Walkabout long Chinatown
Encyclopedia
"Walkabout long Chinatown" (or "Wakabauti long Chinatown", or "Wakabaot Long Saenataon") is a "popular 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.
The song was composed in the 1950s, in the Pijin language
of Solomon Islands, by Edwin Nanau Sitori
, Rone Naqu and Jason Que. Subsequently recorded and aired by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service
, it "immediately became popular"; its popularity was increased when it was recorded by Solomon Dakei, and sung to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
during the Duke's visit to the country in 1958. It then "became an international hit when Fiji
’s most famous entertainer and musician [...] Sakiusa Bulicokocoko
transformed it from a laid-back island country tune to a rock-and-roll number". It can now "be heard all across the Pacific Islands region
", and is considered "a classic in the Pacific". It was notably sung in 2010 by Victor Ngele, Solomon Islands Ambassador to the Republic of China
(Taiwan
), at the conclusion of the Taiwan Study Camp for Future Leaders from Pacific Allies in Taipei
.
The song refers to the Chinatown
in Honiara
, the capital city of Solomon Islands. After the Second World War, at a time when Honiara was barely a small town, young men would -according to the song- cross Honiara's Chinatown on their way to hospital staff's accommodation on the far end of the town, hoping to meet nurses there. Thus the song "is about romance sought, won, lost or just wished".
The song and its title have, at times, inspired academic works, such as M. Bellam's "Walkabout long Chinatown: Aspects of urban and regional development in the British Solomon Islands" (1969), or Clive Moore's "No More Walkabout Long Chinatown: Asian Involvement in the Solomon Islands' Economic and Political Processes" (2007).
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. The government of Solomon Islands describes it as "the national song of not only Solomon Islands, but also of Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
" as a whole.
The song was composed in the 1950s, in the Pijin language
Pijin language
Pijin is also referred to as Kanaka and is a language spoken in the Solomon Islands. It is closely related to Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea; Bislama of Vanuatu; and Torres Strait Creole of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia and is written in the Latin alphabet.As of 1999 there were 306,984...
of Solomon Islands, by Edwin Nanau Sitori
Edwin Nanau Sitori
Edwin Nanau Sitori, also known as Eddie Sitori , is a Solomon Islands former amateur composer and singer, best known for composing the country's unofficial "national song", "Walkabout long Chinatown"....
, Rone Naqu and Jason Que. Subsequently recorded and aired by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation is the official radio broadcaster of the Solomon Islands. SIBC is self-defined as a public service broadcaster....
, it "immediately became popular"; its popularity was increased when it was recorded by Solomon Dakei, and sung to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
during the Duke's visit to the country in 1958. It then "became an international hit when Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
’s most famous entertainer and musician [...] Sakiusa Bulicokocoko
Sakiusa Bulicokocoko
Sakiusa Bulicokocoko was a Fiji musician.The Fiji Times described him as a "legendary musician [...] whose rendition of Fijian classics such as Veibogi kece, Lewa lei lewa and Isa lei Lia endeared him to many generations"...
transformed it from a laid-back island country tune to a rock-and-roll number". It can now "be heard all across the Pacific Islands region
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
", and is considered "a classic in the Pacific". It was notably sung in 2010 by Victor Ngele, Solomon Islands Ambassador to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
), at the conclusion of the Taiwan Study Camp for Future Leaders from Pacific Allies in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
The song refers to the Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
in Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, the capital city of Solomon Islands. After the Second World War, at a time when Honiara was barely a small town, young men would -according to the song- cross Honiara's Chinatown on their way to hospital staff's accommodation on the far end of the town, hoping to meet nurses there. Thus the song "is about romance sought, won, lost or just wished".
The song and its title have, at times, inspired academic works, such as M. Bellam's "Walkabout long Chinatown: Aspects of urban and regional development in the British Solomon Islands" (1969), or Clive Moore's "No More Walkabout Long Chinatown: Asian Involvement in the Solomon Islands' Economic and Political Processes" (2007).