Edwin Nanau Sitori, also known as Eddie Sitori (born in the mid-1930s in Onepusu, Malaita), is a Solomon Islands former amateur composer and singer, best known for composing the country's unofficial "national song", "Walkabout long Chinatown". [1]
In the 1950s, he worked as an electrician at the Honiara Power House, which provided electricity to Honiara. It was there that he composed the song, with Rone Naqu and Jason Que. He also sang and played the guitar in several bands during the 1950s and 60s. From the 1960s to the 1980s, he worked at sea as a shipboard electrician, before working once more as an electrician on land. [1]
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. This page is about the history of the nation state rather than the broader geographical area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which covers both Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, a province of Papua New Guinea. For the history of the archipelago not covered here refer to the former administration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, the North Solomon Islands and the History of Bougainville.
Guadalcanal is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second-largest by population. The island is mainly covered in dense tropical rainforest and has a mountainous hinterland.
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons, is a country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. It is directly adjacent to Papua New Guinea to the northwest, Australia to the southwest, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the southeast, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu to the east, and Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia to the north. It has a total area of 30,407 square kilometres, and a population of 734,887 according to the official estimates for mid 2023. Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the wider area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, but excludes the Santa Cruz Islands.
The music of Solomon Islands has received international attention since before the country became independent from the United Kingdom in 1978.
The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata, was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of Solomon Islands. Helpem Fren means "help a friend" in Solomon Islands Pidgin. The mission officially ended on 30 June 2017.
"God Save Our Solomon Islands" is the national anthem of Solomon Islands. It was adopted in 1978 following independence. The lyrics were authored by Fijian-born husband and wife Panapasa and Matila Balekana, and the music was composed by Panapasa.
Bartholomew (Bart) Ulufa'alu CMG was the prime minister of Solomon Islands from 27 August 1997 to 30 June 2000.
White River is a suburb on the fringe of Honiara, Solomon Islands and is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the main center on the Tandai Highway. White River is in the Honiara City Council ward of Nggosi. A water spring supplies water to the community.
Panapasa Balekana, MBE, SIM, was a Fijian-born Solomon Islander who composed the national anthem of the Solomon Islands, "God Save Our Solomon Islands", with his wife, Matila Balekana. Panapasa Balekana co-wrote the anthem's lyrics with his wife while he composed the accompanying music.
Honiara is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. As of 2021, it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lies along the Kukum Highway.
Matila Baleilekutu Balekana is a Fijian-born Solomon Islander, who co-wrote the national anthem of the Solomon Islands with her husband, Panapasa Balekana.
"Walkabout long Chinatown" is a folksong from Solomon Islands. The government of Solomon Islands describes it as "the national song of not only Solomon Islands, but also of Melanesia" as a whole.
Sakiusa Bulicokocoko was a Fijian musician.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) Solomon Islands Campus is a satellite campus of the University of the South Pacific, based in Honiara, Solomon Islands; apart from the Honiara Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) a university in Honiara; and the Woodford International School. The University of the South Pacific campus is located near Chinatown, about 75 metres (246 ft) to the southwest of Lawson Tama Stadium. It offers continuing and community education courses to the South Pacific member countries. Some of the major disciplines in which courses are offered on semester basis are Arts, Law and Education, Business and Economics, Science, Technology and Environment and other disciplines with a gamut of subjects in each discipline. The duration of courses varies from 10 to 32 hours of teaching spread over a number of weeks. Subjects taught based on regional requirements could be in the fields of "computer skills, languages, bookkeeping, mathematics, business studies, economics, creative writing, community development skills, literature, handicrafts, floral arts, fabric arts, woodcarving, fine arts, carving, poetry, music, video production, leadership skills, health studies, public speaking, problem-solving and general literacy skills.” An important programme that is advocated in the USP is to establish an education programme "through distance and flexible learning”, which the relevant texts to learn and teach are prepared in the Laucala Campus in Fiji and adopted in the campuses of all the USP universities across the South Pacific.
The St. Barnabas' Anglican Cathedral, Honiara is one of three Anglican cathedrals built in the Solomon Islands. The St. Luke's Cathedral was the first to be built in 1920s at Siota, Nggela but it was destroyed in World War II. The second was the All Saints Cathedral, a temporary structure built in the 1950s which was replaced by the St. Barnabas' Anglican Cathedral, Honiara, named after the St. Barnabas' Chapel and School on Norfolk Island, in the 1960s; the planning to build it started in 1961. The foundation stone for the new cathedral was laid on 6 January 1968 by Bishop Alfred Hill. A dedication service was held on 15 December 1968 which was attended by 1500 people. The cathedral was formally consecrated on 16 June 1969 when 2000 people attended the ceremony and it was dedicated by Bishops Chisholm and Alufurai.
The Honiara Hotel is a 56-room hotel located in Chinatown in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Town Ground is a suburb in Honiara, Solomon Islands, located in the main center on the Tandai Highway. Town Ground is in the Honiara City Council ward of Nggosi and Rove-Lengakiki.
Chinatown is a suburb of Honiara, Solomon Islands, located southeast of the main center.
Solomon Islands no longer has official diplomatic ties with Taiwan (ROC) due to the One-China policy since 2020.
The 2021 Solomon Islands unrest was a series of demonstrations and violent riots in Solomon Islands from 24 to 27 November 2021.