BACKGROUND
Vanessa QUAI is Vanuatu’s ICON in the music arena and she is the Pacific music Queen as her music is known and captured the hearts of thousands in the Pacific and around the globe. Her strong and vibrant vocals and her music is unique, a blend of modern, contemporary and authentic pacific flavor. Yet, she is flexible to adapt to a wide variety of music style, that suits everyone’s like. Nevertheless, she is more into a mixture of World and R&B reggae, genre.
Vanessa is a composer and a song writer. She choreographed her own dance performances. She started writing her own songs at the age of eleven.
Vanessa has toured and performed shows in New Orleans (US), Australia, Canada, Egypt, Romania, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, the French Polynesia (Tahiti), and Fiji. And planning an Europe tour in 2014.
Vanessa’s music is known and loved by fans throughout the pacific region. Her music is heard through radio stations and marketed in other parts of the globe.
Vanessa has participated in a number of humanitarian programs and raised over a hundred thousand dollars in different parts of the South Pacific countries, such as for Natural Disaster victim programs, health programs, and many other community project programs.
MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Vanessa Quai started collecting Musical Awards at the age of 10.
1998 : At the age of 10, Vanessa won the “Vanuatu-Japan Junior Chamber Music Competition”. held in Vanuatu.
1999 : At the age of 11, she won third prize “South Pacific International Song Contest 99”, held in Queensland Australia, out of 3,000 artists worldwide.
1999: Vanessa again won the First prize in the “Nile International Children Music Festival”, held in Cairo, Egypt, out of over 5,000 children worldwide.
2002: At the age of 14, Vanessa won the Second Prize in the “Golden Star – International Children Music Festival”, held in Bucharest, Romania.
2004: At the age of 16, Vanessa won the First Prize in the “Golden Star – International Teenagers Singing Competition”, held in Bucharest, Romania.
2005: At the age of 17, she won the First Prize in the adult category in the “Golden Stag International Music Competition”, held in Brasov, Romania in-front of the following members of the jury;
Nick Feldman – from BMG/Sony
Jill Paulsson – from Eurovision
Guy Fletcher – the President of the British Music Academy
2007: At the age of 20, she celebrated her 1st decade of her music and was awarded the Vanuatu National Medal of merit and the Vanuatu National Jubilee medal, in recognition of being an exception and distinguished ambassador of Vanuatu in the Music industry, from the President of the Republic of Vanuatu, His Excellency. Honorable Kalkot Matas Kelekele.
2012: At the age of 25, her album “Winé Sa” was Awarded the best Pacific album of the year 2012, rated in New Caledonia by SACENC.
MUSIC RECORDS
Vanessa has achieved a few albums. She started to record albums at the age of 11.
1998 : (1st) album “To Aitape with Love”, recorded and produced by Vanuata Production, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2000 : (2nd) album “Beautiful Pacific Islands”. This album featured Vanessa’s winning song “Beautiful Pacific Islands” at the 2nd Nile International Children’s Festival, in Oct. 1999. Recorded and produced, and distributed by Mangrove Production, Noumea, New Caledonia.
2002 : (3rd) album “The Untouched Paradise” recorded and produced, and distributed by Mangrove Production, in Noumea, New Caledonia.
2003 : (4th) album “Pasifika” recorded and produced, and distributed by Mangrove Production, Noumea, New Caledonia.
2004 : (5th) album “Promise” featuring the ‘Soul Harmony’ of Papua New Guinea. This album wasrecorded and produced, and distributed by CHM Super-Sound Production, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
2005 : (6th) album “Best Of” A compilation of Vanessa Quai’s following albums, “Beautiful Pacific islands”, “The Untouched Paradise” and “Pasifika”, produced by Mangrove Production, in Noumea. New Caledonia.
2006 : (7th) album “Transformation” recorded at the Tropik Zound Studio and produced by VQM Production in Vanuatu, distributed by Mangrove Production, in Noumea, New Caledonia.
2007 : (8th) album “Island Girl” recorded and produced by RooMuzik Studio in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, and distributed by VQM production, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2009 : (9th) album “Islan-ton” recorded and produced by “Harvest Production”, in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and distributed by Mangrove Production, Noumea, New Caledonia, and VQM Production, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2012 : (10th) album “Winé Sa” recorded and produced by “Harvest Production”, in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and distributed by Nord Prodcution and Alize Production, New Caledonia, and Harvest Production, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2017 : (11th) album “Light it Up” recorded and produced by “Harvest Production” in Port Vila, her first Vanuatu. This is album is a debute album of Vanessa Quai’s 2nd decade of her musical career. It is 100% reggae album. A bonus track of her featured song for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games that is hosted in Vanuatu, “Shine Pacifica” is featured in this album.
