We’re collaborating with Creative New Zealand to bring you the groundbreaking Pacific Arts Legacy Project. Curated by Lana Lopesi as project Editor-in-Chief, it’s a foundational history of Pacific arts in Aotearoa as told from the perspective of the artists who were there.

Christchurch, Pacific arts and me

I am honoured to have worked alongside great musicians and artists. Many are named here, put in the context of my experience with Pacific performing arts and music from 1988 to 1999 and how I got involved in it all. I’ve had amazing help from Mishelle Muagututi’a, Simon Small, Flo Lafai, Ali’itasi (Rosita) Stewart, Chris Searle, Pos Mavaega and Talia-Rae Mavaega in putting this piece together.

What’s this youth centre?

At the end of the 80s, Pacific arts wasn’t a term I knew. Just out of high school, I played volleyball and the piano, and liked to sing. I got culture from abroad on a student exchange, and I had my full driver’s license. That’s about it.

In terms of the arts, I knew White Sunday and P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. I can still hear Mum and Aunties Eti, Louisa and Honey singing “we come from Tokelau, Niue and Tonga too…”.

I had no idea that my cousin Vic Tamati was involved with the Polynesian Performing Arts Trust, with George Kahi and Brian Tai Rakena, and that they were running Puawai, an arts training course. Or that cousins Losa Tamati, Rosita, with Carol Luafutu and Christina Ifopo, had set up the Ala Mai Project – a Pacific women’s organisation. I also didn’t know the Sāmoan reggae band I & I was so popular.

But when I walked into the Cinerama Youth Centre (CYC), it all connected. CYC was the converted Cinerama movie theatre (where I saw Star Wars), and it had a street-kid gang reputation. My sis Mishelle was there on placement for her degree and Vic, also a youth worker, was across the road in the Square working in the City Mission caravan.

I met cool people there. Peter Taukiri, Alison Dalziel, Morris, Leon, Marama, Faama, Phil, Tui and Huia, my bestie Flo Lafai, and families – Lester, James, Norman and Joy Vaele; Mark and Grace Vanilau; and Pos Mavaega (my now husband). They were either volunteering or just hangin’ out. I became a volunteer youth worker and met all sorts, like Mish’s journalist mate Victor Rodger, who interviewed Quincy Jones. Victor introduced Mish to his mate Oscar Kightley.

Lester and Pos taught me keyboard and guitar riffs, which turned into shows. I was in the Polynesian Rhythmand Te Piri Pono cultural groups, and jukebox dance routines complemented Mish’s fashion show Legal Street – the forerunner to our DJ, dance and music collective of the same name. We gigged and hung out at clubs – Romanov’s, Danz and The Worcester Bar. We partied to DJ Soul Master Cee (my brother Chris Muagututi’a), and the musos to watch were Pos and his brother Cliff Mavaega, Lester, Hix Toto, Carmel Courtney, Jimmi Mason, Lino Luafutu, Phineas Hartson, John Luafutu, I & I, Eyebrowz Up and The Velvettes. Good people, good times.

At a meeting that Vic took us to, suited-up councillors talked heaps – actually, one nodded off – but the phrase “lack of funding” was said many times. I only heard “we’re shutting it down”, and that was it. CYC closed. It was sad and frustrating. But Vic, Losa, George and Brian had already taught us their most crucial lesson – as Pacific and Māori, we had to make our own platforms.

Same building…

I loved that Cinerama building. I knew where all the secret rooms and doors were, so I was stoked to be back in there, working for the Ala Mai Project. It was reopened as The Performing Arts Theatre (PAT)and as a late-night venue, by Robert Gilbert of Whakarite Theatre Companyand Simon Small. Actor Erolia Ifopo ran the after-school programmes at Ala Mai,who were tenants. Erolia, Robert, and Simon all trained at Puawai.

I met them in their season of Horizons,written by Simon. It was the first Christchurch play about a Sāmoan family. Erolia, Mishelle and Oscar were in it too. It blew my mind.

They were off on a national tour, and Erolia asked if I wanted her job at Ala Mai. I wasn’t sure about taking it because Losa had left by then, but Flo, Rosita, Terri Siataga and Sarona Aiono-Iosefa were there. So in the end I said yes. I hooned around in the Ala MaiTown Ace van, between three after-school programmes and youth-worker meetings. Flo, Terri and supervisor Tracey Scott helped me figure out kids (I really had no idea) and budgets. And my fellow youth workers were Sumara Fraser, Grace Vanilau, then Jacky Sinclair-Philips (who all trained at Puawai). Then I made Culture Shock ’92 Youth Forum– a holiday programme of art, music, writing and dance workshops. Kids rotated around all four for a few days, ending with a show-and-tell.

