Coco Talanoa — Pacific Blog / Page 9

For 22 weeks, nearly 200 young people from around the Gold Coast & Brisbane area, gave up the majority of their weekends to learn about their Samoan culture through song & dance at the largest Samoan performing arts school in Queensland - Vasa Gold Coast 

The peforming arts school group whose ages ranged from 5 - 21 years then presented a fiafia showcase at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre on the 30th of September 2022 in front of a packed arena.  The show also featured recently crowned Miss Samoa 22/23 Haylani Pearl Kuruppu who performed a solo dance to 'Sosefina' and the taualuga at the conclusion of the performance.

We spoke to Lapi Mariner and Logovi'i Tupa'i who tutored vocals and taught the group Samoan songs, about their experience with the show and why it's important for our children to know their culture and heritage.  (Video above)

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You can check out the full performance from the night below.…more

Over a decade ago, Fogālepolo Lepou (Paul) and wife Joan decided to pack up and move from New Zealand to Samoa, driven by a duty to his mother, Su’a Siapo Suisui Faiga Ripley Lepou, and her restless dreams of making something her family land in Fasito’o-uta, Samoa.

What started off as an exercise in honouring a parents’ wish eventually evolved into a journey of self discovery for Paul, who found himself re-connecting with his culture, family and the land. Paul and Joan built and developed the Ifiele'ele Plantation, a stunning organic farm retreat offering accommodation.

Today it is a living tribute to an inherited dream and a celebration of the inextricable bonds between family, land and traditions in Samoan culture.

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Film credits:
Created with funding support from World Bank Pacific for the SAFPROM Project
Film maker/Editor: Denisa Manaskova
Producer: Liz Ah Hi/ Fine Mat Creative

By Angelica S. Eke 

We, as Pasifika people, are born into this world unknowingly pushed into a place of old and new cultural expectations. We come from a world of rich culture; however, due to economic crisis or the necessity of preserving family life, at times it is necessary for us to depart from our motherland. Often, during these types of transitions, we find ourselves with varying decisions to make. One of those decisions may represent whether we choose to follow the norms of the community we settle in or choose to keep the traditions, mindsets, and rituals that have been ingrained into our very DNA. Let’s not forget the transition that our elders might experience. As life moves quickly, we forget that our elders may also experience a suspension in time being suddenly thrust into a new setting that is unknown to them. The change can be overwhelming; traumatic even. We all have some experience in understanding how it feels to be somewhere unfamiliar and it can make one feel unseen or unheard.…more

The first-ever town plan for Avarua - the capital of the Cook Islands - has won an International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) award for its response to the climate crisis at a Gala Awardsd Ceremony in South Korea recently.

The honour was awarded to Auckland/Wānaka based practise Reset Urban Design in association with traffic engineers Stantec and Rarotonga based architect Romani Katoa.  It was one of two prizes presented to Reset Urban Design.

Te Tau Papa o Avarua - The Avarua Town Plan, which was praised by judges for its climate change mitigation and positive contribution to the wider Cook Islands community, was commissioned by the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) - a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cook Islands Government and controls the country’s property and public works.

The second IFLA award presented to Reset Urban Design who again worked with local architect Romani Katoa on the project, was for the development of Aitutaki's first-ever spatial plan: Te Papa Tau o Araura.…more

"I wanted to write a story that focused on the experiences of Pasifika kids like me. Growing up, there weren’t any books about Pasifika children. Even on TV or in the movies, there weren’t any stories about kids who looked like me." - Litea Fuata 

She's about to start work as a cook in a childcare centre and has worked in youth work, aged care and for Oz Harvest rescuing food for charities.  Now Litea Fuata can add published author to her resume after her debut childrens book 'White Sunday' was released today (Wednesday 7th Sep 22).

Litea who was born in New Zealand and now lives in Meanjin, Brisbane with her partner and cat says that she's really proud of her first book 'White Sunday' and hopes that young Pasifika readers will walk away with a feeling of being seen and of joy after reading her book.…more

"It is time to shine light into the valley and reclaim the narrative and move beyond the errors and misjudgments of a system that has become accustomed to keeping its boot on our neck."

‘Muru’ was released nationwide to cinemas on the 1st of September and is a breathtaking action packed rollercoaster that takes you on an emotional journey through the trauma of the Uruwera raids and other events that the Tuhoe people suffered at the hands of the NZ government. 

It's a fictionalization of some these moments into one epic story - featuring a cast of some of Aotearoa’s stellar Māori actors, lead by Cliff Curtis and Tame Iti who plays himself. 

Lui Vilisoni-Oliver Niu FM & 531 PI Program Director at the PMN offices in Manukau vs Lui back in the day on air at Niu FMs Brown Street studio.

Update to original story - 

On the 14th June 2023, Niu FM was one of 8 commercial and regional radio stations given a NZ on Air Award for playing more than 20 percent local music content over the airways in 2022 at the NZ on Air Music Showcase in Auckland. 

They were also the only Pasifika radio station recognised with this award.

We talked to Programme Director for Pacific Media Network (which includes Niu FM) Lui Vilisoni on why it's been important to play out local NZ Pasifika artists vs overseas artists on the station.

"The first reason is, who else will champion our artists if not us? I see and hear so much quality music from our NZ Pasefika artists, but they’re not picked up as much.…more

“I love that this is a story that isn’t centered around the raids, but around a family who went through the raids. There’s a clear distinction” Gaby Solomona ‘Fuarosa’ in the Dawn Raids play. 

It’s no secret that we as Polynesian peoples are very Patriarchal. From how the feaus are done, to who get’s to speak at family functions, who stays home to look after the kids, who gets the titles. Even our storytelling is very male dominated.

In the past most stories, shows, films I have watched, including the one I, myself made, have all been very male dominated. So I was so excited to see that the 3 women who hold the story and family together in Dawn Raids are such integral parts of this show. Gaby Solomona (plays Fuarosa) speaks to the importance of the 3 women. Stating that while the show still has male voices, there are equally if not more important female voices that come through too.

Gaby shares “You’ve got the mum who is the glue of the family, the matriarch.…more

Meet Logoi Malaeulu Mariner and his family from Salelavalu, Savaii. The 69 year old has been farming for almost 50 years and is one of the oldest commercial farmers on the big island.

As a beneficiary of the World Bank Pacific funded SAFPROM Matching Grant Program, Logoi and his family have been able to improve productivity on the farm and increase production of their vegetable and root crops supply to the local market.

Watch the heartwarming story of Logoi Mariner to see how this humble farmer and grandfather is building a legacy of agricultural sustainability and financial literacy to secure a healthier and more prosperous future for his grandchildren.

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Video credit & Thank You to:  World Bank Pacific and the Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity and Marketing Project