Searching for Afunakwa Press Kit
A documentary and music project exploring the origins of Sweet Lullaby by Deep Forest — and the voice of the woman whose song travelled the world without her name.
OVERVIEW
[150 word summary]
BACKGROUND
[250-400 word summary]
THE DOCUMENTARY
Title: Searching for Afunakwa
Run time: 47 minutes
Status: Forthcoming
[2-3 sentence summary]
Searching for Afunakwa Trailer- Private Vimeo Link
Searching for Afunakwa Full Documentary - Private Vimeo Link
THE MUSIC
Track title: Rorogwela (SOLON Savasana Mix)
Length: 5 mins XX seconds
Release date: XX/XXX/XXX
[2-3 sentence summary]
Soundcloud Private Link
Proceeds destination: The Afunakwa Foundation
why this matters
Key points here
QUOTES
“What began as a simple remix evolved into a much larger story. Once I understood the history, I couldn’t simply release the track and move on — I had to find another way. Everything that followed — the journey to the Solomon Islands, the documentary, the foundation — was the result of that search.”
— Matt Singmin, SOLON
“Of course we are happy a voice from our place is enjoyed by people out there — as music always be. But please recognise that it was from this humble beginning that this thing came about.”
— Celsus Talifilu, son of Baegu Headman Saverio Talifilu
“Deep Forest should acknowledge who is the singer, who is the owner of the song. Acknowledgement is very important.”
— Tony Kwaomae, Grandson of Afunakwa
”The truth always channel itself to the light. Do you want to hide the truth — the truth always come out to the light.”
— Clement Iata, Grandson of Afunakwa
“The story doesn’t end here. There remains an opportunity for acknowledgement and repair. This project is about creating the conditions for dialogue and resolution — and recognising that it’s not too late.”
— Matt Singmin, SOLON
ABOUT THE ARTIST / FILMMAKER
SHORT BIO
Matt Singmin, known as SOLON, is an English musician and DJ based in Sydney, Australia. He creates immersive electronic music for meditation and deep listening — from hypnotic techno to dream-like ambient compositions. Further to re-imagining the Rorogwela recording, he shifted into filmmaking as a way to honour the song’s origins, and give voice to the people from where it came.
LONG BIO
Matt Singmin, known as SOLON, is an English musician and DJ based in Sydney, Australia. He creates immersive electronic music for meditation, yoga, and deep listening — from hypnotic techno to dream-like ambient compositions.
His early releases (Datta, Oed und Leer Das Meer, Phlebas) were composed for savasana, the final resting state at the end of a yoga practice. Drawing on vintage synthesizers and traditional orchestration, the music was designed to support the transition from movement into stillness, inviting breath and brainwaves to slow, thought to soften, and the psyche to drift.
These works emerged from Singmin’s time DJing yoga events as one half of The Future Sound of Yoga, an experience for which he re-imagined the Rorogwela lullaby, a recording which was popularised in the early 1990s through its use in Sweet Lullaby by Deep Forest. When clearance efforts uncovered a long trail of ethical concerns, Singmin travelled to the Solomon Islands to seek answers.
Confronted with the complexity of the unresolved issues, he shifted into filmmaking as way of honouring the song’s origins and giving voice to the people from where it came. The result is Searching for Afunakwa, a documentary which asks what responsibility artists carry when music crosses borders — and whether it is ever too late to acknowledge past mistakes and put them right.
PRESS ASSETS
Press images — filmmaker & participants
Documentary stills — images from filming on location
Cover artwork — documentary + EP
Documentary trailer — download video file
Music video — download video file
All assets cleared for editorial use with credit.
CONTACT
Email: matt@solonmusic.com
Location / Timezone: Sydney, Australia (AEST/AEDT)
Availability: Available for interviews (remote or in-person)