Biography
Kristal West is a proud Piadram, Manbarra and Palawa woman with a passion for culture and identity.
She is granddaughter to the legendary First Nations land rights activist, Dr. Eddie Mabo, who campaigned for ten years to eventually have the legal doctrine of terra nullius overturned. Her grandmother, Dr. Bonita Mabo AO, was a staunch black rights activist, recognized for her ‘distinguished service to the Indigenous community and to human rights as an advocate for the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples’. Kristal is heavily influenced by her grandparents and strives to capture the stories of her bloodlines through music.
She was one of 8 winners of the nationwide Alukura songwriting competition and has appeared on NITV’s “Our Songs” which aired nationally and internationally.
On stage, she has stunned audiences in A Streetcar Named Desire as an actor and lead vocalist and also performed in Deborah Cheetham’s Short Black Opera at the Sydney Opera House. In 2023, she returned to the theatrical stage in ‘The Lucky Country’ at Hayes Theatre Co. in Sydney.
Kristal has recently showcased at BIGSOUND, and the Australian Women in Music Awards First Nations Showcases. In April 2024 she was announced as the winner of the prestigious Dennis Mop Conlon Scholarship via QMUSIC, with the $15,000 prize money going towards a special music project.
Kristal released her latest single ‘Nibe Nibe’ as a tribute to her late grandfather marking 20 years since the Mabo decision and look forward to releasing music in dedication to both her grandparents.