2021 : album “Best Of Vol 2” A compilation of Vanessa Quai’s following albums, “Beautiful Pacific islands”, “The Untouched Paradise” and “Pasifika”, produced by Mangrove Production, in Noumea. New Caledonia. Released online only
MUSIC IMPACT
Vanessa’s music has caused a tremendous impact through-out the pacific region. Some of her specific songs and album has been rated distinctively by international radio stations and music organizers.
- “Freedom” was on the number One radio charts throughout the South Pacific from 2002 to 2003.
- “A Roro Karea” was rated 19th place in the “Song Net 2004 – Female Artist”.
- “Galala Kece Sara” was rated 16th in the World Song festival hosted in Norway, and currently on the top charts in some radio stations throughout Pacific region.
- “Pasifika” album was rated number One, for 3 months on the charts of the “Pacific Radio Station”, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
- “Promise” was on the Top 10 in the music Charts of Papua New Guinea in 2004, after it hit first place in the PNG music chart for 3 months.
- “Transformation” & “Warrior” was the number One hit and Top the Chart in the Pacific radio station, in 2006.
- “Islan-ton” become the favorite in the Pacific and is currently one of the best listening albums in the radio stations in the Region, after the album released in December 2009. Songs like ‘Yadra Mai’, and ‘Islan-ton’ of cause are on the top of the chart in 2009, in Vanuatu.
- “Winé Sa” is a collaborated project with Nord Production of New Caledonia, which targeted the Zouk lovers in the Region. Zouk is a cultural music style of the Caribbean. Most songs in this album are in the French-Caribbean Creole. ‘Zouke Pasifik’, ‘Au Nouvor Jou’, and ‘Iche Mwen’, were the favorite in the region!
- “The “Light It Up” is a 100% reggae album that also featured some very fine soul reggae artists, including Stan Antas, from Stan & the Earth Force Band, Dyna Wonou from New Caledonia, Confliction rappers, John Baptist Holi from the Solomon Islands and Tito Quai. This is the first time that her music is featured by live saxophone by Darrell Tangalobani, live violin by Vanessa Organo, and live drums by Alex Avila, from the popular United States Band, Christafari Band. This album is bound to hit the entire Pacific region and the reggae lovers across the globe.
HIGHLIGHTS
Vanessa Quai has some distinctive highlights during her career in music,
2002 : Broke the crowd record history of any artist visited Solomon Islands, when she drew over 20,000 people to her single show at the Rove show ground in Honiara, to raise funds for the ‘Solomon Islands National Sports athletes’.
2003 : Performed her first international corporate show at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, in Noumea, New Caledonia, in the place of the African queen artist, Brenda Fassie.
2004 : Was the guest artist at the Australian National Leaders Annual Prayer Breakfast, at the Federal Parliament House of Australia in Canberra, Australia.
Was the guest artist at the Vanuatu National Tourism Corporate Promotion launching in Auckland, New Zealand.
2005 : Was a guest artist at the Australian Gospel Music Festival of over 30,000 audience, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. She was the first Vanuatu artist to enter the AGMF.
Was a guest artist at the World Media Conference held in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, organized by Christian Vision Conference of Australia.
Was the guest artist ‘Fiji Music Day’ organized by Alliance Francaisé in Fiji.
Did a road show tour in North Queensland, Australia in 2005.
2006 : Was a guest artist at the Australian Gospel Music Festival for the second time, of over 40,000 audience, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
2007 : Performed in the Solomon Islands and raised over US$50,000 for the Tsunami victims in the Solomon Islands during her 5 shows.
Performed with an International Melanesian Funk Group ‘Tribe of Jubal’ in Cairns in Australia.
Celebrated her first decade in her music career (10 years). She was awarded the Republic of Vanuatu “National Medal of Merit” and the “National Jubilee Medal”.
Launched out a book written on her music career, to mark her First Music Decade, “Vanessa Quai – Linking Vanuatu to the World”.
Was a guest artist at the Parachute Music Festival, of over 50,000 audience, the largest Gospel Music Festival in the South hemisphere, in Auckland, New Zealand. She was the first Vanuatu artist to enter the Parachute Music Festival.
