BayFM’s Multicultural Nation Show provides a voice for people of diverse cultural backgrounds, reflecting the beauty and diversity of multicultural Australia.
The show features music, culture, interviews, community news and information for new migrants, refugees and emerging communities. The aim of the program is to promote harmony, peace and unity – both locally and globally.
Presented in English, the show also features many other languages, and its hosts have been a treasured part of the BayFM family for many years.
The Multicultural Nation Radio Show goes to air Tuesdays 1-2pm and streams live on bayfm.org
Playback of recent broadcasts are available here and you can also find the show on Facebook
For interviews, to send music or press please email: [email protected]
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Hiromi Shibasaki presents JAPANESE BENTO BOX, a show which promotes the Japanese rich culture and wisdom through interviews and community news.
The show aims to offer the Byron Bay community an insight into Japanese culture, and to be a platform for Japanese people to further connect and integrate with the local community. Japanese locals who live in the Byron Shire are invited to share their journey in finding their new home away from home, as well as their current passions.
Having spent 10 years in a high paced corporate career in Japan, working for global financial institutions and founding a social venture business, Hiromi took up the challenges of a leading role in a global environmental NGO.
In parallel she accepted a position presenting the Sunday morning show on National commercial radio. These dramatic career changes and experiences made her realise where her true passions lay, in creating a more sustainable lifestyle connecting people, communities, and nature.
In 2015, Hiromi set on a new adventure moving to Australia, settling in Byron Bay where she founded a small boutique travel guide business catering to Japanese tourists and sharing with them some of her local connections and experiences. She is also a qualified chef, running a small macrobiotic catering business and much-loved miso making workshops!
Natty Dolaiasi has been involved in Multicultural Nation Radio Show for five years as a presenter, guest musician and Solomon Islands correspondent and is sponsored by Solomon Airlines.
Natty is a renowned custodian and warrior of tribal songs of the Solomon Islands, the bearer of deep cultural knowledge and sacred chants. Through sharing this rare tribal music Natty welcomes listeners to the beauty and spirituality of the Solomon’s mystic songs and music. Natty has travelled the length and breadth of the Solomon Islands receiving gifts of traditional knowledge from elders. He is deeply passionate about sharing the extraordinary sounds and harmonies that are the unique cultural richness of his songs in 7 different tribal languages accompanied by the beat of the traditional log drums.
Since 1995 Natty has represented the Solomon Islands at International Festivals, in film documentaries, recordings and performances throughout Australia and the Pacific, representing his country at peak international events such as the Melanesian Festival of Arts, South Pacific Festival of Arts, in Australia at Quandamooka Festival, Island Vibe Festival, Byron Harmony Festival and Festuri Festival as well as the most significant films and Pacifica recordings of our times such as Siva Pacifica and “Last Voices from Heaven”. In 2018, 2019 and 2020 Natty undertook major tours of Australia and as well as visiting NZ and Taiwan on a mission to share these exquisite musical treasures from his heart to the world.
Judy Shelley is a radio presenter, visual artist, event manager, vocalist, community worker and activist. Judy has been a radio presenter at BayFM Community Radio for over 25 years, presenting on two radio programs- Suara Indonesia and Multicultural Nation, which provides a voice for people of multicultural backgrounds. She is currently the Main Presenter on the Multicultural Nation Radio Show.
Her two main cultural connections at the present time are the Solomon Islands and Indonesia. Judy has been a member of the BayFM Management Committee and has also been the coordinator of ethnic radio training at BayFM for many years. Judy has also previously co-hosted the radio show “The Heart” at River FM Lismore.
Judy held her first art exhibition in Bali, where she started the Seniwati Bali Group-Women Artists Group and has exhibited in many major exhibitions in Australia and Indonesia. She then founded the Australia Indonesia Arts Alliance, sponsoring over 30 international artists to visit Australia coordinating hundreds of cultural performances at schools, festivals and venues across Australia. For 14 years she was a main coordinator of Byron Harmony Festival and also started her own touring company called Colours of the World Tours. Judy has performed at major festivals and venues such as Woodford Folk Festival, Island Vibe Festival, Melanesian Arts Fest, Solomon Islands, Inspirasi Arts Festival and Auckland Folk Festival.
She has extensive experience in public speaking internationally on topics that include the environment, ocean conservation, conscious eating, surfing tourism and sustainability. This led her to host BayFM’s Japanese program on the Multicultural Nation Show. She now lives in Lennox head with her partner.
JONNY SIMONS (Dj-iKâpa) was born and raised in Elsies River, Cape Flats, Cape Town, South Africa, with Khoisan, Coloured Heritage. His parents were educators, artists, political activists and musicians, and were a strong influence on his outlook and experience of life. His brother Dudley was the first non white person to study music, with a focus on Jazz, at the University of Cape Town.
His journey through Australia saw him qualify as a Secondary School Teacher in Visual Arts and Music, while remaining committed to his first love, drumming and percussion, performing in a variety of Afro Caribbean shows and groups across Australia. He was involved in the Anti-Apartheid movement in Sydney, where some of these groups performed and were active.
2023 saw him further his studies at SAE where he completed a Bachelors of Song Writing and Music production, following on with an Associate Diploma in 2024.
‘Afrika Calling,’ presents music, interviews, historical information, shining a light on current events related to Africa and the African Diaspora, where the listener experiences the best contemporary and traditional music that aims to break down the continent’s stigmas and prejudices surrounding the term “World Music” or “The Other”, while presenting a positive impression of Africa and the Diaspora to counter common media images of war, famine and disease.
Kings, Queens and a rich culture in the Arts, Crafts and Music, that influences the rest of the world, exists in an “Africa Calling” you.
Nancy Falcone or Nancy Jo to her listeners, is a proud founding member of BAYFM community radio and has been involved in the Community broadcasting sector for over 30 years.
She worked for 12 years as a volunteer in the early days of BAYFM presenting different programs, serving all executive committee positions, fundraising, and sponsorship to name a few.
Over the years she has also worked as a station manager in the First Nations sector in WA, an administrator for the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council in Melbourne and a Radio Broadcast trainer for the Community Media Training organisation.
Having come full circle, she am very happy to be back as part of the Multicultural Nation radio program team. You will hear her every 5th Tuesday of the month focusing on stories from migrant workers with their music and cultural aspects of living in Australia contributing to our truly Multicultural Nation.
The Monthly Line-Up:
Week 1: Multicultural Nation
Week 2: Judy Shelley and Natty Dolaiasi – Multicultural show featuring Solomon Islands Update and Indonesian language and culture.
Week 3: Jonny Simons – African music and culture
Week 4: Hiromi Shibasaki – Japanese Bento Box
Week 5: Nancy-Jo Falcone – Multicultural Nation
Many thanks to the Community Broadcasting Foundation for supporting Multicultural Nation.