danica lani
performance artist

Artist

danica lani is a Melbourne based performance artist who blends acoustic folk with a splash of earth mama hiphop! Unafraid to fuse music and spoken word, hiphop and folk, she delivers exquisite results and an illuminating performance presence. Her unique singing style has enchanted audiences across Australia as she crafts songs and musical experiences that are a bold stand for the empowerment of women everywhere.

Musical Evolution

As a musician, danica lani’s tradition is A’Capella:

“I grew up singing in 4 part harmony with my Mum, Jenny Baker, and my three sisters Tamsin, Chay and Skye, in country North East Victoria. Mum migrated from Wales where there is a strong culture of singing in harmonies. We used to make tapes of our singing to send to our Nana in Wales. Mum was also in a women’s A’Capella singing group called Common Thread and she used to take us kids to the Daylesford Singers Festival each new year.”

She is a self-taught guitarist who credits her cousin Lisa Mills for skilling her up with her first guitar song ‘Moonlight Bay’ at age 7.

Artist Herstory

danica lani first came onto the Melbourne scene as a spoken wordist in 1998 at various Women’s, Lesbian and Feminist conferences and events. Having trained as a dancer all of her life, her performance skills and presence were honed and strengthened to a level of intensity that continues to sustain her, through her training at Deakin Rusden in Contemporary Dance, Drama and Performance Studies from 1997-1999.

danica lani has performed at festivals, gatherings, events, conferences, gigs and concerts across Australia from Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Blue Mountains, Lismore, Newcastle to Moruya NSW, Inglewood VIC, Dean VIC, Congo NSW, Burrill Lake NSW, Eldorado VIC and more. She has appeared on Community Radio in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. She also worked as a busker, an actor and publicist in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 1999 and in student film and photography. As a writer, her work has been published in national magazine ‘Lesbian Network’ and the book ‘Inside Out: a collection of Australian Coming Out Stories’ edited by Erin Shale.

As an event designer and manager, danica lani has a passion for women’s and Lesbian festivals, conferences, events, gatherings and showcasing performances that contribute majik to people’s lives.

Discography

• debut ep: ‘micromovements’, produced by the Angel Train, 2005
• Backing vocals on Olivia Kinnear & the Strawberry Wives debut ep: ‘One ordinary life’, 2005
• Track on East Gippsland Forests compilation CD, produced by Gecko, 2005
• Track 3 on ‘Change for the Record: voices of Women, Earth and Change’, produced by the Women, Earth and Change Network, 2003

Film

• Actor as ‘Circus Freak’ in ‘Life is Biodegradable Art’ directed & produced by Rebecca Mitchell, 2004

Publications

• Story in ‘Inside Out: a collection of Australian Coming Out stories’ edited by Erin Shale, Bookman Press, 1999
• Various articles in Lesbian Network, national Australian magazine, 2001-2002
• Weekly Women’s Pages in student publication for the Rusden Association of Students, Deakin University 1998-1999.

Performance Highlights

• ‘Let Loose!!’, fundraiser gig for Ethiopian school books @ Scarlet, Smith St, Nth Fitzroy, 2006
• DEBUT EP launch: micromovements @ CERES Environmental Park, Brunswick, support including Penelope Swales & the movementhiphopcrew, DEC 2005
• Outskirtz showcase (hiphop dance) for Return of the B-girl @ First Floor, Brunswick St, presented by ladiesluvhiphop, 2005
• Playing in ‘The Eggs’ on the same bill as Jimmy Little for the Charcoalition Benefit Gig, Moruya NSW, 2003
• Improvised dance ‘embodiment of peace’ with Canadian musicians Ember Swift and Lyndell Montgomery for the finale of ‘Howlfest’ Women’s music festival, Newcastle, 2003
• Performing two years in a row at The Angel Train venue as part of the National Folk Festival, Canberra first with ‘The Eggs’ 2002; then with Yael Winnikoff 2003
• Spontaneous jam with Mihi Rungi, Mal Webb, Corey, Nathanal @ the Folk Rhythm & Life festival, Eldorado VIC, 5/12/04
• Contemporary dancer and lighting design in ‘M-body’ – ‘Astrid’ choreographed by Natalie Cursio, Deakin Rusden, 1999
• Actor and publicist for Sleepy Cat Productions, ‘Judy Jorgansen’s Stress Management Class’ in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 1999
• Performer in ‘Stack’ Artistic Directors Jodie Farrugia and Darren Green, Deakin Rusden, 1998
• My first spoken word performance at The Empress Hotel for the Network of Women Students Australia (NOWSA) Fundraiser, 1998
• International Women’s Day rally in the Park before Lucie Thorne, 1998
• Being crowned as Prom Queen for Hot August Night, Melbourne Marching Girls fundraiser, Yarraville Ballroom, 2004