In time for this year’s International Women’s Day, ABC Radio Australia has launched a new weekly program celebrating female musicians from across the Pacific.
Liven up your Tuesday afternoons with Sista Sounds, an hour of curated sounds from 3:00 pm PNG time. Hosted by award-winning Samoan-Australian music journalist Sosefina Fuamoli, the program highlights emerging and established Pacific female musical talent, representing the region’s diverse sounds and musical influences.
Fuamoli is an established music journalist who has twice won Best Live Music Journalist at the Australian National Live Music Awards. Already known to ABC Radio Australia listeners as the host of On the Record and Pacific Sundays, she now joins forces with Island Music host Rick Howe, who produces the new show.
Fuamoli and Howe hope listeners will learn about new music not only from their home island nations but also from neighbouring island countries.
“It’s a really cool opportunity for me as a music fan to be able to discover more music from our beautiful island regions. But more importantly, as someone with the platform to do so, this show is going to be a haven for incredible women to have their moment. And have that moment in a way that is organic and real; not just a token spotlight week on female music that is gassed up once a year,” said Fuamoli.
“We’re really looking to create a space within our community to feature and preference talented female artists. Somewhere that audiences, fellow artists and anyone who is interested can discover new music and powerful female voices, all year round”.
“I’m thrilled that in the same week as International Women’s Day, we’re able to launch Sista Sounds as a platform for Pacific women’s music to be amplified. Sose’s expertise in music journalism and passion for Pacific artists, combined with Rick’s extensive knowledge of Pacific music, will provide listeners with an exciting weekly discovery of emerging female talent from across the region,” said ABC Radio Australia manager Justine Kelly.
