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PASIFIKA
FESTIVAL 2006 FEATURES PACIFIC SUCCESS |
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By Angelynne Enoka |
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and activities
spread across venues all over Auckland, and attracting a record
number of people to the Western Spring two day cultural experience.
Like every year, a wealth of food, music, arts and crafts lined
every part of the reserve with multiple non stop entertainment
stages and Pacific village settings along the lake. Music was the
big draw card, ranging from a mix of contemporary to traditional.
The free Air New Zealand Opening Night Concert kicked-off on Friday
evening with a free two-hour concert showcasing traditional dance by
Te Riki dance group from the Cook Islands, the Niuean Cultural group
and the Samoan Tourism Authority dance group.
The official count has this year's Pasifika Festival celebration as
the biggest ever, with 42 shows
Headline acts included Tha Feelstyle (Kas Futialo), a Samoan-born
hip-hop artist who cleaned-up three awards at last year's Pacific
Music Awards.
Popular on stage was Nesian Mystik, the group comprised of Maori,
Tongan, Samoan and Cook Island ancestry, whose infectious blend of
Pasifika-infused R'n'B and hip-hop has seen four of their singles
achieve Top Ten status.
The popular Samoan songstress Julie Ta’ale, who sings contemporary
R'n'B and is a former member of girl group Pacific Soul who won the
Best Pacific Album at the NZ Music awards 2003.
Sara-Jane Auva’a, winner of Best Female Pacific Artist at the 2005
Pacific Music Awards was another hugely popular Pasifika Festival
performer.
Adeaze also added flavour to the opening, a well know R'n'B duo
whose debut album went to number one on the New Zealand album charts
and gained double platinum status selling over 37,000 copies.
The up-and-comers popular young entertainer, Theo spiced up the
night with the amazingly classical violinist Loata Mahe, diversified
the opening with their own creations.
All-in-all, the opening concert was a snapshot of the festival's
hottest performers. |
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Auckland Major, Galumalemana Dick Hubbard with
Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Associate Minsiter of the Ministry of
Pacific Islands Affairs at Pasifika Festival 2006.
(Photo: Angelynne Enoka)
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Nesian Mystic doing their thing on stage at
the Pasifika Festival 2006, ending a month long celebration of
Pacific art and performance.
(Photo: Angelynne Enoka)
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Record number of people attending the two
day festival, watching great performances and shopping for good
deals.
(Photo: Angelynne Enoka - Tuifa'asisina Peter Rees) |
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A festival celebrating all things Pacific followed the next day with
strong Pacific culture, with the cultural villages showcasing
uniqueness in many forms.
Concentrating on and encouraging the Push Play activities, Sport and
Recreation New Zealand were the sponsors of eight cultural villages
at the festival. The villages offered workshops, food and craft
stalls and interactive and cultural displays on more than 390
stalls.
There were five different stages provided on the day with all-day
entertainment, including the search for a Pasifika Idol, which saw
10 finalists aged 9 to 15.
The stages were well spread and up to eight villages showcased
Pacific Island food, handicrafts and performances. The ninth village
featured information from Government and tertiary organisations, as
well as dance competitions, new entertainers and craft and food
stalls.
Government agencies rolled-out different campaigns hoping to inspire
young Pacific Islanders to continue to be leaders, and added strong
stamina to keep the festival going in years to come.
Pacific community associations were grateful for the opportunity to
share their own experiences and to be part of the excitement and
energy.
The festival continues to grow every year, as a result of growing
acceptance and interest in Pacific Island cultures and organisers
are considering spreading the event over a week or even longer in
the future.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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