Manukau Arts in partnership with the Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand is proud to present the CNZ Heritage Arts Fono as part of the 2010 Manukau Pacific Arts Summit. The Fono takes place at the Otara Music Arts Centre (crn of Newbury and Bairds Road) from 10 am to 3 pm on Friday 7 May, 2010. The fono will discuss Creative New Zealand’s Heritage Arts strategy, projects and opportunities. Heritage art practices are art forms that have been brought to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands and which are presently sustained by individuals, communities, elders or experts who maintain traditional knowledge through their art practice. Heritage arts can include language, oral arts, handicrafts, weaving, carving, tivaevae, tatau, rituals, protocols and cultural specific activities. Creative New Zealand’s Senior Programmes Advisor for Pacific Arts, Anton Carter, will be available for one-on-one sessions to build awareness around the application process. For catering purposes, registration is necessary; to register or for more information please email Brett.Stirling@manukau.govt.nz or phone Nicole Lim on 09 271 6019.
A unique event in the inaugural Manukau Pacific Arts Summit is today’s lunchtime poetry slam. Working in partnership with the British Council, UK performance poet, DJ and producer Charlie Dark will be in Otara (Auckland) to perform alongside local Pasifika poets including: Drew Harding (South Auckland Poets Collective), Ole Maiava, Courtney Meredith and Luisa Tora (Niu Waves Writer’s Collective, Fiji). The event is free and takes place on the Centre Stage of the Otara Town Centre from 12.30 – 1.30pm. Everyone is welcome. The 2010 Manukau Pacific Arts Summit is sponsored by Manukau Arts, Manukau City Council. Visit www.Manukau.govt.nz/pacificartssummit for more details.
South Auckland is about to be invaded by students, spectators, colourful costumes and dynamic dances from schools all over Auckland. From March 17 to 20 2010, the Manukau Sportsbowl will be home once again to the annual ASB Polyfest, the largest cultural festival of its kind in the world. This year, the festival marks a significant milestone in its existence. The festival celebrates its 35th anniversary. Polyfest started with just four schools – Seddon High School (now Western Springs College), Aorere College Mangere College, and Hillary College (now Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate). By 1978, more than 20 schools had Polyfest teams. In 2009, more than 9000 students from 59 schools competed, watched by a crowd of 90,000 over four days. Entry to this year’s festival is $ 4.00. For more details, see www.asbpolyfest.co.nz.
The Pelorus Trust Music in Parks series is coming to Wainuiomata on Sunday 21 February 2010. The Pasifika beats of Nesian Mystik are set to resonate through Wise Park alongside Pacific Blues duo Cydel and Petone-based reggae and roots group Hikoikoi. Concert goers are in for a treat as they hear material from Nesian Mystik’s latest album Elevator musiq as well as crowd favourites. Led by David Letoa and Saipele Nili, Cydel is now an icon of the South Auckland music community. Hikoikoi are hometown favourites and combine roots-fuelled reggae, dramatic soul-flavoured vocals and a hint of jazz. (Information gathered from Citylife Wainuiomata News.)
Pasifika: The Collection is a 40-song double-disc compilation made up of classic songs featuring established acts such as Nesian Mystik, Adeaze, LA-based hip-hop crew Boo Yaa Tribe, and Tiki Taane, and new talent, including J Williams and Smashproof, alongside “Pacific legends” like Zipso, the Yandall Sisters, Herbs and Brother Love. Andy Murnane of Dawn Raid Entertainment and co-creator of the album, says the collection also includes classics such as Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii which is a wedding song for many Polynesian weddings. He adds, “we’ve just had so many No 1’s from Pacific Island artists over the years, but outside of that there are all sorts of classic songs that if you go to any Polynesian or Maori party you will hear these songs.” Pasifika opens with OMC’s How Bizarre, a song by the late Pauly Fuemana who died last month. The album will be released on March 8 and the Pasifika Festival is on March 13 at Western Springs. For a list of songs on the double CD album visit the Dawn Raid Entertainment website.
