Te Vaka is a group of musicians and dancers from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, and New Zealand brought together under the inspired leadership of Opetaia Foa'i. Te Vaka
Te Vaka
Opetaia Foa’i is the songwriter/ lead vocalist of the group. The inspiration for his music comes from his multi-cultural upbringing - half Tokelauan, half Tuvaluan, born in Samoa and bought up in a Tokelauan community in New Zealand. Opetaia’s musical background spans both the traditional and the diverse influences of contemporary metropolitan culture. Described as “one of New Zealand’s finest songwriters” and “ a true son of the Pacific”, he won the Senior Pacific Artist award in 2005 for his contribution to the Pacific Arts.
Te Vaka
South Pacific Fusion – Blending the power of the log drums and the spirit of the South Pacific with captivating vocals and globally influenced contemporary sounds
Tell me about how you originally got into your craft.
It happened quite naturally. When these songs came to me, I recorded them and was surprised when others in the music industry were excited by them too.
We then had the fun of transferring them to the stage.
What is your favorite thing to do in the whole wide world?
Right now it's a cappuccino and a big slice of mud cake.
What is your biggest challenge when it comes to running your business?
I don't do the business, I write the material and rehearse the group for performances, those 2 things are more than enough challenges for me.
When you were a kid, what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
I wanted to do everything, but sport and music were definite winners.
In what way has your community impacted your development as a musician?
An excellent question. As a kid growing up in a very poor environment surrounded by sea - I was bombarded with beautiful traditional songs and dances of Polynesia.
Each night I would watch these performances with awe, the whole community came together performing to either welcome new arrivals or as a farewell - the performances were brought alive because of the real happiness or sadness they were expressing, and there is no doubt in my mind that these experiences were a major inluence on me as a songwriter/ musician.
What other artists out there do you love?
Ali Farka Toure
What does your future hold?
As I gaze into my crystal ball - I see lots of ideas that I am very excited about in regard to the future, to music - the fun of course is in bringing them into being and I look forward to all of it.