Living in the remote Oterama Village on Malaita, Narasirato are farmers and fishermen who keep their musical culture, dating back 75 generations, alive. Oterama was founded in the 1980’s and prior to this the people lived in the hills covering the area. The village does not have telephones, internet or television and its people are protective of their culture from Western influences. Tied to a belief system called “Warato’o” - the little seed of goodness in everything – they take inspiration from the wisdom of their ancestors. The groups’ music and performance reflects this Are’are culture, from the body painting to group dance, and their amazing array of hand made instruments - log drums, conch shells, bamboo thong-o-phones, pan pipes and stomping tubes. Underpinned by a trancelike bass-driven rhythm, with flourishes of melody from ages-old native scales, their music sounds like an acoustic ode to mother nature. Their distinctive sound will delight fans of the likes of Gurumal, Buena Vista Social Club or Tinariwen. After countless years performing at the important occasions and celebrations on many of the 1,000 islands of the Solomon Islands, Narasirato are now ready to spread their music across the world.