Tongan cultural giant, Professor Futa Helu has died at the Vaiola Hospital in Tonga, aged 75. Renowned for his profound knowledge of traditional Tongan cultural expressions, Professor Helu was at the forefront of intellectual thinking about education and the arts in the Pacific. As a young man, Futa Helu studied at the Newington College in New South Wales and then attended Sydney University where he studied philosophy, English literature, mathematics and physics. Back in Tonga, he founded Atenisi University, an institution that championed innovative and critical thinking and which grew from a night school into a university that now confers Masters and PhD degrees. He was the author of several ground-breaking articles most of which were published in Critical Essays: Cultural Perspectives from the South Seas (Journal of Pacific History, 1999). Paying tribute to him, the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Dr. Colin Tukuitonga said “He was truly one of the great academic giants of the South Pacific and our condolences go out to his children and grandchildren.”
This year’s Ten Pacific Festival introduces a brand new Pecha Kucha ™ night featuring significant Pasifika artists who originate from Christchurch. Among the confirmed participants are Anton Carter also known as Antsman of Rhombus and The Nomad, Pacific art historian Stephanie Oberg, writer and poet Tusiata Avia, actor and filmmaker Barbara Carpenter, and playwright Victor Rodger. The event will be held at the Dux de Lux on Thursday 4 February from 7.00pm. The Pecha Kucha is immediately followed by a Mark Vanilau concert at the same venue. Mark has a long history with the festival which started with Tribalincs, a five piece soul jazz fusion group. In 2006 when Mark embarked on a solo career, he toured as Dave Dobbyn’s keyboardist, vocalist, and still tours with him today. Mark will also join Anton Carter on Friday 4 February at 6pm for a Songmakers and Creative NZ workshop, before local reggae band D’sendantz and jazz artists K.T.O take to the stage from 8.30pm until late. The Ten Festival is organised by Christchurch’s Pacific Underground.
Rising R&B and Hip Hop star, J Williams, will headline the Ten-Pacific Arts music programme this week in Christchurch. The young Samoan star will perform at an all ages gig featuring Erekah, Christchurch’s break-dance icons Common Ground and Swarm. The show is presented by Pacific Roots South on Waitangi Day (Saturday 6 February) at The Bedford, 46 Bedford Row, Christchurch. The show is open to all age groups and begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from Real Groovy. For group bookings contact Pacific Underground.
Niuean-Maori musician Pauly Fuemana has died in Auckland after a short illness. A member of the Otara Millionaires Club, Fuemana shot to world fame with the 1995 hit single How Bizarre which reached No 1 around the world including Australia, Canada, South Africa, Austria and Ireland. Remembered in his Otara community as one of its greatest sons, Fuemana positioned South Auckland’s Polynesian music on the global stage and opened the way for a procession of Pacific musicians to follow in his footsteps. Of his rags to riches story, Fuemana said in 2006, “I’m from Otara and I got to see Italy and Spain and Germany. To play at the Supper Club in New York and the Whisky a Go Go in LA. It was like a dream come true.” The 40 year old died on Saturday at the North Shore Hospital. He was surrounded by his wife and five children.
Pacific music celebrates its sixth year of presenting its best loved talent to the nation with an updated award catalogue for 2010. Entries are now open for the S3 Pacific Music Awards with an added gong for radio airplay and recognition for the promotion of Pacific languages. Entries close on February 22 and the finalists will be announced on April 21. The awards are to be presented on May 29 at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau. The awards acknowledge the success of Pacific artists in New Zealand and encourage young Pacific musicians to aspire to higher levels of achievement. Awards are being presented in the following categories: Pacific Group, Gospel Album, Urban Artist, Female Artist, Male Artist, Pacific Song, and Pacific Music Album. Four awards are granted for People’s Choice of Best Pacific Artist, Lifetime Achievement, the Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Artist and the Radio Airplay Award. Nominations are not accepted for these awards. The sponsor, S3 (pron. ess-cubed), is a Pacific community initiative dedicated to promoting road safety among young drivers and pedestrians. It aims to reduce the risk, hospitalisation rates and harm that road accidents have on the nation’s Pacific people. For terms and conditions see the redesigned website at www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz.
