HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS: Jordan Gavet
JORDAN GAVET
Musician, Singer/Song writer
Samoan
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My name is Jordan Gavet and I'm a Musician, Singer/Songwriter. My parents both hail from Samoa. Dad's full Samoan and Mum's Samoan/English, but also has a bit of a Portuguese and Tokelauan heritage. My parents are both NZ born and even though my Dad is full Samoan, our surname is French so my nationality has been a FAQ my whole life lol. When asked though, I'll always identify as Samoan. When asked if I speak Samoan, well that's a different story hah!
My parents moved to Sydney Australia where they got married before I came along, so I was born and bred in Aus. They moved us home when I was 3 months old to Avondale, West Auckland where I was raised around a lot of family. We then moved back to Sydney where I attended high school and I’ve kind of been living between Sydney and Auckland ever since. Both cities are home to me, but I attribute a lot of who I am to being Samoan and a kiwi. Now, after working in an office job in both countries, I've gone back to doing what I love full-time, & that's music.
When did you first realise singing was more than a hobby?
My Dad was a musician, so I grew up around music and have loved it ever since I can remember but I feel like most artists say they’ve always loved performing or grew up singing, and that wasn’t really the case for me. When it came to singing, I was so shy and would always sing in secret. Nobody really had a clue I could sing until I was about 15 when my Dad snapped me lol. From there, he really encouraged me to pursue it. My cousin and I started mucking around on his music gear and I wrote a song called ‘He Said’ which my Dad eventually forced me to put it up online. I remember him saying to me, “I’m going to push you this first time, and if you hate it after this, you don’t have to put music up again”.
I literally cried the night he uploaded it (thanks Dad lol) but he knew if he didn’t push me I never would’ve let anyone hear me sing. I guess you could say, my relationship with music blossomed a lot later than the average musician. I’ve kind of tried to run away from it for the past 10 years but I’m blessed that I had people around me that believed in pushing it out of me. I mucked around a lot, had a bit of life happen to me and then I soon realised that life is way too short to be living beneath my potential and especially, without a purpose.
Who are some of your favourite artists? Why?
We’d be here all day if I was to name them all. I like such a wide range of music but my standouts would be Tupac. He always chose music with a good groove and the message in his lyrics and delivery were unmatched. I also love old school like EWF, Gap Band and Stevie and of course gospel like Commissioned, The Winans and Kim Burrell. Can't forget classic’s like Erykah Badu & D’Angelo because the musicianship and vocal ability is nek lev. Argh! This is a hard question because the list goes on. All in all, I'd defintiely say that I’m heavily influenced by all things 90’s R&B and Hip Hop. Then again, I also like jazz, rock, reggae, country and house music. I really can't win.
How does your Samoan heritage have an influence on your singing career?
My Samoan grandparents have had a huge influence on my life. I think the work ethic of that generation is something I’m only just realising and aspiring to now. My Grandma (Mum’s mum) lived with us my whole life and helped raise me, she was such a strong woman, and my Dad’s mum has always held her own too. I think my Samoan heritage affects the way I carry myself, to work hard, be respectful and stay humble.
What do you love most about what you do?
I’ve always been big on lyrical content, hence why I loved hip hop. I love writing and conveying a message. Even in my most simple or fun songs, there’s always a bigger meaning behind it that may or may not be that obvious.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced so far?
Definitely the mental game. Remembering my purpose, my value. It’s so easy to look at the reality of situations and freak out, totally forgetting why you’re doing what you’re doing. Learning to back myself.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My parents! Anyone that knows me, knows this. They’re just goals in every way to me. My Mum beat cancer, my Dad has his masters degree, and they’re the hardest working and most generous people I know. On top of all that, they’re just cool people... & my biggest supporters of course.
Favourite Samoan song to sing/listen to?
Faauli Mai O Mauga, by The Five Stars because my Grandma loved it.
Where to from here?
I'm currently in the final stages of releasing my EP, which is my first real body of work. It’s been a long and sometimes hard process but all the tracks were songs that my family & I worked on together so it’s cute lol. I’m just looking forward to a new year, new projects and letting people know what I’m about.