RARE FOOTAGE - Western Samoa Teacher's Group 1976

The Western Samoa Cultural Group was first formed in 1971 to perform in the First South Pacific Festival of Arts which was held in Suva, Fiji (1972).

This first group was made up of all teachers. The selection of performers: The Teachers' Training College at Malifa has always played a prominent part in the propagation of the arts of dancing and craftmaking. Many students of the college therefore graduate highly proficient in these fields. Hence, it was relatively a simple task to recruit the appropriate performers from teachers for such an important event as an arts festival. After the festival however, the realisation grew that much of the traditional movements of dancing and traditional compositions in songs are in danger of being totally eradicated or if modified, become distorted and superficial as there was no conscious attempt to retain these in a relatively pure form. So the group decided to remain in existence.

This group laid the foundation and the standard that all Samoan cultural groups are measured by. Considered by Samoan cultural experts as the greatest Samoan cultural group ever assembled in the history of Samoa. Some of the members are leading scholars and experts in language, culture and the arts. Since its inception, the Organisation Production and Direction have been provided under the ample guises of Aiono Keneti Sataraka the dynamic personality behind the Western Samoa Culture Group.

(Above excerpt was taken from the official government program published for the National Festival group, March 6-13, 1976)