Apia is in a festive mood and crowds have been growing all week at the Government Plaza enjoying the entertainment during the preliminary week of the Teuila Festival, buying food from the many stalls selling local and international dishes and wandering around the arts and crafts stalls.
The Teuila Festival has earned its niche on the Pacific cultural map and, the 24th annual festival starts in earnest on Monday.
Highlights will include the SIFA Fautasi Challenge, the Chief’s Fiafia Show and the Best of Samoa Entertainment Show.
Fautasi contest is eagerly awaited.
When Don Bosco School’s fautasi, Segavao, takes to the water on Apia Harbour next Wednesday in the keenly anticipated SIFA Fautasi Challenge, Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel will be close-by on a motor boat shouting encouragement, and a few impassioned instructions.
Vaimasenu’u is the Manager of the Don Bosco College’s fautasi team, the first and only female manager or skipper in the history of the sport.
This year she is too busy hosting the French S.I.D.S delegation to take up her usual skipper’s position on Segavao. So, Don Bosco’s automotive teacher and skilled longboat drummer, Isitolo Stanley, will take that role next week instead, but it’s one that Zita clearly enjoys.
“The skipper drives the boat and controls the team’s strategy during the race. They know when to take the team from first to fourth gear. They call the shots,” she says.
Vaimasenu’u grew up on the water, in canoes and outriggers, and even took part in a New Zealand rowing regatta on Christchurch’s Avon River.
The marketing manager and digital entrepreneur has a background in teaching and broadcasting. She was taken by surprise, however, when, in 2005, she was asked by her church, the “Our Lady of the Rosary” congregation at Siusega, to work with Don Bosco staff and students who had become the first school in Samoa to field their own longboat team.
“Our motto is ‘One Beat’. That’s what we aim for. It sums up the Segavao spirit. It’s all about team work and showing the boys they can do better collectively than they ever dreamed they could do individually.”
Most of the 16 to 19 year-old students who make up the 33-strong paddling team are from different villages throughout Samoa. Vaimasenu’u says the hardest job she and Isitolo have is choosing who, amongst the 130 students competing for a place on the coveted team, will make the final cut. This year they whittled it down to 60 boys. That group spent the last month in ‘Fautasi Camp’, living at school, and having their school schedule rearranged to fit around training.
Segavao is the only fautasi team with new members each year as boys leave to start their careers or for higher education. It’s a challenge but, Vaimasenu’u says, it hasn’t stopped her team winning their share of races over the years and she’s hoping that next week’s challenge is going to be ‘one of those years’.
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Hawaiian Chief’s Fiafia returns Back at the Teuila Festival for a second year is Chief Sielu Avea, whose humorous Fiafia show is a real crowd-pleaser. Chief Sielu and his 20-strong troupe will be singing and dancing their way through two colourful performances.
Samoan born Chief Sielu is a cultural ambassador who shares his Polynesian heritage with the world through music and dance. He is a star of stage and screen, having appeared on Oprah, the Tonight Show, Discovery Channel, BBC and the Miss Universe Pageant.
Local music legends perform Chart-topping singer-songwriter Lole Usoali’i-Hickey is performing on stage as well as working behind the scenes helping with stage management for the Best of Samoa Entertainment Show on Wednesday.
Usoali’i-Hickey and her husband Michael are assembling a fabulous line-up for the evening which will be attended by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and visiting UN S.I.D.S dignitaries.
The variety show, with MCs Chief Sielu and last year’s Miss Samoa, has something for everyone. Acts from home and overseas include the Laughing Samoans, Pani & Pani, TJ Taotua, Marina Davis, Ben Vai, Cindy of Samoa and the winners of the Teuila siva competitions.
Award-winning Lole Usoalii-Hickey was born in Samoa and raised in New Zealand.
She was one of the first Pacific artists to find success in the New Zealand music industry in 1996 when she was signed by record label Papa Pacific/Warner Music. A year later, she won a New Zealand Tui award for the most promising female artist. Her most recent award for best Polynesian female artist worldwide, was presented in 2012 at the first Polynesian Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Now living back home in Samoa, Lole is keen to support up and coming Samoan artists.
“We love music, the arts and being creative.
Michael and I have worked with lots of artists who have gone on to do great things and we would love to develop a Samoan artist.”
Teuila Festival 1 – 6 September 2014 Where and when:
Chief’s Fiafia, Monday 1 September at 8:00p.m. and Wednesday 3 September at 8:30p.m. Government Plaza.
SIFA Fautasi Challenge, Wednesday 3 September, 1:00p.m. Apia Harbour.
The Best of Samoa Entertainment Show, Wednesday 3 September, 7.30 pm, Government Plaza.
LAINA
| FAUTASI
| KAPETENI
|
1 | Telefoni o le Vainuu - Faleu Manono | Letoa Keil |
| 2 | Little Rina Vaitele Fou / Puipaa | Lealali Seu |
| 3 | Digicel Segavao - Don Bosco | Isitolo Stanley |
| 4 | Tavaesina ‐ Salua Manono | Auapaau Posolo |
| 5 | Aviivii ‐ Toamua | Faagalu Fonoti |
| 6 | Lulu o le Aoa ‐ Sinamoga | Pipi Malo |
| 7 | Tolotolo o Tama Uli - Salelologa | Pauli IvannWilliams |
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