2008 : Toured the French Polynesia (Tahiti) for the first time. Caused impact on the French Polynesia music market.
Performed alongside Collie Buddz from the US, at the launching of the Digicel in Vanuatu, in-front of over 50,000, audience.
2009 : Was guest artist in the “Give Back to Fiji Charity Concert” at the Vodafone arean, in Suva, Fiji.
She performed along side, Paulini Curuenavulua (Australian Idol Finalist 2003), Suzy Vulaca
Kraintz (American Idol Finalist 2006), and Dee Uluirewa (From Hillsong, Australia).
2010 : Was the guest artist at the UNDP Conference held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, in honour of Ms Helen Clerk (Former Prime Minister of New Zealand).
Performed at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, in Noumea, New Caledonia on the 12 June 2010, along-side “T-Vice” from Miami, US, in front of over 5,000 people.
Featured at the “Melanesian Wantok Concert” organized by Irirki Island Resort, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Was the guest artist at the opening of the 41st Pacific Island Forum, held in Port Vila, Vanuatu
Highlighted the women in Music at the Fest Napuan.
2012 : Guest artist at the WOWS (Walk On Walk Strong – For Children with Cancer) – Fiji event at the Vodafone Arena, in Suva, Fiji.
Nation tour to New Caledonia.
Guest Artist at the Gentilly Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Guest Artist at the WOWS (Walk on Walk Strong) – For Children with Cancer) – Tonga event in Nukualofa, Tonga.
Guest artist at the launching of the Papua New Guinea – Kora Foundation, for under privilege Children of PNG.
2013 : Guest Artist at the South Sea-Islanders Association “ Wantok Capacity Building Forum” in Brisbane, Australia.
2014 : She performed in Honiara, Solomon Islands and drew over 20,000 people, to bring hope to the people after the national was severely affected by a flood coursed by a stormy rain.
2015 : She founded the Vanessa Quai vocal academy for children between 9 to 15 years old.
She engaged in doing musical project to raise Funds in Papuan New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and in Vanuatu to raise funds for the Vanuatu Society for Disabled People’s facility that was totally destroyed by category 5 cyclone Pam, in Vanuatu. Over 1 Million Vatu was raised and handed the Vanuatu Society for Disabled People in October 2015.
2016 : She attended a Leadership Training in Discipling the Nations, at the Southern Lights Centre, in Melbourne, Australia, for 5 months. The training is call “Excelerate Master’s Commission”.
2017 : Vanessa was a guest Judge at the finalist of the Papua New Guinea Vocal Fusion 4.
Highlight the opening of the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Port Vila, Vanuatu, infront of 4000 athletes from all over the Pacific, and over 7,000 audience at the Korman Stadium, in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
OTHER PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 : Featuring Vanuatu National Tourism video promotion “Think South Pacific, Think Vanuatu”
Vanessa has assisted her family to set up a Day Care and Nursery School for kids.
2009 : Vanessa Quai set up her own professional recording studio “Harvest Studio Production”, engineered by her brother, Tito Quai. So far, Harvest Studio is rated as one of the best production Sound studio in Vanuatu and the Pacific, and one of the highest demanded studio in Vanuatu.
2010 : Her song “Family” was the sound track of the UNICEF film “Human Faces”
2011 : She established her new backup band called the “New Breedz”
2012 : She performed in US, for the first time ever, at the “Gentilly Festival” in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, with professional musicians in New Orleans.
2013 : Participated and performed UN Woman song “One Woman” with selected women singers from 25 countries in the world, including, Charice, the Pilipino singer.
Produced and performed UNICEF Pacific song “No More”.Record and performed “True Harmony” single with James McMillan from the UK. (James McMillan works for 3 years with the American Idol and 3 times Grammy Award nominee for the best producer).
2014 : Participate in the Oceania Hymn song produced by Mangrove Production and Vanualla Watts in New Caledonia, organized by SPC (South Pacific Commission).
2015 : Participate in the Climate Change song produced by Mangrove Production in New Caledonia, organized by the New Caledonia Government, Ministry of Sustainable Development.
2017 : Guest Judge at the grand final of the Papuan New Guinea Vocal Fusion 4
Highlighted the opening of the 2017 Pacific Mini Games at the Korman Stadium in Port Vila, Vanuatu. She performed her original track song “Shine Pacifica”
2023 : Participate at the Kaneka Legend 2023 in Nouméa, New Caledonia