Ia manuia le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa 🇼🇸 🇦🇸 Happy Samoan Language week.
This was an emotional one for me personally. The amazing Ros Clay asked me to collab on this track and for us to incorporate pictures of our Samoan parents and grandparents. As I recorded this one and reflected on my journey as a white looking afakasi Samoan and all the millions of times I’ve been told I’m not a 'real Samoan' a 'plastic Samoan' (usually on the internet) I thought about how that really belittles the sacrifices made by my grandparents who sacrificed so much for their children & great grandchildren. It undermines their legacy and their hopes and dreams for their aiga. My grandpa Sofi Pua was a radio broadcaster & teacher whose qualifications were not recognised in New Zealand so worked in a mail room to provide for his family. My nana Jessie Purcell worked as a cleaner in Grey Lynn. They helped establish many Pacific people, families in Aotearoa New Zealand. If it were not for their prayers & sacrifices I would not be who I am or where I am today. I only knew them personally for 3 years of my life & I wonder what it would’ve been like to have had the opportunity to know them as an adult.
So yeah, as I recorded - the tears just flowed. I was embarrassed and was going to edit it out & re-shoot...but meh - I’m proud to be Samoan. I know I don't look how you'd think a Samoan might look like. I don't sound like it either. But I am Samoan nonetheless and you can't take that away from someone. So when Ros asked me to record this classic and patriotic Samoan song - I told her I'd do it but I'm not going to play it as you might expect it to be played. I'm going to interpret how I would interpret it. The verse is like a rock tune and the chorus is just filled with harmonics and not played like any other Samoan song I've heard. But it's a Samoan song all the same. We're a diverse group of people now who come in different shapes, sizes, colours, genders and faith journeys - but we are Samoan.
Thank you to the amazing Ros for allowing me to feature on this collab - she is a jazz GIANT and the mismatch of a total pro level musician with a basic player like me is hilarious but she made it work despite my ridiculous ideas and take on this classic. 685 to the 🌎 #Samoan #SamoanLanguageWeek
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