Revered Indigenous Australian musician Archie Roach is set to finally return to Bathurst early next year after having to postpone his original date due to the recent COVID-19 lockdown.
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Roach will now perform on February 8 at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre [BMEC] after the COVID-induced postponement of his original August 17 date.
Touring in support of his impassioned memoir and accompanying compilation album Tell Me Why, Roach said he's looking forward to returning to Bathurst after his 2019 visit to launch the memoir was so well received.
"I've enjoyed every visit to Bathurst, and the community is always incredibly welcoming," he said.
"The response to Tell Me Why has been extraordinary, and I hope the memoir has inspired people, and First Nations people especially, to rise above adversity and follow their passion, whether it be music, art or any other career path."
Roach has released eight studio albums to date, with his debut 1990 record, Charcoal Lane, achieving Gold certification in Australia.
In recent times, Roach has been running a Kitchen Table Yarns web series on YouTube initiated to support emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander singer-songwriters.
"There's so many outstanding Indigenous Australian songwriters trying to grow their own careers, and I hope I can use my profile to help their music reach a wider audience," he said.
"Some of the songs I've been hearing from these artists are simply outstanding, and the best advice I can give to these artists is the importance of staying true to yourself and remembering why you decided to pursue music in the first place, because the music industry is always a challenge to navigate.
"The love of making music should come above everything else."
Roach will be joined onstage at BMEC by his five-piece band, including award-winning jazz composer and improviser Paul Grabowsky, and special guest vocalist Emma Donovan.
"The gig will feature an anthology of all the music I've recorded over the past three or so decades, complete with guitar, double bass and violin," he said.
"It'll be quite the stripped back performance, and it'll be great to get on stage again."
Roach's BMEC gig will get under way on February 8 from 7.30pm. Tickets cost $65 and are available from www.bmec.com.au.
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