- country:Tonga
- region:South Pacific
- style(s):Indigenous, Soul
- label:Wantok Musik Foundation
- type:Band, Duo
- gender:male
- instrumentation:vocal, a cappella, percussion, singer songwriter, piano, guitar
- artist contact:Wantok Musik Foundation
Line up
- David Leha (various)
- Radical Son (vocal / various )
Radical Son is from the Kamilaroi nation of Australia and the South Pacific nation of Tonga. He is a strong man with a stronger stage presence and a mesmerising voice that at once seduces the soul and punches the heart.
One of the mightiest and most compelling artists in the Australian cultural scene, Radical Son, the stage name used by David Leha, channels his experiences from his challenging past into immense power and resolve. A festival favourite, cemented recently by his show-stopping cover of his mentor Uncle Archie Roach’s Walking into Doors, Radical Son has performed to standing ovations at the Sydney Opera House, Byron Bluesfest, St Kilda Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, the AFL Dreamtime 2023 game, and the official Uncle Archie Roach memorial in Melbourne in 2022.
A highly-skilled concert artist, he has performed with classical ensembles and made high-profile collaborations with artists such as David Bridie, Emma Donovan, Frank Yamma, Lady Lash, Mau Power and Deline Briscoe. Radical Son’s artistry also expands to film and TV, with credits including Defining Moments, a six-part NITV documentary exploring life-defining experiences, and theatre work, including the lead role of Pemulwuy in I am Eora at the 2012 Sydney Festival.
Studying as a musician at The Eora Centre for Visual and Performing Arts in Redfern, as well completing a Bachelor of Music from Newcastle Conservatorium, Radical Son’s creative prowess is only matched by his otherworldly stage presence that equally transfixes and transcends with authenticity and sheer, compelling power.
Cultivating his transformational life into his place as a bright fixture on Australia’s cultural landscape, Radical Son’s moving soul vocals and unique flair only strengthen with time, potently witnessed via his two new singles Until You Call My Name and Elder. As the first taste of Bilambiyal (The Learning), the highly anticipated second album by Radical Son, these two works have been met with critical acclaim from the ABC, Triple R and The Point Music News to name a few. With a string of appearances scheduled for 2024 to support his album release, magic is guaranteed when Radical Son takes the stage.
LINKS:
https://www.radicalson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/followradicalson
https://radicalson.bandcamp.com/
Show reel, including live video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TY7IkBCeKXTgccpYJYY1KTZsOYSgRCP7/view?usp=sharing
“Coming from hip hop roots, moving through soul, and then moving into a space where music and activism meets, Radical Son’s music has really punched through the heart of the Australian industry.”
- Sosefina Fuamoli, ABC Pacific
"Radical Son's vocals are their own gravitational force, intense, heavy, pulling you into the story."
- The Point Music News
"With a voice as deep as the ocean and as soulful as a church choir, he's out to see some "proppa change"."
