Love, charisma, generosity: the extraordinary life of Uncle Kutcha Edwards

‘He has a way of making you think you’re the only one in the room; the only one in the universe in that moment in time’ … Uncle Kutcha Edwards. Photograph: Rising festival

Uncle Kutcha Edwards often begins his concerts walking through the crowd, playing clapsticks while singing in Mutti Mutti, hoping his words and his proximity create a spiritual ripple effect among his audience – like throwing “an imaginary pebble in an imaginary pond”.

“You’re not really at a gig,” the Kamilaroi blues artist Sue Ray tells those attending Edwards’ shows before he takes the stage. “You’re more at a transformative performance piece.”