THE inaugural Solomon Islands high school choral festival organizing committee, in its hopes to unite young people around Honiara with messages of positive change, are pleased to have engaged the services of renowned composer, pacific musical maestro and a Great Pacific Son Igelese Ete and two members of his Pasifika Voices Choir.
The event will bring together 500 young people from various schools from around Honiara in a bid to instill civic pride and hope in their futures.
“We have taken the idea of creating these platforms for young people through the Mana Choral Festival Concept. The event has been duplicated in Samoa and there are plans to take this same concept all over the region,” said Mr Ete.
“Many times, the reason why violence, crime and substance abuse is so rampant among many Pacific young people is because youth do not value the skills or understand the power they have in their actions.
“Youth have the ability to transform the nation the nation today with their voice,” added Ete, “With the theme ‘Powerful Beyond Measure’, we are adding to the great work currently been done around the Solomon Islands aimed at instilling Hope in our future leaders,” Mr Ete said.
At the Museum Auditorium early on Wednesday, the organizers registered a large number of students from around Honiara, who are responding to the call to take hate, violence, and low self esteems out of our schools, streets and homes.
The event is facilitated by Pacific Events company (PEC) and the Solomon Voices Choir (SVC). Organizers said that there is a lot of business leaders looking to invest in the inaugural Solomon Islands high school choral festival and be part of the social change.
PEC has also secured two valuable persons from the University of the South Pacific’s Pasifika Voices Choir (an artist in residency program at the Oceania Center for Arts Culture and Pacific Studies).
Mr Ete is joined by a Fiji performing artist, termed the ‘Heart of FIJI’, Eroni Dina who is also a well-known regional vocal coach. Dina is a music director for the Pasifika Voices Choir.
Ete has also made available the administrative assistant for Pasifika Voices and a well known Fiji Youth Activist Pita Waqavonovono who is helping the organizers with the logistical aspects of the festival.
They have been in the country since Monday 23rd June and have been working with organisers and the Solomon voices choir to prepare for the the inaugural Solomon Islands high school choral festival which will set to be staged in 3 weeks times.
Mr Igelese Ete arrived into Honiara on Wednesday and he’s presence marks the beginning of the Festival. Uniting the greats of the Pacific to further empower Solomon islanders.
Mr Ete concluded by saying, “We are here to encourage the people of the Solomon Islands. We are here to be used by the winds of positive change that are sweeping through the islands”.
More details regarding tickets and venue will be released in the next few days.