It was the craziest, boldest thing I’d done to date and I couldn’t wait to tell Erolia. When Erolia returned from the Horizons tour with Oscar, Simon, Mish and Michael Hodgson, they told me about their own Pacific theatre company. Damn it, THAT was the craziest, boldest thing I’d ever heard. WOW. Pacific Underground was birthed. Then next minute, I’m cast in their first play, and they’re the Culture Shocktutors.

The Ala Maikids belonged to our mentors out in the community – Vic and Losa Tamati, Rosita, Terri Siataga, Peter and Helen Taukiri, Pauline and Earl Simpson, John and Carol Luafutu, Eric and Toi Smith, Sam Uta’i and Riki Pitama, Arnette and Lorraine Siataga, Maria Godinet-Watts, Bev Pullan and Marie Retimanu-Pule. And the kids brought their cousins and mates to Culture Shocktoo.

Writing tutors Erolia and Oscar held up a Public Enemy album cover, and the kids had to write a story about it. Ruth Schwass had them cut tapa patterns on lino boards for their printed yellow bandannas. Pos helped them arrange a cappella versions of their favourite tracks, and Jacky taught one of her original songs, ‘There Has To Be More’. Mish and Sumara Fraser used New Zealand music like ‘So Much Soul’by Gifted and Brownand ‘In The Neighbourhood’for the dance routines. I organised the whole thing, as the producer, but back then didn’t know that was the name for it. And that was us – PU: Flo, Grace, Jacky, Viv Sinclair, Sumara, and guest tutors Sand McDougall, Nathan Pohio, Sefa Enari, Olivia Taouma, Serena Setu, Aaron Waata, Awatea Ruki and Sam Feo. We were an indelible combo.

Everything got chucked into an end production. It was brilliant. Rinse and repeat × 5. The kids responded to what they loved; they were already rappers, actors, dancers and musicians. Culture Shockplanted the seed; my colleagues, our guest tutors and PU brought out the extraordinary in them.

At PAT, when the kids went home, there were the plays, DJ raves, monthly women-only events and live gigs. I’d do improv theatre with Whakarite before meeting Pos and Grace at our gigs in the band Alpha Groove – I pasted up posters and, once, was their rookie lighting operator. Some of us even did a sneaky sleepover no one knew about – seven of us, in the middle of the theatre floor. Yeah, there were no ghosts.

We met other cool people who’d trained at Puawai; from Alpha Groove, Chris Searle, Clay Paviel, Barbara Godinet, Haylee Philips; Hix; Maree Sheehan; actor Rewa Muriwai; dancers Siaosi Mulipola, Tereapii Tongia, Corrina Hunziker, Venessa Kidwell; and Mish went there too.

Then the Ala Mai Projectfaced closure, and so did PAT, again. It sucked. And for the final time, the Cineramabuilding closed.

I remember the early conversations between Marie Retimanu-Pule and Losa during the first Culture Shock, about a new youth centre. Within a couple of years, Youth and Cultural Development Inc (YCD) opened, in 1994, and PU moved in. Jacky and I were the new youth workers, with Lisa Reedy, Mika Taukilo, Stephen Clark and PJ Coombs (more cool people). We migrated everything from Culture Shockto the YCD.

More kids came, and more talent. Music and shows pumped in and out of the place. All our community mentors had invested time – through their kids, our programmes, and through governance on the board. The connections were like a strong family – you knew everyone and their business, which was good and bad. After a year, my time as a youth worker had ended, and sadly so did Culture Shock.

I worked with Aaron Waata to coordinate Christchurch’s first Polyfest ‘96, held at Hagley Park. Te Awatea o Ngā Rangatahi Trust was formed to showcase Pacific and Māori culture, and I remember Aaron saying, “We deserve a Polyfest like Auckland’s one.” He was right but, unfortunately, it was a one-off event.

