Popular international musician who associates closely with the South Pacific, Jason Hershey, popularly known as Oshen, is currently in Honiara for a stop over on his way back to Hawaii where he currently resides.
The 34-year-old Papua New Guinea citizen told Solomon Times that he is in the Solomons to catch up with Sammy Saeni, well-known as Sharzy, to record a piece in Sharzy's "volume five and a half" album titled 'Lokol Albam'."I have a Hawaiian song which I will be recording with Sharzy for his upcoming album," Oshen said.
Currently working on his seventh album, Oshen revealed on plans to return to the Solomons in March to record some of his songs "because I want to experience different styles of music".
"I am planning to stage my first show here in the Solomons on my return in March and this will be with Sharzy and other local artists here," Oshen said.
Oshen who became somewhat a musical ambassador for Papua New Guinea said his touch of hip-hop influence in his music comes from where his biological parents are from, the United States of America.
"I use the hip-hop genre and modernized the Pacific music to create something unique in my recordings," he said.
Asked on why he chose Solomon Islands to record some of his songs, Oshen said the "freedom in music in the Solomons is unlike what you will find in Papua New Guinea whose music are controlled by CHM Super Sound studio".
"Musicians in the Solomons have their own studios at home and record at their own pace and not at the demand and time of a major company."
Oshen said despite international popularity, "I still favour Pacific music and my intention is to market Pacific music internationally".
He said that he is "quite happy" with the work relationship that he shares with Sharzy.
"We are not competing against each other but showing unity in music," Oshen adds.
Oshen who arrived on Sunday will leave the Solomons on Friday.