Governor proclaims next week as “Jazz in American Samoa Week”
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga has issued a proclamation declaring next week as “Jazz in American Samoa Week” in celebration of the origins of Samoan jazz in American Samoa.
According to the proclamation the origins of “Samoan jazz” lays with the Rivers Family from Apia, Upolu, Western Samoa, who relocated to Pago Pago, during WWII, and where 12-year-old jazz singer Mavis Rivers began entertaining the troops passing through American Samoa en route to their battlefield destinations in the Western Pacific and became known as “their singing mascot”. It was when the family later re-located to the US that Mavis went on to have a successful jazz recording career. (Read full proclamation in today’s issue of the Samoa News)
According to the Samoana Jazz and Arts Festival Board in this sense, Samoan jazz is truly of 2Samoas origin — and next weekend, in the both Samoas — A Tribute to Mavis Rivers — will be celebrated. (see ads in Samoa News, and listen for ads on KHJ radio).
The SJAF Board wishes to thank Gov. Lolo for his recognition of the significance of jazz, of music in our Pacific community.
As part of the celebration, Samoa News will be highlighting the artists that will be participating in the tribute to Mavis in both Samoas, and also any stories from people, who remember their Mavis Rivers ‘experience’.
MAVIS RIVERS, FIRST ARTS FIAFIA OPENING, 1986 — John Enright remembers
She was gracious. It was raining. I was nervous. Her son was upset. It was at the old Rainmaker Hotel. We had a big tent set up. It was packed. Ms. Rivers liked being home, where her career entertaining Marines on their way to the war had begun in 1943 and where she later worked as a DJ. The place had changed, but she did not mind. The people, her people, were the same.
It was raining because it was Pago. I was nervous because this was all new and cascading — a days-long festival of art and shows and performances presented by the Arts Council, and here I was about to introduce a true artist, a pro, and a truly charming, disarming person. She put a hand on my forearm before I got up to speak and smiled. The rain was pounding on the tent.
Her son accompanist was upset because the best Yamaha keyboard I could come up with — borrowed from Bob Lewis of the ASCC Music Department — was not up to his standards. Ms. Rivers just laughed and said she had performed under worse conditions. She was great that weekend. She saved me. She did several shows.
There are just so many ultimate pros one gets to meet in a lifetime. I got to meet five in Samoa — Al Lolotai, athlete; Sven Ortquist, artist; John Kneubuhl, writer; A.P. Lutali, politician; and Mavis Rivers, jazz diva.
Frank Sinatra is said to have described her as the ‘purest voice’ in jazz. She was also cool.
THE 2SAMOAS
The Samoana Jazz & Arts Festival calls for both of our communities — the 2Samoas — to embrace our music heritage in all of its forms, at the local level as well as internationally. We have the opportunity to be a world renowned destination for Jazz, as well as for music of all genres. As our own Jerome Grey has sung, “We are Samoa…”
The Tribute to Mavis Rivers could not happened without sponsors and partnerships — foremost is the US Embassy Samoa, who got the ball rolling with their “Arts Envoy Grant” which supported last years’ New York Ari Roland Jazz Quartet
And, locally, the SJAF is being partnered with a Platinum Sponsor to be announced on Monday; Gold Sponsors — the Pago Pago Trading Company, the American Samoa Visitors Bureau, and MRS; and Bronze Sponsors — the Department of Commerce, McConnell Dowell, and Tradewinds, as well as the full support of Media — KHJ Radio, Samoa News and KSBS.
And we can’t forget those who are volunteering their time and resources to help this event of three days next weekend in American Samoa, and Samoa. Malo lava!