Coco News

Miss Galaxy 2017 LIVE Stream

Night 1 - " The Beauty of Oneness " Miss Galaxy Pageant 2017 Program at Queen Salote Memorial Hall, Kingdom Of Tonga 12th July 2017


Coco News

Coco Talanoa Media Panel Discussion July'17

Coco Talanoa - Media Panel, join Johnson Raela (Journalist, Tagata Pasifika) and the panel, Adrian Stevanon (Associate Producer, The Hui), Henry 'Jandals' Tuipe'a (Radio personality), Susana Guttenbeil (Jounalist and Communications Manager) and Yolande Ah Chong (Television personality and Media Liaison for Pacific Media Network) discussing issues of the day.

Today's discussion centres around Pacific representation in Aotearoa media and out there in the World.


Entertainment

Pacific Music Awards 2017

We're keepin it fresh at the 2017 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards in South Auckland.


Sports

The ESPN Body Issue - Malakai Fekitoa

Check out the full spread here...at own risk ;) 


Events

MISS HEILALA 2017

The Kingdom of Tonga held its annual Miss Heilala pageant this past week with the grand ball & crowning of this years Miss Heilala/Tonga.

Miss Heilala 2016, Laura Lauti completed her final duties this week with the girls and handed over the crown to the winner.

16 girls from Tonga, Australia, New Zealand & the USA were vying for the crown.

Congratulations to Miss Apraxus New Zealand - Opehilia Kava who has been crowned Miss Heilala this year.  

She will now go on to represent Tonga at Miss Pacific Islands.

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BALL GOWN PHOTOS 

LAURA's FINAL WALK 

PLACINGS

MISS HEILALA 2017 - Ophelia Kitiliti Kava 


Coco News

Mangere Community kicking the kilo's with Town Centre Zumba

Three years ago, when Isitolo Lemoe showed up to an open Zumba class at his local shopping centre, he was unemployed and wheelchair bound. A Zumba class turned his life around, he said.

"That's why I love this group. They help me to walk again. I call this group - it's my family."

Every day for the past five years, about 100 people have showed up to a Zumba class at the Mangere town centre shopping mall for this fun daily dance jam - kicking up the fight against obesity and diabetes that so many of us are struggling with. 

Story by Indira Moala for RNZ


Humans of the Islands

Humans of the Islands - James Nokise

JAMES NOKISE 

COMEDIAN/THEATRE MAKER & WRITER

SAMOAN/WELSH 

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I'm a comedian, theatre maker, and writer. I grew up in Wellington which is probably why I like experimenting across genres and maybe why there's so much politics in my work.

My parents are immigrants. Dad came over on a banana boat (like a real one) in the 50's from Samoa, and Mum came over from Wales, with Dad, in the early 80's. 
You're in the middle of a show at the moment, have you got another show coming up?
I've got a couple. My show, Rukahu, is a one man play at the Basement Theatre (showing now 4th-8th July), I'm in a puppet show called Puppet Fiction the following week at Basement, and then I fly to the UK, for the Edinburgh fringe festival to do Puppets and my solo comedy hour: Britain, Let's Talk About the Golliwogs. 
Is the premise for your show based on any personal experiences?
Rukahu comes from the surreal conversations I've had at Pacific Island Arts openings with non-pacific islanders and what they interpret as Pasifika.
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Sports

KING IN THE RING - 8 man Eliminator Series - Heavyweight!

Tonight the 'King in the Ring' 8 man eliminator series goes down at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama and it's an all Polynesian main card!

With fighters of Maori, Cook Island, Samoan & Tongan descent these heavyweights are ready to prove who is the New Zealand King of the 100kg weight division.

Israel 'Style Bender' Adesanya took out the first King in the Ring 100kg Trans-Tasman event in 2015 and now the eliminator series returns to its own shores to find the top fighter of this weight division in New Zealand.

The event was founded and is run by New Zealand born Samoan, Jason Suttie (Founder of ETK - Elite Thai Kickboxing gym, 6x World Champion & K-1 New Zealand champion) and his wife Arna.  

Eight contenders go head to head in a survival series of three-round elimination bouts, battling it out for the coveted King in the Ring crown and the $10,000 grand prize.…more


Events

The Black Friars present "SOUTHSIDE RISE"

In the village of Moana’s ancestors, leaders are made.
They are warriors, armed with creativity and bravery; alofa and reciprocity.
They are born to serve their people.
As Moana starts University she is called to lead her family, but what does it mean to Lead in South Auckland?

Alofa. Bravery. Rugby. Fagogo. Reciprocity. Community. Tauolunga. Faikava. Education. Social Media. Family. Creativity.

What does leadership mean to you? And who are the leaders in your life?

Southside Rise brings together 60 young leaders from 10 South Auckland schools in an all-singing, all-dancing, full scale original musical production that answers these questions.

Watch the young leaders of South Auckland as they are called to lead.
They are called to serve.
They are called to Rise.

60 young people took to the stage at Mangere Arts Centre with a full theatre production produced by The Black Friars theatre group and supported by the Creative Thinking Project, Creative NZ, Teach First NZ & the Manukau Institute of Technology.…more


Sports

TOKI Rugby Skills workshop

We stopped in to check out the Rugby Skills workshop run by TOKI services in Wellington.

All Black Ardie Savea & Maori All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder were out there giving the kids the opportunity to meet, train & learn with them both.

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Director:  Tuki Laumea

Camera Operators:  Hayden Aull & Olly Coddington 

Sound Operator:  Craig Mullis