Dunleavy trips down memory lane

Terry Dunleavy is singing Samoan songs with the string band at the back of the Samoa Tourism Authority fale.

He was actually there for a press conference with leading actress, Roberta Haynes, in the movie, Return to Paradise, filmed at Lefaga in 1953.

But soon after, Mr. Dunleavy was requesting certain songs as he sang with vigour along with the string band. One of them was Return to Paradise, a song he wrote during the filming of the movie and made famous by the Yandall Sisters.

Today, the song is referred to as “I Lost My Heart in Samoa” or “I Left My Heart in Samoa".

The song was written while sitting at Lefaga and waiting for one of the scenes in which he appears as one of four airmen.

“You’d be out there and you wouldn’t have to be there till about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, so you just sat around and went for a swim or did something".

After writing it, Mr. Dunleavy who had been taught how to play the ukulele by a person he refers to as Mamea, started strumming a tune, while his wife, Margaret, who had studied music, worked on the notes. Soon after, Mr. Dunleavy taught the song to Shirley and Vivian Hovell, who worked at the hospital and were also very good singers.

During this time, Mr. Dunleavy worked as the Editor of a privately owned weekly newspaper, The Samoa Bulletin. He and his family lived in the flat above the printing office where the Samoa Housing Corporation is now. Up the road, was the Post Office of which Charlie Rivers was Post Master.

One day, Mr. River’s niece Mavis called out to him and showed him an album.

“Terry, Terry look! Look! Your song is recorded.

It was the first thing I knew about it”.

Mr. Dunleavy has the recordings of the versions sung by the Hovell girls and Yandall sisters on his mobile phone. He remembers that in an earlier edition of the Samoa Observer, is an article on him presenting a letter to the Head of State at the time, MalietoaTanumafili II. The letter states that the song was Mr. Dunleavy’s gift to people of Samoa.

Mr. Dunleavy regards the film Return to Paradise as a minor page in telling the history of Samoa.

He mentions Ms. Hayne’s friend who is working to modernize a film made in 1923 called Moana, by Robert Flaherty. Going back before then, in telling the story of Samoa, was Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote A Footnote to History. Samoa has a vibrant history that could be captured through research.

Back in the fifties, Mr. Dunleavy remembers listening into debates at the Legislative Assembly. The question of tourism would come up and the majority of the House agreed that it would influence the faa-Samoa. During that time, the economy relied on banana exports to New Zealand, along with copper and cocoa.

Remittances, then, were in the dribble. Today the biggest sources of revenue are tourism and remittances.

Mr. Dunleavy regrets that the export of Samoa’s cocoa has dwindled. It pains him to see cocoa trees over grown with weeds.

Back then, Samoa’s cocoa was regarded as the best in the world. It was sold at the highest price and was used for blending.

Cocoa from Ghana provided the volume and Samoa’s cocoa was blended to add quality.

In 1954, after picking some local teams to play visiting warships, Mr. Dunleavy says he suggested to Egon Paul and Angus MacDonald, that they reintroduce rugby.

This was no longer played due to fights in the past.

Soon the Apia Rugby Union was reformed.

President was Mr. Paul and Mr. Dunleavy was made secretary. In either 1955 or 56, a Fijian team came for a test series match. It was left to Mr. Dunleavy to pick the colour of the jerseys. He chose the Royal Blue, such as that on Samoa’s flag.

The colour has since become Samoa’s national colours.

While working at the Samoa Bulletin until he returned with his family in 1958, the film producer and Director dropped by to tell him they were there to produce.

They asked Mr. Dunleavy whether he knew any young ladies who could be in the film. They went to the Bank of New Zealand and saw Moera MacDonald.

Mr. Dunleavy was asked to help rehearse Moera into a poolside scene.

He was later told by the director that they had to have him in the film.

During the first independence celebration at Mulinu’u in 1962, Mata’afa and the NZ Prime Minister were expected to raise the flags. Early that morning, it was clouded over and looked as if it was going to rain heavily.

That morning, people went to Mata’afa as they wanted to put up tarpaulins to shelter guests.

“Mata’afa said no,” Mr. Dunleavy recalled.“God will not let it rain on our celebrations. I’ll tell you what! As true as I’m standing here, at the time the flags came down and up, you could look at Apia and it was pissing with rain. It was hosing down on Vaiusu Bay. Not a drop fell on Mulinu’u.

It was really miraculous and not a drop fell all day. It was quite something!”

Mr. Dunleavy is very proud of his association with Samoa and regards the Paul and MacDonald families as his aiga. He is also Godfather of Su’a Frieda Paul.

“It’s become part of me. Seven years doesn’t sound long but it was a very formative period of my life. I came here with one child and went home with six”.

In all, the Dunleavy family had 11 children.

One has since passed away. There is also a great grandchild. In all, for Mr. Dunleavy is back. He has returned to paradise.

Song: “Return to Paradise”
Original English words by Terry Dunleavy (1952)
I lost my heart in Samoa,
Under the swaying palms.
Beautiful island maidens,
With soft welcoming arms.

Calling me back to my dreamland,
Neath tropical skies.
I must return to Samoa,
Return to paradise.

I have wandered o’er the sea,
Seen such wondrous places.
Now again I want to see
Those smiling friendly faces.

I’m going back to Samoa,
Island of melody.
There I met my first love,
There she’s waiting for me.

Calling me back to my dreamland,
Neath tropical skies.
I must return to Samoa,
Return to paradise,
Return to paradise.

RETURN TO PARADISE (SAMOAN LYRICS)
Written by Nova Shirley Yandall

V1 Uaso’ouma vasa I a’uta’amilosaga
O va’aigauigaese le manaia
Ae le mafai lava, onafa’agaloina
Le atunu’ufa’apelepeleina

CH O le a ou fo’i i Samoa
Motu o pesePesega
O inasafeiloa’iai
Ma ia lava o lo’ofa’atalimai
Pesemaiaoela’upele
E le pine ua e mautinoa
Parataiso e sili I le lalolagi
Suafainatasi lava Samoa.