Entertainment
4 March, 2021
Naomi the face of CIAF
ONE of Cairns’ well-known and much-loved singer-songwriters, Naomi Wenitong will be the official ambassador of this year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF).
Making her name in the early noughties as a member of pop girl duo Shakaya and more recently, performing alongside her brother Joel, in hip-hop group, The Last Kinection under the name ‘Nay,’ Naomi is a shining star who uses the stage to project positivity among her community and beyond.
Born in Cairns to a medical practitioner father and an artist mother who also performed in bands, Ms Wenitong was raised in Newcastle, New South Wales but returned to Cairns at age 16 to study music.
She attended Cairns TAFE in 1999, studying an ATSIC-sponsored music course, where she met fellow singer-songwriter Simone Stacey and formed pop duo Shakaya in 2001.
Their self-titled album, released in 2002, reached number five on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) chart and saw them tour internationally supporting the likes of Destiny’s Child, Usher, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Shaggy and Peter Andre.
Known for her generosity in mentoring young and emerging musicians with shared experiences, Naomi has been chosen for perfectly embodying the CIAF spirit.
After preforming last year in CIAF’s live streamed Concert Finale, this year Naomi will feature on stage at CIAF’s new music festival at Munro Martin Parklands on Saturday August 21.
Combining an engaging digital platform with a return to its much-loved festival program, CIAF has announced it will deliver six event-filled days between Tuesday 17 and Sunday 22 August 2021.
This year’s multi-dimensional, multi-media program will be laden with highlights that include CIAF Art Fair and Art Market, annual awards, symposium, fashion performance, conversations, workshops, music dance and theatre.
