The story of Fantastic Negrito reads like a second act written against the odds. Blending blues, rock, funk and R&B, the Grammy-winning musician has built a reputation for live shows that feel as explosive as they are deeply personal.

Before the accolades, though, there was a failed major label deal and a near-fatal car accident that permanently damaged his guitar-playing hand. Everything shifted in 2015 when Negrito won the first NPR Tiny Desk Contest, launching a fiercely independent chapter that would eventually earn him three Grammys and stages at festivals like Lollapalooza and Glastonbury Festival.

Last Monday, we spent ten minutes with him backstage at WOMADelaide, standing under the branches of a Moreton Bay fig tree and talking about music, resilience and the long road back.

First up, how are you finding WOMADelaide 2026 so far?

Well, you know I just got here about 10 minutes ago, but I had such fond memories of WOMAD 2023, which was really outstanding. As soon as you walk in, you hear the music from all around the world, and I think that’s what is really powerful about Womad, and I think it sets it apart from any festival in the world. You get a representation of genuine, authentic, high-level, and super-talented creative artists all gathered in one space.

To anyone who’s never heard your music, how would you describe it in three words?

Only three? I would describe my music in three words. If that was it, it’d be like: Black Roots Music. It makes sense to me, because it encompasses rock, funk, soul, blues, rhythm, alligator shoes, foot-stomps, hand claps and B3S.

And when did music start to feel like something you wanted to pursue?

Interesting question. I was growing up in Oakland, California, and there was a lot of trouble to get into. I lost my brother, who was a victim of guns at 14. Then one of my cousins was a victim at 16, and then my best friend growing up was a victim at 19. Once I saw that gun violence and that cycle of street life, I thought it’d be much safer getting on stage and learning an instrument. I think I was in my late teens when it started to make sense of being an alternative lifestyle.

What instrument did you learn first?

I’m still learning, haha. I lost my hand — a lot of people don’t know that, but I did three weeks in a coma and lost full mobility of my right hand. So I just play piano, guitar, and bass, very badly.

Do you have a favourite show you’ve performed throughout your career?

WOMAD! My favourite show is going to be tonight. It’s the next one and the one after that, because the most important thing about this music is connecting with people. The music means nothing, the notes are pointless, but the message behind it, that is everything. So that’s why when you say that, it’s a good question because my favourite show is going to be the one I do tonight.

When you’re walking on stage at a festival, what is going through your mind in the first few seconds before the first note?

How can I contribute here? How can I come here as a guest and bring my power, my healing, my message, my intention… It’s like coming to a party, you know, when you come to a party, you bring something. That’s how I feel, I’m about to bring it. — It’s like Church without the religion!

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Fear, haha. I would say, you know what, stretching, drinking lots of water and warming my voice up.

And festivals are as much about style as they are about sound. What energy do you like to bring visually?

Come on, man, come on, (shows his outfit). It’s an expression of the full spectrum of life. So I dress a certain way for WOMAD, I wouldn’t do it for Folk Fairy. I’m always trying to encapsulate the energy of where I am. And, the most important thing is connecting with people. So all of that helps decide what you’re going to put on.

Any artists you’re keen to see tonight at WOMAD, tonight?

I go way back with Arrested Development, so I’m going to def check without. Speech, I go way back. I toured with him in the 90s; that’s how old I am.

What I really like are the artists, I don’t know. That’s more exciting than anything. I like coming to the festival and discovering people.

What does creativity look like every day, when you’re not touring?

Well, when I’m not touring, I live on a farm, so I’m very creative with what I grow. As far as music, I just let it happen. It’s like a bus, I get on it, and I let it guide me and take me where I NEED to be, not where I want to be.

A lot of your work celebrates individuality and carving your own lane. What advice would you give someone trying to find their voice creatively?

“Stop looking for it. Let it happen and let it come to you. I spent a lot of years looking for and chasing things, and they never really set right, but when I stopped searching and started doing the music I wanted & neeeded to do, that’s when I won Tiny Desk in 2015. I wasn’t looking for it, I never even heard of Tiny Desk but someone said, “Hey, do you want to enter this?” The main thing is to stop looking and let it happen.”

What was the last great film you’ve seen?

Sinners

What’s one album you could listen to forever?

The complete recordings of Robert Johnson.

Any favourite spots to visit when you’re in Australia?

This is my fifth time in Australia. It’s hard because everything is so peaceful and beautiful. I love getting to the coast, and I love even this tree (we were standing under), that’s why I wanted to do the interview here, it’s a Moreton Bay fig tree. They’re just so stunning and majestic.

What song of yours feels powerful live right now?

There’s a new song we have called Beat Salad that feels very powerful. It’s off the chain; it’s going to be on our live album. People don’t do live albums, but we recorded throughout Europe at different festivals, and we came up with a live album.

Finally, if you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Nina Simone, because she’s one of the best!

10 Minutes Backstage with Fantastic Negrito

Scenes From WOMADelaide 2026