It’s Saturday afternoon, and we’re here to celebrate a birthday. Fitzroy’s The Night Cat normally comes to life when the sun has gone down, but today is different. Around me, I can see parents with their children on their shoulders or in front of them to ensure they get a good view, as I hold my toddler in my arms for the same reason.
The Yolngu rapper and dancer bursts onto the stage, his signature braids flying. “Are you guys ready to party with Baker Boy?,” he asks. He shakes the hands of young fans in the front row, crouching down and rapping to connect to them at their level. The electric guitar roars and drums pound as he launches into Biggest Mob, setting the tone for an electrifying set.
We’re all here to mark his 30th birthday, and the one-year anniversary of his sophomore album Djandjay. After this all-ages gig, Baker Boy — real name Danzal James Baker – will follow on with another for an 18+ crowd.
The Night Cat is where the album campaign was first launched, so it feels full circle to celebrate this momentous occasion here. After touring the album nationally across April and May this year, he also released a deluxe edition in August with additional tracks Disappear, Curse and Yolŋu Fever. Djandjay is named after his grandmother and an octopus spirit that guides souls into the afterlife.
Baker Boy’s artistry is recognisable for its approach to celebrating pride in culture and community. He’s won multiple ARIA Awards and received an Order of Australia medal for his work. He seamlessly integrates Yolŋu Matha (a traditional Aboriginal language from northeast Arnhem Land) and the yidaki into his music.
He’s also brought yidaki into the mainstream through collaborations with other artists: it was featured in his performance with Snoop Dog at the 2025 AFL Grand Final and live renditions of Keli Holiday’s hit Dancing2.
Throughout the set, he effortlessly joins in with the band playing the yidaki, in between dancing and rapping – and when synced with the electric guitar, it brings the heat.
One young fan showed their adoration by holding up a hand-drawn sign with the rapper’s name, another handed him a wrapped birthday gift with a picture of the rapper with a yidaki on top.
The children ranged from tweens to teenagers; my daughter, who is 2½ years old, plus another baby carried by a parent, were two of the youngest in the audience. The kids were engrossed by Baker Boy’s performance, surprisingly bearing through the heat in the packed room and cheering on his dance moves.
The stage production mirrors the Djandjay album cover, with dried reeds encasing the musicians and platform. The crowd raps along to the lyrics, jumping, and raising and clapping their hands to the beat, matching Baker Boy’s energy. During Peacekeeper, he flips the mic towards a young fan who recites the verses verbatim. The rapper raises his eyebrows, impressed by his skills.
At the end, his guitarist cheekily states that there’s only one song left to sing, leading the crowd into Happy Birthday.
He stays behind after the show to take selfies with fans. I hear one young child tell their parents in excitement that Baker Boy shook their hand twice. As we walk back to the car, I hear my two-year-old daughter utter “Baker Boy”, and it heartens me to know there are local artists like this for future generations to look up to.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
