After a successful run in Queensland, singer-songwriter Toni Janke has performed her poetic musical, Inheritance, to Sydney Fringe Audiences.

Described as a love letter, Inheritance explores identity, resilience, sacred bonds, and invites the audience to rethink what the word inheritance means to them.

For the Wuthathi, Meriam, and Yadighana woman, inheritance isn't an estate or property; it's what one inherits through life and what they will pass down as part of their legacy.

"I've inherited the gift of music," Ms Janke said.

Born to musician parents, music has always woven itself through Ms Janke's heart. Even when she had a career in Aboriginal Affairs and became a mum, music has always found its way back to her.

"I've been playing the guitar since I was eight years old, writing songs and singing about- I didn't know it then, but my life and my journey," she said.

"This show, Inheritance, is all about that journey over my lifetime and the songs I wrote and the themes that were particular to me at the time."

Inheritance weaves storytelling and lived experience through original songs, written across the various stages of Ms Janke's life. The songs explore a range of themes, topics, and emotions, including racism, substance abuse, and the struggles and challenges of being a black woman.

The performance is further elevated with the support of live music from herself and her band, dancers, and actors, who interject during pivotal moments in Ms Janke's life while photos and visuals are displayed behind her.

When looking back at her songs and life, Ms Janke didn't realise at the time how interconnected and relevant they all are, describing the moment of realisation like "putting together a jigsaw puzzle".

"I didn't think that the songs I wrote as a little girl would have deeper meaning today as a woman, 60 years old. But in fact, everyone had the same thoughts," she said.

"The song I wrote when was eight years old, a lot of young little Aboriginal and Islander kids today are singing that song or having those same questions about racism and their identity."

Ms Janke said inheritance on a more emotional level is about loving and accepting one's self when coming to an understanding of who one is and what makes them different. She said how one contributes to the world with thier gift that they inherited is how one helps others.

Ms Janke's love of music relates to how universal it can be and how people can interpret songs differently from each other, something she hopes the audience can feel with Inheritance.

Besides talking about inheriting the gift of music, she said the show also delves into a side of inheritance that comes from a painful place.

"The challenge is to be universal, to write something even whitefullas, everybody can relate to...," Ms Janke said.

"I also talk about things like the pain that we inherit, the stories, the broken pieces, the truth telling...the things we didn't know, things we don't inherit, like wealth and land.

"It's a bit like poetry; there's a special message for everybody on different levels. Whether you're a man or a woman, black or white, whatever you've been through, and most of my music is like that."

At the heart of the show is a question Ms Janke wants audiences to reflect on: What do we truly inherit — and what will we choose to pass on?

During the pre-production of Inheritance, Ms Janke ran a workshop with people from all walks of life to see what they value. She was blown away by people's responses to her question.

"The answers astound me; people from all nationalities come up with different things, like the sense of humour from my grandfather or my red hair, my recipes from my Italian mother," she said.

Inheritance has wrapped up for Sydney Fringe Festival, and the process of making the show has been a great experience for Ms Janke.

"It's been really fun, and I didn't know it would be like a love letter, that it would be so captivating for audiences," she said.

From a little girl wanting to write love songs to a woman learning from her past self to celebrate her authentic self, Inheritance offers a safe space for audiences to rethink what they value and what their legacy will pass down.