Pacific Break winner Chris Kamu'ana Rohoimae battled nervousness and excitement as he prepared to step onto the stage at WOMADelaide over the weekend.

"There's a lot that is going on in those moments before the show. But I felt confident with myself," the Solomon Islander told ABC Pacific.

"I was standing there in front of the mirror, wondering what it would be like, nervous and excited, really excited, just to perform.

"I was really excited to share what I have with the Australian people … it's my opportunity to put it out and [for the audience] to hear what I have in me."

Blending traditional au po'o panpipe with contemporary music, he said the crowd danced when he hit the stage, and added that seeing local Solomon Island faces in the WOMAD crowd moved him deeply as he performed.

"Seeing them waving and dancing helps me too," he said.

"Seeing my people around, they really help me on that stage. During that performance, I felt lost, and they were there for me."

Chris had won Pacific Break 2024, the biggest music competition in the Pacific.

Selected from more than 300 entries, his winning song, Naratana manu — meaning the birds crying — was the musician's first original song to be recorded.

It brought him to Adelaide to perform onstage, but it also had a deep connection to his late father.

The pair were at the hospital when he submitted the song entry, and they were able to listen to it together in the hospital before his father died.With deeply personal ties, he said performing his winning track on stage was a form of self-expression and a profound way to represent his homeland, the Solomon Islands.

"It does mean everything to me," he said.

"It's a big thing for me, representing my people and the country as a whole.

"For Solomon Islands, for the industry, more in general … winning the competition brings a spotlight to Solomon Islands music."Winding up his first Australian performance, Chris described stepping off the stage that night as "the happy part".

"It's like we accomplished the mission," he said.

Now that he's completed his first Australian performance, Chris said he would keep working on his EP and ensure Solomon Islands music continues to be championed.

"It means a lot for me, you know… this is a once-in-your lifetime opportunity."

 

 

Source:https://www.abc.net.au