MUSIC Iniko | The Awakening Tour ★★★ The Corner Hotel, July 3 Iniko steps onto the blue-lit stage, filling the packed room with their haunting celestial vocals. “Can I sing some new songs for you, is that OK?” the singer asks the crowd. They’re met with a cheer of encouragement.
Iniko performs at The Corner Hotel Credit: Richard Clifford Amassing over 6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, this is the artist’s first Australian tour, sharing music from their yet-to-be-released new album. Identifying as genderless, they tell Archer Magazine : “I think my music has some correlation and interconnectedness to the queer struggle because I struggle every day to be queer”. Alongside a strong soul base, their music is heavily influenced by rock and dancehall, which comes through in the strong guitar and drum accompaniment from the live band.
Their sound drifts from soft ethereal tones influenced by their church choir roots to edgier, harder invocations, moving across the stage as if possessed by the beat and channelling the spirit realm. Contextualising their music and educating their audience was key to Iniko’s onstage storytelling. They spun tales of Icarus’ origins, what it’s like to live on the margins, navigating religion as a queer person and offered an explainer on the influences of disco and rock music.
“Rock and roll wouldn’t be rock and roll without black people” they say defiantly. Iniko Credit: Richard Clifford Touring new, previousl.
