In the quiet of Sydney’s Tumbalong Park, there’s a hum building; a ripple of anticipation; the kind of energy that seeps through the cracks of routine Sundays. But this isn’t any ordinary Sunday. On October 20, a sonic wave will crash ashore, carrying with it the sounds of India’s boldest voices and the collective creativity of its diaspora. +91 Calling! is a single-day showcase at South By Southwest (SXSW) Sydney.
Supported by the Centre for Australia-India Relations and co-curated by BeatSpace and Homegrown, the event is more than just a showcase of music; it’s an introduction, an assertion, a meeting of cultural powerhouses. Sydney will become the stage for Indian and diaspora artists whose work is transforming global music landscapes — one beat at a time.
Leading the charge is KR$NA, one of the earliest rappers to emerge in the Indian hip hop scene. His lyrics cut deep, a blend of raw introspection and fierce social commentary that forces you to listen.
KAVYA (Kavya Trehan), whose ethereal voice and genre-blending sound defy easy categorization, brings an intimate, indie energy to the stage. Her music feels like the soundtrack to a moment in time.
Mali (Maalavika Manoj), meanwhile, is no stranger to crafting moments that linger long after the final chord. An singer-songwriter with an introspective touch, Mali’s sound is delicate but powerful.
Yung Raja, a Tamil-Singaporean rapper, has built a reputation for his bilingual bars. He’s the first Asian artist signed to Alamo Records: an NYC-based label owned by Sony.
And then there’s Renao and Manara, two UK-based artists who are redefining what it means to be South Asian in the global music scene. Renao, with his pop sensibilities, and Manara, a DJ who spins the sounds of underground club culture with desi influences, are both pushing boundaries in their own right.
Lastly, CHOR BAZAA₹, an Australian DJ Collective, creates music unlike any other. Their instrumental hip-hop tracks with old-school Bollywood samples are a nod to the bling era of the 90s and early 2000s.
This is what +91 Calling! is all about — a dialogue. It’s about India and its diaspora speaking back to the world. It’s a snapshot of Indian creative culture in its many forms, condensed into a few hours of pure energy.
For SXSW Sydney, the festival, now in its second edition, has always been about these kinds of collisions. Over a week of music, film, tech, and games, artists from Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the UK will take the stage across 25 venues.
As the sun sets over Tumbalong Park, +91 Calling! will be a testament to the power of music to transcend geography and unite people from different corners of the world. It will be a reminder that while our roots may define us, it’s the branches we extend that truly shape our future. With the sounds of India echoing, that future will be alive, beating, and impossible to ignore.
WHEN: Sunday, October 20, 1–7 p.m.
WHERE: Tumbalong Park, Sydney
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