Fred Leone

Contemporary Indigenous Australian Artist / ArtsFacilitator

Fred Leone is a well-respected and intelligent community leader, with strong Australian Aboriginal, Tongan and South-Sea Islander heritage. Fred and his family come from the Garrawa, Waanyi & Butchella mobs.

He has developed his 14-year career working across the Australian Hip hop scene, Community Cultural Development, Education and Youth sectors to become an established MC, arts and cultural facilitator, educator, youth worker and creative producer.

Fred is passionate about, and committed to, social change and social justice; particularly applying his skills and knowledge to support the strength, status and development of Indigenous Culture.

Through his music and body of work Fred is also focused on enriching the lives of young people in the areas of positive leadership, self-expression, self-confidence, self-pride and pride in communities and culture.

In 2008 Fred founded Impossible Odds Records - currently Queensland's only Indigenous owned and operated record label, which is distributed through MGM Sydney.

Impossible Odds is highly regarded and acclaimed on a national level in the Australian music scene. Over the past four years they've amassed 10 award nominations including a QMUSIC Award for Best Urban Artist in 2011.

Impossible Odds has performed at local and national events including Reggaetown, Woodford Folk Festival, The Dreaming Festivals, Island Vibe, and Stylin'UP.

Since the age of 5 Fred has performed traditional dance with family and extended family. He currently volunteers one weekend a fortnight, teaching language and dance to young Aboriginal people in the community of Zillmere on Brisbane's north side. As well as this he also heads up Yawar Nuba a dance group of all Badjtala descendants based in Brisbane.

In early March 2013 Fred curated the closing ceremony of the QPAC festival Clancestry which saw Fred co-ordinate a Coroboree involving 9 different Clan groups and 160 dancers.

This was the first official Coroboree held in Brisbane since the 1920's.