PALOLO RISING
By Liz Ah-Hi
Cover photo credit: Nadya Va'a
The Palolo moon made me do it.
At 2.30am this morning I woke up with an unusual amount of alertness considering I had only accepted a random invitation just a few hours earlier from my neighbour to go ‘ka palolo’ in Lefaga.
It was the moment I had been waiting for and weeks of dropping hints into social conversations had finally paid off at the eleventh hour bearing in mind there was only days left of the palolo rising.
Though my Dad dispels it, I could have sworn I had a childhood memory of waking up to a dark but moonlit beach in Asau filled with shadow people carrying torches, hunting for palolo in silence. Whether it was just a dream or an actual event that took place, I was looking forward to having a new experience.…more
Love is Bigger Than Cancer - Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts
Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts will be marking Pinktober breast cancer awareness month with the ‘Love Is Bigger Than Cancer’ event, at the Mangere Arts Centre in Auckland this Thursday. The event aims to raise awareness and funding for the Samoa Cancer Society and the Tonga Breast Cancer Society to assist in the fight against cancer in Samoa and Tonga.
'Love is Bigger than Cancer' is in its second year after the inaugral event was held in Apia last year and raised $10,000 tala. Matavai co-director Maryjane Mckibbin Schwenke who is also a former Miss Samoa and Miss South Pacific had taken a group of young people from the group back to Samoa to kick start the awareness campaign.
The event was attended by the Samoan Deputy Prime Minister and various cabinet members as well as supported by local businesses, families and friends who have all been affected by this disease.…more
BLACK GRACE - THE GUERRILLA COLLECTION
The Guerrilla Collection are taking over the waterfront!
Black Grace have come together with some of Auckland’s most treasured Maori & Pasifika artists, to bring you “The Guerrilla Collection”
The brainchild of Arts Laureate Neil Ieremia, partnered with artists Anapela Polataivao, Victor Rodger, Courtney Sina-Meredith, Justin Haiu, Paul Fagamalo, Sean Macdonald and youngun Leki Jackson-Bourke, the 3 Day Festival is set to start this coming Friday, 2nd November at the ASB Waterfront Theatre.
Guerrilla Collection explores the daunting idea of “What will Auckland look like in 30 years, what will it look like, smell like, feel like, taste like”
For Curator Neil Ieremia, it was important for Pasifika People to be involved in this conversation.
“We are the largest Pacific City in the world ... It’s so important that we have a voice and a seat at the table, so give us one! And if you don’t give us one, we’ll take one” he said.…more
HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - LEKI JACKSON BOURKE
LEKI JACKSON BOURKE
Playwright, Writer, Actor, Inaugral emerging Pasifka writer in Residence
Niuean, Samoan, Tongan
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What makes you get out of bed every morning?
Ideas, ideas and more ideas. The creative mind never sleeps - I go to sleep with ideas, I dream of ideas and I wake up full of ideas. My mind is always busy devising ways to create magic through the arts. Living my best life while I can.
What makes you most Pasifika proud?
It makes me proud knowing that we descend from greatness and seeing our ancestors thrive and live through us and our cultural heritage art forms. Our ancestors were visionary, forward-thinking and innovative. They left us gifts that outlived them and it's evident today through the Ta'ovalas we tie, the tapa & mats we sit on, the kahoa's we wear around our necks, the kava we drink, the words and songs we sing, the patterns of our tatau we proudly display today.…more
Creative NZ Pacific Artist Awards 2018
By Mario Gaoa
Don’t feel bad if you haven’t been or heard of these awards, it doesn’t make you an art snob nor does it suggest that you are out of touch with your creative islandness. Everyone has awards, academy awards, Bafta awards, Grammy awards, NZ plumming awards and the list goes on.
The Creative NZ Pacific artist awards are held every year and hosted by Creative New Zealand and recognise the contributions to art by some of our most talented and respected Pacific artists, of which there are many. Going down the list of previous recipients of these awards is eye-watering stuff. Albert Wendt, Nathaniel Lees, Jonny Penisula, Lemi Ponifasio, Annie Crummer, Jim Vivieaere ... it’s like an All Blacks team of Pacific Artists, so it is little wonder that these awards are a big deal to our budding arts industry.
This years awards are being held in Parliament. A structurally sound but very ugly building ..... or so I thought.…more
MMT vs Australia behind the scenes
Our friends at Tutu on the Beach - Josh & Nox had the opportunity to travel with the Mate Ma'a Tonga team on the lead-up to their game against Australia in Auckland.
They share a few of the behind the scenes moments with the team to give the teams supporters a small taste of the heart behind the Board, Coaches, Staff and Players.
WWE: Roman Reigns battle with Leukaemia forces him to relinquish Universal Championship
Earlier this evening on Monday Night Raw, the WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns revealed that he was battling leukaemia and would be stepping away from the ring & relinquishing the Universal Champion belt.
The 33 year old Samoan wrestler whose real name is Leati Joseph Anoa'i left the crowd speechless as he let them know he'd been battling the disease for the last 11 years.
Moments after announcing that his returning leukemia had forced him to relinquish the Universal Championship, he was met with an outpouring of support backstage.…more
NRL: Andrew Fifita leads the Tongan Sipi Tau against Australia
For the first time in history, Australia faced off against the Mate Ma'a Tonga & their Sipi Tau.
Andrew Fifita led the Tongan Sipi Tau for the first time. Captain Sika Manu said in the post match interview that off the back of Jason Taumalolo leading it against the Kiwis in the World Cup last year, that Andrew would be the right person to lead it against his old team.
NRL: Tonga vs Australia national anthems
Tears flowed freely down the faces of the Mate Ma'a Tonga team in an emotional moment as young Lotima Nicholas Pome'e aka General Fiyah performed the Tongan national anthem with 26,000+ Tongan fans.
The Australian side had braced themselves for a sea of red & passionate Tongan supporters but they weren't expecting the level of respect shown them by the crowd when the full stadium launched into the Australian national anthem and sang along with Graham Isa'ako.
Dane Gagai summed up the moment in his post match interview with Fox News “The most amazing moment for me was when the crowd started singing the Australian national anthem”
Man of the match James Tedesco said "It was unbelievable at the start of the game they were all singing the Australian national anthem as well - they just love rugby league and to come out here and support their Tongan nation ....…more
NRL: Mate Ma'a Tonga - The Revolution
Professor Toeolesulusulu Damon Salesa on Mate Ma'a Tonga and the politics of Pacific rugby and league!