InsideOut Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Fiji’s small and dynamic music industry has produced many notable artists over the years who have had variable levels of success. One of the most successful and popular music acts in the country today, InsideOut has built not only a successful music career but an entertainment company to support their work and a growing community of musicians they have taken under their wing.

InsideOut was created as a three-member band in 2013 so the members, lead singer and guitarist Apakuki Nalawa, singer and bass guitarist Timothy Solomon, and singer, guitarist, and keyboard player Semesa Vilise could explore their passion for music and be able to make a living out of it. Viliame Dautei joined in 2015 to be a singer and drummer.

The band secured their first gig at Suva’s Traps Bar, which turned into a gig every week for almost three years.

Performing at weddings, local hotels and resorts opened the door for InsideOut to develop their business.

“We were given the opportunity to manage entertainment contracts for a few of the resorts,” Mr Nalawa said.

“We needed to rope in more artists to cater for these entertainment contracts but not under the InsideOut banner, so we created a separate entertainment company called Resonance Entertainment.”

Formed in 2017, Resonance Entertainment employs 30 staff, 20 of which are full-time local artists based in the West, Coral Coast, and Suva, and the rest are made up of management, accounts, and a team responsible for equipment and technology.

Mr Nalawa, who is also the managing director of Resonance Entertainment, added that making music and providing entertainment is a difficult career path and that you must “think outside the box” to be successful in the industry.

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Story by: jernese.macanawai@fijisun.com.fj