"Pacific rugby players have a global impact. If you think about the last Rugby World Cup, over half the teams had Pasifika playing for them, it wasn't just Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the All Blacks, just about every other team that had Pasifika influence threaded or weaved into that team" - Savae Sir Michael Jones

The Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame aims to provide a global platform to honour Pacific’s rugby heroes, past and present. Shining this light on the success of our best players aims to lift Pacific communities through the power of rugby - inspiring the next generation of Pasifika rugby heroes.

The movement will champion Pacific rugby players and their collective hopes and aspirations in a series of events in Auckland this weekend, after the inaugural ceremony saw a packed out Eden Park on Thursday night.…more

It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Tofilau Yolande Ah Chong, the woman who brought such life and love to our Pasifika communities, who advocated passionately for the voice of Tagata Moana and lit up our screens with her special brand of humour like no other 🌺💞

We love you so much Lande, look at the decades of joy you brought to the world in all our programmes and events.

Rest in Alofa and fly high in the Heavens like you did on Earth 🕊️ This is our special tribute compilation of all your amazing work

“I love playing for Ireland. I love the people in Ireland"

Ireland and Connacht centre Bundee Aki has admitted that he loves Ireland and the Irish people in an emotional excerpt with ITV.

The Auckland waterfront was transported to the Islands by the voices of Pasifika opera stars with ‘The O.Gs’ epic opera one off event! 

Spearheaded by Samoan tenor and visionary Siliga Sani Muliaumaseali'i, the first Pasifika to sing professionally with a New Zealand opera company as a teenager, this extraordinary event has been a long-held dream - "The O.G’s" concept is a tribute to the Original Pasifika Opera Stars. The name "O.G" holds various interpretations, including "Opera Giants," "Oceanic GAFA genealogy" in Samoan, and "Original Gangstas."

The O.G's that took center stage are SIliga Sani Muliaumasealii, his older brother celebrated Baritone Eddie Muliamasealii, famous Tongan tenor Ben Makisi, mezzo-soprano Lotte Latukefu, guest soprano Deborah Wai Kapohe and award winning soprano Aivale Cole who told the arts festival:

'The O.G’s represent a homecoming for these iconic artists, offering them a platform to sing their songs and share their stories.…more

Meet Lucidluca, an artist with a vibrant Tongan background! Luca's art reflects his rich cultural experiences. In our chat, Luca shares insights into his journey, the significance of cultural representation, and the inspiration behind his unique avatar maker.

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Malo lava Luca! Tell us about yourself. Who is Luca, and where did you grow up, etc. 

In my household, we call ourselves a fruit salad fam. I’m half Tongan and half Palangi, and I was born in Lautoka, Fiji, to an expat dad from Manurewa and a mum originally from Lotofoa, Ha’apai. I have three older sisters (technically halves, but we never think of it that way).

We all have different mums from different islands: Tonga, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Samoa. My dad spent decades as a tradie and a seaplane pilot in the Pacific, delivering midwives to outer islands to help women give birth safely.

However, he ended up collecting a few kiddos himself along the way, finally settling down with my mum in Tonga.…more

“There’s that disconnect, where a quiet, brown female could command a big set and make a big work. I really like that aspect of bringing down those barriers of what a director could look like."

Angela chats more specifically about disrupting space with her hair in our Adorn doco here. 

She is the Samoan supernova of the Australian art world, splashing narratives of brown women up front and personal across giant sized screens in some of the most acclaimed art spaces across the ditch.

Now, in the Western arts space historically dominated by white males, Angela Tiatia a Samoan artist from Fagamalo Savaii, has been given a highly coveted commission by The Portrait Gallery in Australia where she lives.

The major new commission will be a moving-image artwork that Angela will make around the CommBank Matildas FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Squad. Filmed at the CommBank Matildas training camps in Houston, London and Melbourne, the portrait will feature all 23 players from the historic FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ squad that captivated the country.…more

Original Pasifika Opera Stars Return to Aotearoa for One-Night-Only Celebration at 2024 Auckland Arts Festival

The 2024 Auckland Arts Festival is poised to host an extraordinary and historic event, "The O. G’s," a celebration of the original Pasifika opera stars who blazed trails for a new generation of talented artists.

On March 24th, 2024, this one-of-a-kind celebration will grace the stage, offering a unique journey through the rich history and enduring legacy of Pasifika opera.

Pasifika immigrants arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s harbored dreams and aspirations for their families, with opera singing not typically on their radar.

However, today, Pasifika opera singers have left an indelible mark on global stages, though their journey was far from easy. "The O.G’s" is an event designed to revisit the roots of Pasifika opera, honoring the pioneers who dismantled barriers and forged paths for future generations.

"The O.G’s" concept is a tribute to the Original Pasifika Opera Stars.…more

Jordan Lee Ikitule created a group for Fathers of Autistic Children in the hopes of creating more safe spaces for children with ASD and their families. 

In a bid to create safer spaces and events for Autistic children and their families, Jordan has held multiple events to do just that. Hosting events not only for ASD children to be unapologetically themselves, but also for Fathers of ASD children to come together and share in their experiences.

The group continue to hold events, and have plans to host information evenings for the wider families of Autistic Children to come and learn more about their nieces/nephews/grandchildren etc. Since it's conception ASD Dads events have consistently sold out within the first day of posting - indicating the massive need for these accessible events.

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By Destiny Momoiseā
Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ on Air

LUSI FAIVA

Performer & Creator

Samoan 

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Lusi please tell us about yourself? Where you grew up, Pasifika Heritage etc

Mālō, I’m a performer and creator with Cerebral Palsy and I have some great different communication abilities. I have Pasifka and European heritage. I grew up in Levin and in Lower Hutt, Wellington. My family came from Patamea. They arrived in Aotearoa back in mid sixties. My mum’s father was a traditional chef at his village. As the years passed I moved up to Auckland with my mum and my siblings.

What was your journey into the arts like?

I suppose I was fortunate enough to be part of the theatre groups that I was involved in when I was in my teens. But it was not until I attended the first workshop audition at Unitec in 96 where Catherine Chappell was facilitating the workshop that Touch Compass was starting up as the first mixed ability dance company in New Zealand.…more