Kokonati Talk

I'm easing into 2026 with my talanoa with artivist Elisha Bano. We talanoa about her childhood in Nadi Town and her love of theatre and poetry that lead her to her community work and artivism which would eventually lead her to Buckingham palace.

We also talanoa about life in Australia and her reverse migration back home.

Music credits

Genome by Falls

Pink Sand by PALA

Raspeebies by Dresden the Flamingo

Letters by Brasko

Happy Fiji Day!

This episode in recorded in two parts.

Part I - Outer Urban Studios - Coburg

I talanoa with Fijian gospel singers and twin sisters Ruci and Joanne Kaisila. They are the writers and performers of the film 'KIN - DUDI and JOJO'. It's a story of ancestral consciousness, sharing their family history and migration told by young Fijians living in north Melbourne.

We talanoa about navigating the duality in their identity, their spirituality and how it's shaped them as musicians and bringing the film to life with a team of Fijian creatives, which includes Tumeli Tuqota who directed the film and with the team at Outer Urban Projects, the KIN series is directed and produced by Irene Vela and produced by Kate Gillick.

Part 2 - My car , on the way to our screening dinner with Tumeli Tuqota the film director

Quick Q&A with Tumeli as we drive from the cinema to the Italian restaurant I Carusa in Brunswick for the screening dinner with cast and crew.

KIN SERIES

KIN - DUDI and JOJO is the first film in a four part series of documentary films, KIN by Outer Urban Projects

Each film reveals the brilliant, hidden musical families and subcultures of Melbourne’s diasporic and artistic communities - as they grapple with rediscovered ancestries, assimilation, transformation and the power of siblings.

Photography - Meredith O'Shea

Music credits

Genome by Falls

Pink Sand by PALA

Raspeebies by Dresden the Flamingo

Letters by Brasko

Film music

Isa lei Lia - Performed by Ruci and Jo Kaisila

Vakadua tale mada Turaga - performed by Ruci and Jo Kaisila and family

I'm kicking off season 3 as we head into the Fiji Day week. I talanoa with Fijian musician Joe Amputch now based in Adelaide. My talanoa with Joe starts off my 'Fijians Far from Home' episodes.

We chat about his idyllic childhood in Korolevu and his career in the Fiji music scene to transitioning to life in Australia.

Can't get enough of your love - The Hindley Street Country Club

Joe Amputch - Facebook

Music credits

Cool by EILOH

Pink Sand by PALA

Raspeebies y Dresden the Flamingo

Just in time for Valentine's Day!

For the season 2 finale I'm rounding up my Fiji Tour episodes with one of Fiji's biggest LGBTQI influencers, Alex Ligairi a.k.a 'Raiwai Butter'.

We talanoa about his roots, his career, the dark side of cyberbullying and how he deals with it, his nails and much much more.

Links to his show and SM 👇🏾

Teapot Talk Fiji

Raiwai Butter on Tiktok

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Raspeebies by Dresden the Flamingo

Palm Springs by Work Brunch

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

While I was in Fiji I snagged some time to talanoa with Fijian author Shazia Usman.

We talk about her self published children's book Kaluti, a book about 10-year-old Zia and her trials and tribulations facing colourism.

We also speak about her latest project Stories we come with an anthology of stories she facilitated and edited with alumni of the Emerging Leaders Foum.

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Raspeebies by Dresden the Flamingo

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

In part 2, my talanoa continues at the Hilltop Bar in Suva City at the Hip Hop Pop Up rehearsals. I speak with ⁠Joycelyn Karawa ⁠ , ⁠OnceCrew ⁠, Fiji Kidski, ⁠The Chief ⁠ and ⁠Lepi ⁠ all of them are up and coming music artists.

JuBen - live from the teitei

Special note: I would like to acknowledge Joycelyn Karawa who passed away a few short months after I recorded this.I’d like to dedicate this episode to her. 

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Palm Springs by Work Brunch

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

In September I sat down with Fiji's hip hop artists at their gig rehearsal to talanoa about their music and the series of Hip Hop Pop Ups started by Mc Trey and Mr Grin.

In part 1, I talanoa with the OG's of Fiji's hip hop movement Red Child, MC Trey and Mr Grin in a small karaoke room at the Hilltop Bar in Suva city

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Palm Springs by Work Brunch

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

I'm in Fiji and talking to some amazing people.

This episode I talanoa with muralist Jack Eastgate and Ronna Sekiguchi of Greenhouse Studio & Coworking about the Art for Change initiative.

The initiative just launched the mural 'Na Noda Ni Vanua' on Desvoux Rd. I also talanoa with Hefrani Barnes and Mele Nabola the two up and coming female artists that Jack mentored and they also collaborated with the mural.

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Palm Springs by Work Brunch

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

Join me at Melbourne's Fijian kava bar Pyls Cafe for the screening of Fijian doco 'Elections in Paradise', I talanoa with film makers Tumeli Tuqota & Laisiasa Dave Lavaki.

Their film captures the 2022 Fiji elections. They travel across Fiji to talk to standing candidates, politicians and everyday Fijians.

We talk about expired visas, missed flights and their musings about politics in Fiji.

Music Credits

Genome by Falls

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton

I talanoa with Fenton Lutunatabua about his new film 'Vakaraitaka', parenthood and his climate activism journey.

Music Credits

Cool by EILOH

Raspeebies by Dresden the Flamingo

Electric Rainbows by Matt Wigton