BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Aelan Riddim Music Festival has been described as a bridge to unity and connectivity for Melanesian artists.

PNG Female artist Mariani Masani and Kali-D expressed during a press conference at the Our Telekom Point Cruz yesterday ahead of the first of its kind festival this coming Saturday.

Mariani Masani, who has been doing music for about 10 years, said that the biggest thing to showcase is the unity between the Melanesian countries.

“The biggest thing is just showing the unity between the Melanesian countries. I don’t think anything like this has ever happened before, and I hope this will be the first of many. So basically, Papua New Guinean and Solomon Islands artists all come together on one stage to celebrate our music and different styles.

“I’m excited to share my culture with a fellow Melanesian nation. I think that’s what we’re trying to portray to everybody,’’ said Mariani Masani.

Kali-D, who has been in the industry for quite some time, said that the festival is an opportunity to connect and collaborate with the Solomon Islands artists and open doors for Melanesian musicians to elevate the level of music in the region.

“Mariani mentioned unity but being able to connect with and listen to each other. Now we get to meet, and hopefully, this can open doors to collaborations,’’ said Kali-D.

“I reckon that it can grow into something a little bit bigger and some of the other Melanesian brothers, New Caledonia or Fiji would want to get on this and it can open a lot of doors and elevate the level of music,’’ he said.

“Solomon Islands has always been at the forefront of Melanesian music, so it’s an opportunity for us to meet, connect and collaborate. Aelan Riddim is going in a direction that hasn’t been taken. Hopefully, this year forces more collaboration and more opportunities for us artists,’’ said Kali-D.

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