Off the back of their recent performance at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, next week Oka begins an epic run of dates throughout WA taking them from North Perth and Fremantle to Margaret River to Scarborough and Dunsborough.
Having returned from a massive tour overseas last year with outstanding shows and rave reviews at Glastonbury (UK), Boomtown Fair festival (UK) and Ozora (Hungary) Oka are bringing their electric dreamtime roots back to local stages.
Embracing the future without losing sight of the past, Oka draws upon an indigenous connection to place and country to create their signature, feel good Australian earth sound, an irresistible blend of influences spanning house, big beat, reggae-dub, Roots, Jazz and world music. A mashup of dance and downtempo electro beats marinated in the mystic spiritual traditions of the Dreamtime.
“Try to imagine Bob Marley meets Stevie Wonder via the Chemical Brothers, on acid, playing in a steaming rainforest with a didgeridoo and you are getting close,” said one commentator.
When Aboriginal musician Oka, otherwise known as virtuoso and vocalist Stu Boga Fergie, was only a child, his Yakin Andu elders gifted him with the nickname DidgeriStu, a nod to his prodigious skills on the didgeridoo.
While sharing the the bill with the likes of Kiss, Santana, Sting, Burning Spear, Yothu Yindi, Beats Antiques, Fat Freddys Drop, Damian Marley and The Wailers, Oka have thrived at both Australian festivals and throughout the world. Sending unsuspecting crowds into hypnotic frenzies from the Sydney Opera House to Splendour In The Grass, Japan’s Green Room Festival to Kahala Aina in Hawaii and so many more, they’ve gained a strong reputation for their standout festival performances.
The Oka Collective includes captivating melody on guitar, sax, flute and woodwinds woven through organic juju beats of deep tribal fire. A sound and force that connects with the soul, all led by Oka’s creative heart, DidgeriSTU. Connecting you to earth with the deep subsonic pulse and resonance of his Yidaki (didgeridoo), Stu is the big man behind the electronic beats, keys and vocals inspired by his aboriginal heritage.
Oka play the Rosemount Hotel, North Perth, on May 4, Settlers Tavern, Margaret River May 5, Indi Bar, Scarborough on May 6, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Dunsborough on May 7 and Railway Hotel, North Fremantle on May 8.
