so much to me as a singer/song-writer, giving me the opportunity to share my original music with the Indigenous community.
Mi-kaisha is set to perform at the NCIE Family NAIDOC day in Redfern on Friday and also the popular Burramatta NAIDOC event which will finish with a colourful fireworks display over the Parramatta River.
While the week will finish with a bang it will be just the beginning of the next creative phase for the singer.
I always have big and exciting plans for the future. I have just taken a massive leap and started writing original songs and performing them everywhere I can.
"Hopefully somewhere in the near future I will have a body of work to share with everybody that fully represents who I am and what I stand for."
