Pacific Film and Digital TV Fono
Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa
Coconut Grove
Last night on Karangahape Road, the First Thursdays event was in full effect. For the first time, all things Pasifika were incorporated in the form of Coconut Grove, a celebration of music, dance, culture, crafts and food. It was refreshing to see K-road alive with the Pasifika community, socializing with friends and family and enjoying the performances.
Not only was Coconut Grove a celebration of our beautiful culture, it was also commemorating the Polynesian Panthers 45th birthday. Manuia lou aso fanau!
The evening began with a karakia and a special mention to the White Ribbon and Free West Papua campaigns. A Samoan dance group from Southern Cross in Mangere then kept the crowds entertained with songs and dance.
Inside were craft stalls! Some of our favorites were jewellery made from recycled plastic bags, and hand crocheted clothing.
The evening was a fresh and vibrant display of island culture. Keep an eye out for our official Coconet story coming soon!
Prime Ministers Pacific Youth Awards
Coco Congrats to the winners of the 2016 Prime Minister's Youth Awards! The success of these young Pacific New Zealanders were celebrated at the awards last night at Parliament.
Winners were as follows: -
Air NZ Leadership & Inspiration Josiah Tavita Tualamali'i, 21 yrs, Christchurch
Auckland Council Community Star Award Emma Takataka, 21 yrs, Otara
AKO Aotearoa STEM Award James Penfold, 20 yrs, Dannemora, Auckland
GCSB STEM Award Roneima Teumohenga, 18 yrs, Palmerston North
Creative NZ Arts & Creativity Award Jahra Wasasala, 24 yrs, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland
BNZ Commercial & Corporate Award Manako Nemaia, Auckland
NZIS Sports & Fitness Award Ayesha Leti-I'iga, 17 yrs, Porirua
Mafutaga Tau, 18 yrs, Porirua
Deloitte Business & Enterprise Award Sanita Betham, 18 yrs, Wellington
Jahra Wasasala with her Prime Ministers Pacific Youth Creative NZ Arts & Creativity Award.
Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Liga says the awards recognise exellence and achievement in commerce, the arts, sports, community and leadership.
"The nine inspiring winners have been recognised for their impressive contributions to New Zealand's economic, social and cultural life. These inspiring young people are role models for all New Zealanders.…more
Riverdale with KJ APA
Riverdale is a new series set to air on the CW network early next year. The show is inspired by the iconic Archie comics, and New Zealander KJ Apa (who is part Samoan) stars as the lead, Archie Andrews.
Riverdale will be a subversive and mysterious take on the lives of Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica.
"Its definitely 'Archie', but a little darker, a little more complex and a little weirder than you might remember from the digest you bought at the supermaket," executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said in an interview with EW at Comic Con in July.
Cole Sprouse (Jughead) & KJ (Archie)
We spoke to KJ this morning , and he is just as excited as we are! "We've all worked really hard to create something epic for people to enjoy. I can't wait for everyone to see it, especially everyone back home.…more
Tafa Dr Esther Cowley-Malcolm and why she is 'Standing with Standing Rock'
Today while Americans celebrate 'Thanksgiving', many Native Americans remain united at Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline and protect the Missouri River & sacred sites of the Sioux Tribe.
Native Americans have seen this kind of drama unfold for centuries and have long marked Thanksgiving as a day of remembrance rather than a celebration. Native American Jaqueline Keeler who is a member of the Dakota Sioux Tribe says they don't think of it as a National Holiday the way the rest of the country does "Thanksgiving tells a story that is convenient for Americans but it’s a celebration of our survival. I recognize it as a chance for my family to come together as survivors, pretty much in defiance.”
As freelance writer David Denis Jr observed sarcastically "Make America Great Again means we get to celebrate Thanksgiving while Native Americans are getting their land taken from them.... Just like the good old days"
Many indigenous people from around the world have travelled to Standing Rock to show their support and stand in solidarity with the indigenous people of America.…more
WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS: LEILANI MOMOISEĀ DALLAS
LEILANI MOMOISEĀ DALLAS
RADIO NEW ZEALAND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & SPARK SPORTS PRESENTER
SAMOAN
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I've heard you say one of the first things you ask people in your 'Snacks n Chats' interviews is 'Where are you from'? What would YOUR reply be?
Also if someone from Samoa asks where I'm from, I know I have to include that my village is Vaito'omuli, Palauli in Savaii.…more
VNZMAs - Still putting brown people in the ring?
Last night’s Vodafone NZ Music Awards saw many of our amazing Pacific artists take out awards in competitive categories. HUGE congrats to these artists on their contribution to New Zealand music. Here are our Pacific winners!
Kings - Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Sole Mio – Highest Selling album
Aaradhna – Best Female Solo Artist
Unity Pacific – Best Roots Album
SWIDT – Best Urban Hip Hop Album
Fat Freddy's Drop - International Achievement
Kings with his Tui for Breakthrough artist of the Year
Now to touch on some of our observations from last night.
Best Urban/Hip Hop Album of 2016 – Won Initially by Aaradhna, re-awarded to SWIDT.
‘Urban’, what does this actually mean? Why was the only Hip Hop category paired with the word ‘Urban’? Hip Hop music in New Zealand is an explosive and creatively rich genre, that is more than capable of standing alone without this word.…more
TARO BEER!
One year after the launch of the Pia Uru, the Tahiti Brasserie decided to honor another fenua vegetable : TARO!
This new edition, limited to 108 000 cans, began being sold on Monday.
After the Pia Uru, the beer made with breadfruit, the Tahiti Brasserie is doing it again with the crazy Pia Taro!
The 11th beer made by the Brasserie uses a typical clavus : taro root. The beer has been developed for 6 months in the micro-brasserie of Punary with the creation of a new transformation technique of the fruit which makes it easier than the technique used with breadfruit.
2,530kg of taro root which came from Rimatara and Taravao were reduced in powder and then transformed into gelatin. This taro root gelatin replaces 50% of the malt usually used in the beer recipe (hop, water and malt). When it comes out, Pia Taro is an opaque beer as it is non filtered, with a caramal and butter taste.
Pia Taro is a limited edition beer with only 360 hectoliters made or 108,000 cans.…more
MOANA Inspired dress for Auli'i Cravalho
The fashion of Oceania is one of a kind. Get an inside look at Auli’i Cravahlo’s MOANA premiere gown from Maori designer Kiri Nathan and the Pacific patterns/designs that inspired the look.
Check out some of the pics of Auli'i wearing her Kiri Nathan designed dress on the Blue Carpet at the World Premiere last night and we have some more great pics from the cast of MOANA below ....
Suggested Links:
THE NITTY KRITTY: MOANA World Premiere Highlights & Krits Review
Our Coco Correspondent Krit was at the World Premiere of MOANA in Hollywood with his family last night (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is his cousin) and he brings us highlights from the Blue Carpet event & talks to Poly Stars about what MOANA means to them.
He also gives us his own personal review of the movie ....
KRITS REVIEW:
"MOANA" was a great watch!
The trailers alone moved me and I think that has a lot to do with learning about the legends of Maui when you grow up in New Zealand and then of course being born in Porirua, having Te Vaka do the soundtrack reminded me of all the Tokelauans I was surrounded by, bumping their music.
I laughed hard but I also cried hard so many times for different reasons - pride, performance, story and just the overwhelming sense of love and respect for our ancestry.