Fantastic Negrito

With special guests Grizzlee Train supporting in Sydney and Shaun Kirk supporting in Melbourne.

Bluesfest Touring is super excited to bring Grammy Award winner, Fantastic Negrito to Sydney and Melbourne this April. Fantastic Negrito represents Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s third rebirth, literally coming back from death this time. The narrative on this man is as important as the sound, because the narrative is the sound. His songs are born from a long hard life channeled through black roots music.

Fantastic Negrito is the story of a man who struggled to make it and with an incredible, self-taught musical talent, he managed to find his way back on track to stardom. His hard-earned life lessons show through on more than a few songs with his voice wringing with emotion over soulful guitar licks. When you listen to Negrito, you’re invited to hear the story of life after destruction.

Fantastic Negrito’s first big break came in 2015 when he won a Tiny Desk concert competition at NPR this was closely followed in 2016 when he won a Grammy Award for the ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album’ for ‘The Last Days of Oakland’. His latest album, ‘Please Don’t Be Dead’ was released last June and received much critical acclaim. Fantastic Negrito is a poignant and exciting artist creating high-quality Blues and Groove music who is sure to entertain the masses this April.

"Over a series of heaving, stomping riffs, it’s a cranked up, slow-grinding attack on addiction and consumerism with a chant along chorus: ‘Let’s break out these chains/Let’s burn it down." - New York Times

"With its greasy guitar stomp and falsetto vocal delivery, "The Duffler" fills the middle ground between modern protest music for the political rally and sweaty, sexed-up baby-making music for the bedroom." - Rolling Stone