HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - JOEL AMOSA
JOEL AMOSA
OPERA SINGER
SAMOAN
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Talofa Joel, tell us a little bit about yourself, where did you grow up?
I am a proud NZ born Samoan, raised in South Auckland gems of Otara and Manurewa. My Dad hails from Vaiala, Samoa and Mum was born here in Tokoroa.
How did you first get into Opera, and what inspired you to pursue it seriously?
I got my first operatic experience back in 2007, I saw Turandot at the Aotea Centre. If you don’t know this Opera, its where the famous 'Nessun Dorma' aria comes from. From here, the seed was planted. I was curious on how the voice can amplify itself that way without using a microphone.
My time at school with choir and barbershop added an element to singing that I always enjoyed - to tell stories. The inspiration to pursue it further was organic, I opened my mouth to sing, and it was not a smooth RnB sound, it wasn’t high, and it wasn’t low, but it had an element of classical potential. Supported by my singing teachers and staff of Dilworth to give it a crack - 10+ years later, here we are. Still giving it a go and singing across Australasia as a result.
Was Opera/Performing something you always wanted to get into?
If you ask anyone at my gym, they’ll tell you I’m extra. Toxic even.... but I guess that’s the dramatic opera side I never knew I had until later. In hindsight, performing is something I landed in, not chose for myself.
Through White Sunday for Church, evening devotion with the family, Stage Challenge dance competition at school and musical theatre productions - you could say it was right in front of me but truth be told, my focus after school was to get a job and support the family.
How has your Culture and upbringing influenced the way you approach your Singing/Performances?
The Samoan culture, learning of the language, rigid church life growing up has had a huge influence on who I am as a performer on and off the stage. There are many definitions of Fa'asamoa and a piece of that culture that resonates with me the most is, acts of service.
When I am singing, I have an overwhelming sense of pride being a Samoan guy from South Auckland, singing in German, Italian, Samoan, English, often repertoire that pre-dates our family line. I approach all my singing the same, to have fun. Fun is something majority of our Pasifika people know how to do without being told!
Who are your biggest influences and inspirations in life?
My family are #1 - always and forever. More specifically, my late grandfather, Tunaimatia Pau Amosa. The root cause of me playing the piano and singing harmonies.
My wife and kids - everything I do from here on is for them. It’s to show them, it can be done. It takes a bit of time and hard work but ultimately, it’s so worth the hard work.
What challenges have you faced as a Pasifika person in Opera, and how did you overcome them?
The number one challenge in all my career has self-belief. This stems from an upbringing where standing out wasn’t encouraged. As a result, self-doubt in my vocal abilities have shadowed me until 2018 when I won the prestigious Lexus Song Quest aria competition. In Lexus tradition, the winner gets to re-perform an aria with the NZ Symphony orchestra to close out the night. I’ll never forget the feeling I had when I re-entered the Auckland Town Hall as the winner and the immense confidence I had. All my fears of singing in the upper register or being audible in the lower register went out the window. It unleashed an inner singer that was proud, able and happy! From that moment on, I knew I could sing and could make it in this operatic world.
The second challenge is always being called a different Pasifika singers name (Grateful and humbled to be considered good looking like Moses McKay or Samson Setu) but there have been times where after a performance, you walk off stage and an audience member says, “Amazing! It’s great to hear you sing Benson” or “I met your brothers last month at another concert I attended” (I dont have any brothers lol) Youve got to just smile and nod and accept their eyesight isn’t too flash and that its never personal.
Tell us about your upcoming show The Monster in the Maze - what has it been like preparing for such a show?
The story itself is based on the Greek myth of Athenians being sacrificed to a Minotaur until a heroic Theseus takes action to put an end to that narrative. The composer, Jonathan Dove has an exceptional way of weaving music and lyrics that is both challenging but beautiful to the ear. What I mean by that is - it’s not your usual 17-18th century opera music where the melodies flow right off the page. Being a modern composition, it holds elements of traditional operatic feel with a modern uptake of everyday mannerisms. Time signatures of 5/4 and 7/8 are tricky at first but once you've locked it in, it makes sense lyrically and musically.
Prep for this production has been amazing. First off, having the amazing director, Anapela Polata'ivao lead the vision and story - a dream come true. One noticeable difference I am experiencing during this opera and every other opera I’ve been involved in is, the ability to speak Samoan with the creative crew and cast. It might seem small but honestly, in the big world of Opera - this for me is a massive milestone and very, very cool!
As Samoans do, we have laughed during every rehearsal, we have had honest conversations on what they see vs what I am doing... with the core component being community engagement, it’s been amazing to bridge that gap between Opera buffs and first-time opera goers. Grateful to be a part of it.
What message would you give to young Pasifika kids who dream of achieving big things in Opera/Performing Arts?
Welcome to this crazy space everyone! It’s a long game, not an overnight wonder. Lock in when you need to. It’s one thing to have the talents; it’s a whole other thing to be disciplined, to practice when no one’s looking, to meet the moment and to embrace criticism about your work. Lastly, celebrate others also having a go in the performing arts. This vulnerable space can make or break people. So, let’s do the right thing and support, encourage and thrive in this heavily non-Pasifika space.
