SoulSka @ The Gasoline Pony

“a contralto of power, force and conviction whose voice would light up a room if the power failed” “
John Shand SMH

Part gig, part party, part glorious musical mayhem—Nadya’s SoulSka brings the sass, the soul, and the ska.

This seven-piece groove machine blends soul, ska, retro pop, and a sprinkle of country sparkle into a joyous, genre-hopping ride. Think Etta James doing high kicks with The Specials, Aretha slow-dancing with Al Green, and Dolly Parton skanking in rhinestones—yeah, it’s that kind of party.


Front and centre in this high-heeled hurricane of horns and harmony is the unstoppable Nadya Golski, Australia’s Queen of Gypsy Soul—a vocal powerhouse with a voice that could, as John Shand of The Age stated, "light up a room if the power failed." She’s bold, fiery, funny, and full of surprises—sometimes even in French, Spanish, or Tok Pisin, just because she can.

From Rod Stewart to Roberta Flack, Leonard Cohen to modern classics, every tune gets a makeover with fat horns, lush harmonies, and grooves that won’t quit. Expect singalongs, dance-offs, random flirtation, and maybe a few stilettos in the air.

Favourite old time classics of soul : Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and more, interpreted with ska, brass lines and wonderful vocal harmonies.

Touching on some songs from Samoa Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, bringing the soul ska genre into the Pacific shores, closer to home with an identity which somehow ends up as uniquely Australian with influences of PNG and South Pacific.

The Band Instrumentation :
Nadya Golski – Lead Vocals; Sam Golding – Trumpet, Baritone Sax & Vocals; Aleska Rajinoski - Trumpet; John Hubbard - Trombone ; Michael Brown – Saxophone; Rafal Dabrowski – Keyboards; Julian Van Leer – Guitar; Tom Oliver – Drums; John Maddox – Bass.

Soul Ska is an Uber party band, getting everybody dancing and romancing to sweet and passionate music and melodies laid over fantastically infectious grooves and energy.