Coco Talanoa — Entertainment / Page 34

The Man Behind The Rock’s Stunts For The Past 13 Years Is His Cousin.

In Hollywood, you’re only as good as the guy doing your stunts.

And in the case of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he might have the best damn stuntman in the entire business.

The same man has held DJ down and made him look good on camera since The Rock’s acting debut in “The Scorpion King” back in 2002.

But just like wrestling, it’s a family business and The Rock’s stuntman is none other than his cousin Tanoai Reed.

The Rock is the biggest action movie star in Hollywood right now.

So it’s only right he has the best stuntman in the game.

Thanks to his cousin, Tanoai Reed, he has exactly that.

For the past 13 years, their partnership has been a successful one, and they’ve starred in over a dozen films together.

It works really well because they have the same body type.

And they even wore the same number as football players.

They both clean up well when they have to.…more

The distant sound of a conch call is heard. As waves burble onto the shore, Lupepe or Pepe for short, with her hair in an immaculate bun, sings a moving Samoan hymn.  Proud and strong, she strums her treasured white kikala. She wants to leave a life of slavery. Dreams are packed tight into banana boxes. She will take her children to New Zealand for a better life.

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Fa'amoana Luafutu is a small shoeless boy at a New Zealand airport. Looking about curiously at the foreign sights and smells, he feels as if he has swallowed a rainbow.

 

Singing a new song, with The White Guitar, Scribe.

On his first day at school in Auckland he is given his new name, John, as Fa'amoana is considered too difficult to pronounce. He feels dumb and lost. He looks up and sees the phrase "deeds not words" embossed in concrete on the main school building.…more

No description needed. Just Enjoy! 

Video footage courtesy: TVNZ

10 random cool things you should know about Te Vaka (if you didn't know...now ya know)

1. The group was founded by singer and songwriter Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand. 1994 The beginnings of Te Vaka.

Full Band Biography here: Te Vaka 

2. Opetaia Tavita Foa’i (Leader) was born in Alamagoto, a small village in Apia, Western Samoa. He even wrote a song about his hometown: "Alamagoto" (Album: Nukukehe)

3. Opetaia's father is from Tokelau his mother from Tuvalu. (Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu - we all cousins!)

Walt Disney Studios, California, USA (Moana's home) vs. Tuvalu (Opetaia's mum's home)

4. First Te Vaka album entitled "Te Vaka" released in over 80 countries to worldwide acclaim making the top 10 on several worldmusic charts , receiving rave reviews from the USA , UK , Europe and New Zealand and becoming one of ARC music's all time best selling albums. 

5. Before joining Te Vaka, Male vocalist Doug Bernard A.K.A "D.…more

Awesome news to find out that 'Te Vaka', one of the Pacific's favourite bands, have been involved with behind the scenes in making the music for Disney's Moana. Band member Jojo Toomata posted this pic with this caption:

God is Good!! An amazing experience at Disney today!! Finally we can reveal what we've been doing here in L.A. We have the pleasure of working with Disney to bring the best of the Pacific to the world!! Moana the next best thing! Soo proud to represent our Pacific people to share our stories about our Ancestors to the world! What pleasure to be working alongside Dwayne Johnson, and Finally meet the Producers & writers. Follow that dream, cause it just got real! Boom! Massive shout out to my Beautiful wife Mequita and Kids, Love you and miss you's!!! #Blessed #polymovement #TeVaka2015 #TheRock #Disney#D23expo #family 

Congratulations Te Vaka we can't wait to hear the Music.

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Check out the amazing music from around the Pacific

Known to all as 'The People's Champion', Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson takes time to reflect on the imact his Grandparents had on his life.

Recalling his favorite moments with both grandparents, The Rock sings to them both in a candid interview.

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Check out some of the history of his tattoo!

See more of The Rock singing!

Check out the awesome performance from Oceania Dance Theatre and Pacific Voices!

This beautiful performance depicts the effect of climate change on the lives of our Pacific people, combining dance and music from Tuvalu, Samoa, Fiji and around the Pacific!

They are on tour in Europe May-June 2015, with an ensemble of 30 dancers and singers from the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. 

Check out the full video based on the performance here!

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Check out another snippet of this amazing piece!

See more beautiful dancing from the Fijian dance company VOU!

Check out Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson rockin' it out to this Tay-Tay classic!

Proving that he's not only the man in the ring and in action movies, The Rock lays the smackdown on Jimmy Fallon on the new show Lip Sync Battle. Maybe he's getting ready for his role in the upcoming Disney movie Moana!

Aaradhna (Indian/Samoan) makes History, being the first Polynesian solo artist to headline at the Apollo Music Café (Apollo Theatre) in Harlem, New York (U.S.A).

Girlfriend made her musical debut in 2004 as a featured singer on the single Getting Stronger (with Adeaze), which peaked at number one on the NZ Singles Chart. Aaradhna's latest album 'Treble & Reverb' received several nominations at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards and won the award for 'Album of the Year'.

As the first lady of 'Dawn Raid', Aaradhna is now set to make history as she will be the first Poly solo artist to represent at the Apollo Music Café.…more