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SOFIA’s 2nd Fa’afafine Festival — “OUR SAMOA” a breathtaking evening

SOFIA’s 2nd Fa’afafine Festival participants
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With four categories up for grabs and three zones competing, the SOFIA’s 2nd Fa’afafine Festival did not disappoint. The festival was held at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium, Friday night Nov. 23, 2018.

The West Zone (Teine o le Sei), Central Zone (Central Finesse) and Easter Zone (Eastern Dynasty) held back nothing with the level of creativity, inventiveness, imagination, innovation and individuality displayed on that stage. The costumes, poise, artistic artwork displayed during the evening was breathtaking compared to recent local pageants this year.

The audience was also treated to extraordinary, sometimes downright hilarious entertainment that had the crowd rolling. 

The SOFIAS Fa’afafine Festival is a way of fostering relationships in the faafafine community and to highlight the local talent and creativity of our Faafafine. The association also has high hopes of enticing more local Faafafines to come out and join the SOFIAS Association.

The theme this year was “OUR SAMOA”.

Categories judged were Traditional Wear (Past), Traditional Wear (Present),  Traditional Wear (Future) plus the song competition.

Teine o le Sei from the west zone swept all three categories while the Eastern Dynasty took the top prize for the song competition. Final overall standings were 1st place — Teine o le Sei (West), 2nd place — Eastern Dynasty (East), and 3rd place — Central Finesse (Central).

The festival opened with a siva Samoa by First Lady Mrs. Cynthia Moliga and SOFIAS president Miss Ipi Ieli, and ended with a taualuga by the reigning Miss SOFIAS Valentana Faumuina.

In a moving show of unity against all the animosity and difficulties faced by the Fa’afafine Samoa lately on social media, the Fa’afafine community joined Miss SOFIAS on stage for a heartfelt rendition of “We are Samoa” to end the spectacular event.

Judges for the competition were Mrs. Jonitta Fruean, Mr. Pati Pati and Mrs. Okenaisa Fauolo with the lovely Tasha Leatio’o as Master of Ceremonies.