 Alcina Charlie Alcina Charlie comes from the beautiful islands of Vanuatu, one of the happiest place on earth and 1st on the Happy Planet Index, in 2006. Vanuatu is located in south west Pacific, and has 240,000 people living in the Y-shaped archipelago. Alcina is 29 years old, works at the Vanuatu Tourism Office in online marketing and is a part time professional singer.  Deliciously lush, undulating landscape and tropical gardens of Oasis Spa, Port Vila, Vanuatu. A day later and I am still elevated, locked in the memory of my massage bliss, and floating on the “waves” that are still rippling across my entire backside and shoulders. My pressure points are now non existent and are just tingling sensations after my first Aromatherapy Back Massage at the Oasis Spa at Warwick Le Lagon Resort. This type of massage concentrates on relieving tight and stressed muscles on the neck, shoulder and backside …and oh am I relieved alright! Continue reading
 Band proudly pose next to Vanuatu islands banner in Wellington's Holiday Inn conference foyer No words can better put it than “simply perfection”! The Vanuatu Roadshow in New Zealand, fantastically put together by the Vanuatu Tourism representative in Aotearoa , Ms. Jacquie Carson, took place last week from 13-15 April 2010. My band participated and promoted the destination via music. Theoretically, I was wearing two caps, almost like killing two birds with one stone. One cap had my Vanuatu Tourism ID, which is where I work as the website officer. And the other… well… a more creative and arty side of Alcina, singing on stage alongside keyboard (Jimme), guitar (Saka) and lead vocal (Philip). Here is the band’s story. Continue reading  Alcina at The Waterfront
It’s 6pm in Port Vila Vanuatu, and I make a quick dash from “Charlie’s cottage”, to the main road to flag down the next bus. I live a further 20 minutes drive out of town, in an easy laid back country side of Mele. The surrounding is tropical and I am plunked right in the middle of majestic waterfalls and a long strip of sandy beach just 100 meters down the road. And across is the Secret Botanical Garden, host to all flora and fauna that make up the beauty of Vanuatu’s nature. It’s Friday nightfall and around this time that lucky crowd is waiting for the boys and I to rock up a storm on stage to their favorite songs, whilst they lay back, down a few drinks and later, take on the dance floor with super slick moves, or just let loose and bob the night away. Ah yes, it’s the typical weekend scene where we gig at. Continue reading |