P.U.M.P

In 1993 PU’s musical arm, Pacific Underground Music Production, was established,led by Pos with Chris, Flo, Grace, Aaron and Awatea Ruki. Our first big gig was playing support for The Velvetteson New Year’s Eve in the Square. We played all the live venues, a residency at The Edge and fundraisers for the theatre lot. P.U.M.P. was on a roll.

More music groups emerged – Symfone, PU Soul Sistas, Maestro, Soul Deep, Brothers in Harmony, Finesse, Freeworld Vibe, Sheelahroc and Lagaset. Beats’n’Pieces wasAnton’s collective, which started at [student radio] RDU, and was so influential in Aotearoa hip hop. Pos, Chris and Michael Banks became the rhythm section for backing the new groups. There were showcase concerts at Ngā Hau e Whā Marae, the Festival of Romance, the Arts Centre, and in the Square. Pip Laufiso and family put us up in Dunedin for a gig down there. The compilation album Landmark was co-produced by Pos and Chris, and featured Beats’n’Pieces, Hix, Cliff,DJs Pause and Ali,my original songs and skits by The Naked Samoans. Executive producer was Anton.

Pos recruited Shane Asi, Craig Chalmers, Seta Timo, Mark Vanilau and Brent Park after Michael Banks left. The plays Dawn Raids and Romeo and Tusi had live bands. When those shows toured, that was our favourite thing, because the whole company was on the road.

P.U.M.Pfeatured on The Living Room and The Big Art Trip, and became the ‘connector’ of Christchurch bands for TV2’s Mai Time live segment. The VHS player was on and ready to record.

Pos recruited Shane Asi, Craig Chalmers, Seta Timo, Mark Vanilau and Brent Park after Michael Banks left. The plays Dawn Raids and Romeo and Tusi had live bands. When those shows toured, that was our favourite thing, because the whole company was on the road.

P.U.M.Pfeatured on The Living Room and The Big Art Trip, and became the ‘connector’ of Christchurch bands for TV2’s Mai Time live segment. The VHS player was on and ready to record.

New horizons

PU had raised the bar, with manager Anton, Christine and tour manager Mishelle at the helm harnessing the innovation – the live tattooing on stage, outdoor theatre and the play Dawn Raids. Now in the large upstairs room in The Dux De Lux building, our own creative hub, the Ala Mai–Culture Shock–YCD kids came in as emerging artists.

We held the launch gig for Landmark in the Dux bar with P.U.M.P, Beats’n’Pieces, Scribe, Charmed One, The Traveller and DJ Ali(the only gig we did all together), and the album got us the support gig for Ben Harper.

Sisters Loretta and Amber Young, daughters of Honey Betham (and nieces of Louisa Crawley), had a design house, Moauli Prints,with graphic designer Jacob Luamanuvae-Su'a and fashion designer Diane Fenika. They created Return To Paradise,a Pacific showcase at the 1997 Christchurch Arts Festival. It featured Siaosi Mulipola, who brought the house down with his show. He and Sumara co-choreographed PU’s one and only dance piece, Laumei,featuring Mishelle. Pos and I did the accompanying music.

PU peaked by 1999, with new programmes for emerging writers, expanded school tours, and hip hop workshops. But like all those other brilliant things we were involved in, it came to an end. The founding members outgrew Pacific Underground and Christchurch, moving on to other awesome opportunities.

So Pos and I took up the challenge. Puawai, the Ala Mai Project, Whakarite Theatre, Culture Shock, Polyfest ‘96, the plays, the music and the families. They were way ahead of their time, and they always had our backs.

The next generation was ready.

With all my love, this is dedicated to the artists and supporters we’ve lost. Rest in love Losa Tamati, Michael Hodgson, Jacky Sinclair Phillips, Hix Toto, Siaosi Mulipola, Michael Banks, Lily Simpson, Jeff Sanft, Jasmine Luafutu, Riki Pitama, John and Migo Tuala (I & I), Iosefa Enari Snr, Sua Paulo Sulu’ape II, Maria Leulua’i, Michael Laufiso our aunties Eti Laufiso, Louisa Crawley, Honey Betham, and our mums, Salote Pekina Muagututi’a and Kupi Viena Mavaega

This piece is published in collaboration with Creative New Zealand as part of the Pacific Arts Legacy Project, an initiative under Creative New Zealand’s Pacific Arts Strategy. Lana Lopesi is Editor-in-Chief of the project.

Series design by Shaun Naufahu, Alt group. Photo by Raymond Sagapolutele.