Shakaya
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2002 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| Founder | Simone Stacey, Naomi Wenitong |
| Headquarters | Cairns , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Shakaya is a female duo from Australia, originating in Cairns, Queensland, in 2002, consisting of Simone Stacey and Naomi Wenitong. The pair first crossed paths in 1999 during their studies in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music program and initially pursued songwriting independently before joining forces. Their talent was discovered by Reno Nicastro and Michael Pearson-Adams in Cairns, with Nicastro producing the majority of their tracks and generously offering complimentary studio access for two years.
The group's name, 'Shakaya', was derived from 'Kashaya' after a manager's letter rearrangement. They later learned that "shakaya" translates to "voices in the wind" across several cultures, a meaning that deeply connected with them. Shakaya emerged as one of Australia's leading female urban pop ensembles, having toured alongside prominent artists such as Destiny's Child, Usher, Kylie Minogue, and Ja Rule.
Following the duo's initial success, Naomi became a member of the hip hop collective The Last Kinection. In April 2013, Simone auditioned for the second season of The Voice Australia, ultimately selecting Seal as her mentor after receiving three affirmative votes from the judges.
2002–2003: Shakaya
In August 2001, Shakaya showcased their talents at Sony Music in Sydney, which led to their signing soon after. Their debut single, "Stop Calling Me", released on 18 January 2002, tackled the issue of stalking inspired by personal experiences. The track debuted at number forty-five on the charts and climbed to a peak position of number five, marking their most successful release. It achieved platinum certification by ARIA and ranked as the forty-third highest-selling single of 2002 while earning a nomination for "Highest Selling Single" at the ARIA Awards.
Their follow-up single, "Sublime", launched on 17 May 2002, reached number nineteen on the charts. The third release, "Cinderella", attained a peak position of sixteen and was awarded gold status. Their self-titled debut album Shakaya, released on 18 October 2002, initially entered the charts at number five but fell to forty-eight in its second week and remained within the top one hundred for seven weeks.
On 14 April 2003, they issued a rendition of Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel", which peaked at number twenty-one and sustained a presence in the top fifty for seven weeks.
2005–2006: Are You Ready
The album Are You Ready was crafted over an eighteen-month period across studios in Cairns, Sydney, and the United States with various producers involved. Its lead single, "Are You Ready", released on 10 June 2005, was created by the MadNotes team—recognized for their collaborations with Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. This single reached number twenty-five on the singles chart. The second single, "We Ain't Goin' Down", released on 13 November 2005, peaked at number fifty. The full album was released on 5 March 2006 featuring both singles but failed to enter ARIA's top 100 albums chart.
The duo parted ways following Naomi Wenitong's decision to join The Last Kinection in 2006.
2021–present: Reunion
In October 2021, Stacey and Wenitong reunited as Shakaya after more than fifteen years apart, performing at Cairns' Pride Fair Day. They continued with appearances including the Yabun Festival in January 2022 and the Quandamooka Festival held on Stradbroke Island in August 2022.
Albums
| Album Title | Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Shakaya |
|
5 |
| Are You Ready |
|
— |
Singles
| Song Title | Release Year | Chart Performance | Certification Status | Corresponding Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| "Stop Calling Me" | 2002 | 5 |
|
Shakaya |
| "Sublime" | 19 | |||
| "Cinderella" | 16 | |||
| "The Way You Make Me Feel" | 2003 | 21 | Released as a single only | |
| "Are You Ready" | 2005 | 25 | Are You Ready | |
| "We Ain't Goin' Down" | 50 |
ARIA Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are held annually to honour outstanding accomplishments across all categories of Australian music. |- |2002 || "Stop Calling Me" || Highest Selling Single || |}
Deadly Awards
From 1996 to 2013, the Deadly Awards celebrated the achievements of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals in music, sports, entertainment, and community service. |- | rowspan="4"| 2002 | rowspan="2"| the duo themselves | Band of the Year | |- | Most Promising New Talent | |- | "Stop Calling Me" | Single of the Year | |- | "Sublime" | Video of the Year | |- | 2003 | Shakaya | Album of the Year | |}