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Crossing the Dateline, spanning the years, “Samoana” promises to delight

2016: The 3rd Samoana Jazz & Arts Festival begins in American Samoa Nov. 4

It has all the makings of a world class festival — two countries, two weekends, home-grown talent on display — all inspired by a legendary South Pacific woman.

It’s that time of year again for the Samoana Jazz Festival, an emerging festival tradition in 2Samoas with a growing following around the world.

Heading into its third year, Festival organizers have created a unique event meant for an international stage, where the talents of Samoan artists from local and diverse places are showcased and celebrated.

Drawing upon musicians from the local community and the Pacific Rim, the Festival reaches out to the Samoan diaspora, and welcomes family and friends home to the heart of Polynesia — the SAMOA Islands – Sasa’e and Sisifo, fondly referred to as the “hub of the homelands” by the Festival’s founder and executive director, Siteine Peta Si'ulepa.

Unique in the world of music festivals, it engages two countries — opening in American Samoa and closing in Samoa. It crosses the International Dateline to unite a people who are politically separated, but culturally united, making it a one of a kind festival on earth — one for the ‘bucket list’.

As it has from the beginning, it will feature something for everyone, from the enduring sounds of jazz, to an extensive menu of jazz-influenced soul, R&B, pop, rock, country, Latin and even bluegrass. And of course, there is Samoan music, both traditional and modern as the great unifier. Samoan Jazz — the meeting of Jazz and Samoan music —was first evident in the music performed in the 2Samoas during World War II and afterwards.

 Samoana has proven to be a delightful mixture of music, song, education and camaraderie — and no one has more fun than Festival Director Siteine, whose friends call her simply “Peta”, a petite woman with remarkable energy, whose vision brought the Festival to life.  She says of the Festival today, “O taleni fa’amusika ma tu ma aga, o meaalofa nei ua atia’e i lenei fa’amoemoe” — “Talents and cultural strengths are the gifts being nurtured, the core of this.”

Promoter and performer, Siteine Peta Si'ulepa will be returning Nov. 4, 2016 with the Samoana Jazz & Arts Festival 2016, at Sadie's by the Sea, Utulei, American Samoa. [Photo by Barry Markowitz, Sadie's by the Sea, 10/23/15, 6pm]

Last year the festival honored its iconic inspiration, Samoan born Mavis Chloe Rivers, whose story highlighted American Samoa as the birthplace of jazz in the Pacific. For the first time, “A Tale of 2Samoas – The Untold Jazz Story of Our Islands” was shared with the world on UN International Jazz Day, April 30.

Born in Samoa in 1929, Mavis Rivers was an internationally acclaimed jazz star by the time she died in the US in 1992.

 Peta met Rivers early in life, and it was Rivers who encouraged the young woman to pursue her love of jazz.

It was also Rivers who inspired Peta to create the festival as a way to continue the art form — and honor the legacy — of the legendary songstress.

Peta told Samoa News, “The story of Mavis Rivers’ international rise to stardom is relevant to all Samoans; and it starts from humble beginnings in Samoa.  She developed and nurtured her talent overseas in New Zealand, Hawai’i and the US, coming home to Samoa in her later years where she performed before her passing in 1992.  Throughout that period Samoa and American Samoa were facing major political and economic changes that influenced the lives and migration patterns for Samoans. Western Samoans headed to New Zealand, while American Samoans left for Hawaii and the US mainland.

The Samoana Festival captures the music, the history, the culture and the stories of who we are as artists today – and these reflections are demonstrated in the line-up of the musicians that participate in the festival.”

SAMOANA 2016

While last year’s festival focused on its rich musical history, this year will make it a point to connect local assets in an international context, giving rise to the concept of “Glocal”— an event both global and local.

Combining the talents of global and local Samoans, it is poised to become an annual performance pilgrimage that brings the world to legendary Pacific islands. To appreciate the full spectrum of the Samoana Festival offering, audiences and fans are encouraged to experience the Festival in both places.

Opening in American Samoa Friday, November 4 through Sunday November 6, the festival then moves to Samoa on the following weekend.

From Friday November 11 to Sunday, November 13, Apia, Samoa will play host to the ever growing roster of musicians and guests.

Young, gifted artists will be given a chance to shine, while veteran musicians will perform numbers well known and beloved by the local crowd.

A first this year will be a band comprising musicians from 2Samoas, rightly named the Samoana Festival Band 2016.

The band is musically directed by Francis Leleua, who is the Music Co-ordinator for the Curriculum Division in American Samoa’s Department of Education. A well-known music veteran in the Samoas Francis studied jazz and performed for many years in the US.

The band features a line-up of local musicians from American Samoa, Samoa and New Zealand, and it includes: Ulale Pusi Ulale - Keyboards(AS), Francis Leleua – Drums (AS), Peke Anoa’i – Guitar (AS), Michael Taimaniyaroi – Flute/Bass (Samoa), Feti Hagedorn – Bass (AS), Malakai Lavata’i - Percussion (AS), and Edwina Thorne – Horns (NZ).

The festival has returned this year to the Pago Bay Area as its primary location, highlighting the Samoana Festival’s association with the port, the harbor and the ocean, which unites us. It is a theme of unity that runs through the festivals in the 2Samoas and ties together the jazz history of our Islands.

When Mavis Rivers recorded “The Ports of Paradise” in 1960, the Matson Cruise Line had expanded the trans-Pacific cruises from Hawai’i to include cruises to the Islands of Fiji, Tahiti and both Samoas.

“The Ports of Paradise” – American Samoa and Samoa fits with the Jazz Islands brand we are promoting to the world” says Peta “and this is our tourism attractor and point of difference from other international festival locations.”

*     Friday, November 4 opens at Sadie’s By the Sea – with the evening Opening Gala Concert. Corporate Tables of $500 are on sale now and General admission seating $20 is also available.

*     Saturday, November 5 features over 12 hours of Live Jazz from Noon to After Midnight with a diverse program of performances including free and door entry throughout the day and evening.

*     Sunday, November 6 – the festival moves around the coast to Alega at Tisa’s Barefoot Beach Bar for Jazz@The Beach from afternoon onwards.

Look for more Jazz Fest information in upcoming editions of Samoa News.