Much of Meliki’s influences came while growing up in Australia to a regular dose of western songs peppered with exotic music CDs of popular indigenous artists sent from her American based family who lived, studied and worked in Hawaii, Brazil, Cuba, Ethiopia and other countries rich in musical culture. When she took up playing instruments she leaned towards the nylon string guitar to study composers from these foreign shores while developing a strong foothold in contemporary jazz and popular music improvising on piano and bass. In her teens she travelled to many of these places and absorbed the unique feel that makes these rhythms resonate worldwide.
Meliki is a multi-instrumentalist who trained at the VCA. She performed with a number of original acts and coverbands on bass, keys, guitar and vocals while developing her solo act from original guitar instrumentals and later moving into songwriting creating her own folk-pop sound incorporating the rootsy world influences she grew up with. Playing solo Meliki creates her own percussion accompaniment from the guitar fed through a loop pedal. As a group she incorporates bass, keys, drums and percussion as reflected in her May 2008 release EP tracks, many of the instruments being performed herself.
In a short time Meliki developed a regular live performance schedule playing original sets around Melbourne at venues, festivals and special events. With the release of her debut EP Movin' On in May 2008 has travelled regionally and interstate with plans in 2009 to tour the West Coast USA.
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Meliki Pana @ Alexandra Gardens for Afrobeats 2007 April
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Meliki Pana @ Melbourne Afrobeats Festival 2007