Te Vaka

New Zealand, most commonly identified with Maori culture, is in fact home to a multitude of other South Pacific peoples from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Fiji, Cook Islands and Samoa. Te Vaka (´The Canoe´) has been musically emphasizing the ethnic multiplicity of the country since their formation in 1995. Founded by Opetaia Foa'i, who was born in Western Samoa, the 11-member group includes musicians and dancers from all over the Pacific (seven from the extended Foa'i family), and even a palangi (New Zealander of European descent).

Opetaia´s father was from the Tokelau Islands, and his mother was from Tuvalu. He grew up in a predominantly Tokelauan community where Tokelauan was the dominant language and the language he would come to use for Te Vaka's songs. His first instrument was the floor, which would be used for percussive purposes during all-night music sessions at family gatherings. His whole family emigrated to New Zealand when he was nine and he picked up ukulele and guitar before eventually starting to make a living playing covers in pubs. He soon grew tired of simply playing other peoples' music though, and formed Te Vaka as a springboard to delve deeper into Pacific culture.

A fusion of traditional influences with modern rock/pop/funk/soul flavors, Te Vaka's music is grounded in the rhythms of the Pacific by the use of pate (single and double log drums) and pa'u (indigenous goat skin conga and bass drums). Adding to the cultural emphasis of the band are the group's four dancers, who research their own choreography, taking inspiration from all over the Pacific. Opetaia´s lyrics meanwhile address a wealth of issues, from ecological themes to the historical tales and myths of Polynesia.

The band's eponymous first album, Te Vaka, destroyed the narrow preconceptions of how Polynesian music should sound, with its erudite balance of traditional instrumentation and modern multi-cultural influences. Subsequent albums such as Ki Mua (dedicated to the Polynesian fleet Kau tufuga fai vaka, forebearers and ancestors to all Polynesian cultures in the Pacific), Nukukehe (dedicated to Greenpeace) and Tutuki won them awards such as Best Roots Album and Best Pacific Music Album at the New Zealand Music Industry Awards.

To date Te Vaka have performed in 32 countries around the world and are still endlessly touring to promote their compelling cultural vision.– Paul Sullivan