The 2025 Natty Dolaiasi Australian Tour was a huge success which included concerts, festivals and school events based in Melbourne and rural Victoria by Natty Dolaiasi Solomon Islands traditional musician. Natty has been on a mission to bring Solomon Islands traditional culture to the world. 2025 has been a mssive year presenting Solomons music and culture in Australia commencing with the wonderful CRESFEST in Creswick Victoria performing on 8 stages across 3 days! “Natty Dolaiasi was my favourite performer” was one response from the audience.
2025 has also seen Natty Dolaiasi launching his incredible debut album with Wantok Musik “Sifoa” – this album is a game-changer for Natty’s career and the culmination of 6 years of recording and refining this extraordinary collection of beautiful tracks celebrating the voices of the ancestors and taking Solomons culture to the world. The album has been getting airplay across the Australia including radio interviews in Melbourne, Byron Bay and Brisbane and has been written up in Songlines Magazine UK! Order “Sifoa” at wantokmusik.org
From 2018-2025 Natty Dolaiasi has been regularly touring overseas including major tours and festivals in Australia especially Queensland, NSW and Victoria as well as South Australia, such as WOMAD, Cresfest, Island Vibe, Byron Harmony, Kinship Festival, Festuri which have had a massive impact in promoting awareness of Solomon Islands culture internationally.
Other major projects in recent years have included performances and workshops at Beitou Museum in Taiwan, Japanese Peace Boat tour of the Pacific as well as twice attending and performing with the New Zealand Ethno Music Camp (including Auckland Folk Festival ) plus Natty Dolaiasi was the cultural director of the Opening and Closing ceremonies for the Pacific Games in 2023 co-ordinating 3000 performers representing all ethnicities of the Solomons.
So far in 2025, from March to May, Natty toured many venues, events and festivals in Melbourne and Victoria. March 11-21 is Cultural Diversity Week in Victoria, so Natty was invited by highly acclaimed Australian touring organization Cultural Infusion culturalinfusion.org.au to undertake Solomon Islands music performances at schools in Melbourne.
Throughout the tour, Natty was supported by collaborations with a variety of artists including local Solomon Islanders and Australian musicians. Fellow Malaitan musicians, Jimi Nare (Namrock Hous), Ali Rock, Joey MacDonald and Omrey Hou and Australian musicians Ron Reeves and Benji Miu performed with Natty on many occasions and provided support throughout the whole tour.
Natty’s concerts took place in Melbourne city and regional venues in Castlemaine and Creswick. Festivals included Cresfest, Point Cook Harmony Festival and Kaleidescope Festival and other venues included Bar Oussou and Shed Shaker Brewery. Natty also revisited his series of song workshops with the wonderful Beyond the Bathroom choir in Brunswick. Another spectacular event was Natty’s Dolaiasi performance at the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Conference Gala Dinner with the incredible guitarist Benji Miu.
With the support of a grant from the Hobsons Bay Council and wonderful collaboration with the Solomon Islands Victoria Association, Natty, Jimi Nare, Ali Rock and the Solomon Islands musician community were able to present a series of performances and open mikes for seasonal workers and Solomon Islands community at Brooklyn Community Hall. This project was a major support for newly arrived seasonal workers, breaking down isolation and creating a sense of belonging and community among the workers and Solomons community.
This series of four events at Brooklyn included performances of traditional and contemporary music, Open Mike, Kastom Dance, Pacific Triva as well as “Tok stori” Natty Dolaiasi sharing stories and ideas for seasonal workers adjusting to life in Australia. This project attracted participants of all ages who enjoyed home-cooked Solomons favourite meals including “Motu” dinner, BBQ of sausages and burgers, baked fish, Curry Night and more.
Coordinators for the events included Judy Shelley AIAA President, Margaret Teobasi Tadokata SIVA President and Fiona Maelasi SIVA Tresurer and Solomon Islands Consul Victoria and Nancy Fugui from the Solomon Islands Victoria Association Committee.
