Spotlight: Shazza – singer & songwriter

“Wokbout blong mi olsem wan singer i stat taem mi gat 5 yia nomo. Taem mi smol i kam antap, mi bin stap tekem pat lo ol jej activiti mo stap attendem ol yut grup, emia nao pulum interest blo mi blo joinem worship team. Taem mi stap singsing insaed lo jej, sam taem mi singsing wetem grup, ol nara taem me singsing mi wan. Emia nao mekem mi bildim confidence. Taem mi stap gro kam bigwan, family blo mi oli enkarejem mi blo kam out lo comfort zone, taem oli fomem wan family band wea i lid ko lo fes stage performance blo mi wea hemi tek ples long Christmas in the Park. Hemi bin scary lelbet, be i go gud mo hemi makem wan bigfala turning point long laef blo mi.

Afta long hemia, ol uncle blo mi long saed blo papa oli tekem mi lo studio blo mekem recording. Fes taem mi rikod lo studio, mi bin mekem backup vocal blong wan song we mifala i coverem long langwis blong mifala long Pamma, we oli kolem “Atouli Vaoleli Keil.” Taem mi stap rikod wetem ol uncle blong mi lo studio, mi lanem blong wok tugeta wetem narafala pipol, mo hemia nao mekem mi save meetim ol narafala we oli stap givhan long mi blong lanem mo gro lo music. Ol family member blong mi, speseli ol uncle blong mi, oli talem mi blong recordem ol song we oli bin raetem finis, mo hemia helpem mi long lanem mo save mo long singsing. Afta, mi raetem fes song blong mi wetem DJ Alexis mo wan nara DJ we i stap long Vanuatu. Emia nao stat blong wokbaot blong mi blong faenem style blong mi long music.

Long ol las yia blong mi long college, mi mi stil faenem taem blong mekem backup vocals lo studio. I no bin isi blong kam out long comfort zone blong mi, speseli from i no gat plante yang female singer i stap mekem olsem. Biaen, mi join wetem Palm Tree Studios (we bifoa oli kolem WIRED), we oli invitem mi blong feature lo wan song. Mifala i mekem song ia “Toxic Love,” mo hemia nao i wan bigfala milestone blong mi, i mekem mi mi save se connection wetem narafala i save helpem mi blong gro.

Taem i go longtaem, mi kam klosap wetem ol boe blong Kele Productions, we oli nomo fren, be oli kam family blong mi long music. Ol boe ia oli givim support we mi nidim blong buildim music blong mi stat long graon, mo mi mi stap sore tumas. Sapot blong olgeta i spesel tumas—i no isi blong faenem ol yang pipol we oli stap helpem narafala, be ol boe ia oli stap wetem mi stat long beginning.

Olsem wan yang female artist, i no isi blong talem tingting blong mi long ol studio we ol boe nomo oli stap lead, be mi lanem se mi mas bilif long mi wan. Ol uncle blong mi oli feswan we oli luk passion blong mi, oli stap talem lo mi oltaem blong join long band practice blong olgeta, “Sharon, kam mo join wetem mifala!” Fes taem, mi stap mekem olsem from mi laekem nomo, be taem mi stat blong wok wetem ol boe blong Kele Productions, passion blong mi i kam strong moa. Bilif blong olgeta long mi i mekem mi mi fil se mi save mekem, speseli taem mi stap faenem rod blong mi.

Long Vanuatu, mifala i gat wan culture blong jik jik—blong mekem fan lo ol man we oli traem mekem samting we i defren—mo hemia i save mekem ol man oli fraet blong go fowod. Mi mi stap luk save long ol female artist we oli bin mekem rod i klia, mo mi mi stap sore long ol man long community blong music blong yumi we oli stap showem respect mo support long ol female artist.

Long ol yut, mi mi gat wan toktok ia blong talem: sapotem ol drim blong narafala. Leftemap ol narafala, stanap long saed blong narafala, mo mekem se positivity i stap kam wan samting we yumi save. From taem yumi sapotem narafala, yumi evriwan i save kam antap tugeta.”

#yutriseup #yutyumimekemjenj #yutriseupspotlight #equalitymatters

“My journey as a singer began at just five years old. Growing up, I participated in church activities and attended youth groups, which sparked my interest in joining the worship team. Singing in church, sometimes with youth groups and other times solo, helped me build confidence. As I grew, my family encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, forming a family band that led to my first stage performance during Christmas in the Park. It was terrifying, but it went well, marking a major turning point.

After that, my uncles on my father’s side introduced me to studio recording. My first session was backup vocals for a song we covered in our mother tongue, Pamma Language, called “Atouli Vaoleli Keil.” Recording with my uncles taught me about collaboration, and I soon began meeting others who offered insights on music and growth. Family members, especially my uncles, also encouraged me to record their pre-written songs, which helped me learn. Later, I wrote my first song with DJ Alexis and another well-known DJ here in Vanuatu. That was the beginning of my journey toward finding my own musical path.

During my final years of college, I would still find time to record backup vocals. It wasn’t always easy stepping out of my comfort zone, especially since there weren’t many young female singers pursuing this. Then I connected with Palm Tree Studios (formerly WIRED), who invited me to feature on a song. We created “Toxic Love,” which was an exciting milestone and reinforced the importance of connecting with others to grow.

Over time, I grew close with the boys from Kele Productions, who were not just friends but my music family. These boys provided the support I needed to build my music from the ground up, and I’ll always be grateful. Their support was special—it’s rare to find young people genuinely helping each other, and they were there for me from the start.

As a young female artist, voicing my opinions in male-dominated studios can be challenging, but I’ve learned the importance of self-belief. My uncles were the first to notice my passion, often encouraging me to join their band practices with welcoming words, “Sharon, come and join us!” At first, it was just something I did casually, but it grew into something deeper when I started working with the boys from Kele Productions. Their belief in me made me feel capable, especially as I was finding my way.

In Vanuatu, we often have a culture of jik jik—poking fun at those who try something different—which can hold people back. I admire the female artists who’ve paved the way here, and I’m grateful to the men in our music community who show respect and support for female artists.

To the youth, I’d say this: support each other’s dreams. Lift each other up, stand by each other, and let positivity be the norm. Because when we support each other, we all rise together.”

#yutriseup #yutyumimekemjenj #yutriseupspotlight #equalitymatters