Polynesian band Te Vaka will head to China on August 6th to represent the South Pacific with five performances at the Olympic Games in Beijing including a show during the Opening Ceremonies on August 8th. This is a very exciting opportunity for the band who are growing an ever-increasing fanbase across the globe. The group performed recently at the coronation of the King of Tonga.
Olatia is the title of Te Vaka‘s most recent CD, released in 2007. new CD. Opetaia Foa’i and his group of talented Polynesian musicians and dancers have toured the world constantly since 1997 bringing to people all over the world, the sounds and sights of Polynesia in a contemporary form accessible and irresistible to all.
Although the music is contemporary, the roots are deeply in the South Pacific. Opetaia Foa’i, the songwriter for the group, (described as one of New Zealand’s finest songwriters and a true son of the Pacific), writes mainly in the language of Tokelau, the Island his father is from and sometimes in Tuvaluan and Samoan. His subject matter is at times deeply personal but always about the South Pacific. He uses his music to keep alive the traditions of story telling as well as a means to ensure that the language of these small Islands is not lost and last but not least to create awareness of environmental problems or issues such as global warming.
Buy the CD:
- In North America: Olatia (import)
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
