Iosefa Enari
Encyclopedia
Iosefa Enari was a New Zealand
opera singer who was born in Samoa
. The Iosefa Enari Memorial Award
, presented annually by Creative New Zealand
, recognises Enari's pioneering contribution to Pacific Islands
opera. Enari was the Artistic Director of Classical Polynesia, the first New Zealand opera combining traditional Samoan words and music with classical opera. Classical Polynesia premiered at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts 1998 in Wellington, and featured Jonathan Lemalu
.
at the age of 16 with his seven brothers and sisters. Although Enari had been singing since Sunday school and in a school rock band, his career as a professional did not start until he won the Herald Aria Competition in 1987. He later performed in New Zealand opera productions alongside notable opera singers such as Dame Malvina Major. In 1993, Enari was the recipient of a New Zealand Fulbright cultural grant which allowed him to study opera in the United States. In 1996, Creative New Zealand awarded him the Senior Pacific Artist Award. Creative New Zealand later created the Iosefa Enari Memorial Award in his honour.
In 2000, Enari died in New Caledonia while he was attending the Festival of Pacific Arts
with a delegation of New Zealand artists. He was given a moving farewell by Maori, Pacific Islands and Kanak artists.
with an introduction by Oscar Kightley
. The choreographer was Cook Islander Teokotai Paitai and the producer Makerita Urale.
Classical Polynesia featured emerging Pacific voices in opera and classical music, at the time, including Jonathan Lemalu (bass), Ben Makisi (tenor), Daphne Collins (soprano), Aivale Cole (soprano), violinist Sam Konise and a chorus made up of Pacific youth.
The narrative of the work was based on 'One day in the life of a Samoan village.' The music for the work was inspired by the 1960s recordings of Samoan songs made by the Samoan Teachers College and the Samoan composer Tuala Falenaoti Tiresa Malietoa
.
In 1999, Classical Polynesia was restaged at the Auckland Town Hall. The Auckland season was produced by Enari's nephew Iosefa Enari, who shares the same name as his uncle.
which was commissioned for Tu Fa'atasi, the Pacific arts component of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts 1996. A Frigate Bird Sings premiered at Downstage Theatre
in Wellington
. The play was directed by Nathaniel Lees
, co-written by Oscar Kightley
and Dave Fane, dramaturg by Maori playwright Hone Kouka
, producer Makerita Urale, set designers Kate Peters and artist Michel Tuffery
and lighting design by Ivan Morandi. The all-male cast included Iaheto Ah Hi, Mario Gaoa
, Ole Maiava and Stan Wolfgramm. The Festival production was nominated for Best Production, Best Director and Best Set Design at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards
1996, in Wellington.
'A Frigate Bird Sings' was later re-staged at The Watershed Theatre in Auckland by producer Cath Cardiff.
Enari performed as an actor in other theatre productions, including shows by Christchurch
based Pacific theatre company Pacific Underground.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
opera singer who was born in Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. The Iosefa Enari Memorial Award
Iosefa Enari Memorial Award
The Iosefa Enari Memorial Award is an annual award presented by Creative New Zealand in honour of the late Samoan opera singer Iosefa Enari.The award recognises the contribution of the late Iosefa Enari to the arts and in particular his pioneering role in Pacific opera...
, presented annually by Creative New Zealand
Creative New Zealand
The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets and audiences for New Zealand arts domestically and internationally...
, recognises Enari's pioneering contribution to Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
opera. Enari was the Artistic Director of Classical Polynesia, the first New Zealand opera combining traditional Samoan words and music with classical opera. Classical Polynesia premiered at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts 1998 in Wellington, and featured Jonathan Lemalu
Jonathan Lemalu
Jonathan Fa'afetai Lemalu is a New Zealand opera singer, of Samoan descent. Born in Dunedin, he sings in the bass baritone register....
.
Background
Enari was born in Samoa and moved to AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
at the age of 16 with his seven brothers and sisters. Although Enari had been singing since Sunday school and in a school rock band, his career as a professional did not start until he won the Herald Aria Competition in 1987. He later performed in New Zealand opera productions alongside notable opera singers such as Dame Malvina Major. In 1993, Enari was the recipient of a New Zealand Fulbright cultural grant which allowed him to study opera in the United States. In 1996, Creative New Zealand awarded him the Senior Pacific Artist Award. Creative New Zealand later created the Iosefa Enari Memorial Award in his honour.
In 2000, Enari died in New Caledonia while he was attending the Festival of Pacific Arts
Festival of Pacific Arts
The Festival of Pacific Arts, or Pacific Arts Festival, is a traveling festival hosted every four years by a different country in Oceania . It was conceived by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community as a means to stem erosion of traditional cultural practices by sharing and exchanging culture...
with a delegation of New Zealand artists. He was given a moving farewell by Maori, Pacific Islands and Kanak artists.
Iosefa Enari Memorial Award
The Iosefa Enari Memorial Award is given annually by Creative New Zealand to support the career development of individual Pacific singers across all classical vocal genres and career stages.Classical Polynesia
Enari was the Artistic Director and creator of Classical Polynesia, an operatic work of Samoan songs and music rearranged to opera by Samoan-born New Zealand composer Igelese Ete. In 1998, Classical Polynesia premiered at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts at the Illot Concert Chamber, Wellington Town Hall. A second performance, aimed at the Pacific Islands community, was held in Cannons Creek, PoriruaPorirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
with an introduction by Oscar Kightley
Oscar Kightley
Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley, MNZM, is a Samoan-born actor, television presenter and writer who has been a resident and citizen of New Zealand for most of his life.-Biography:He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film Sione's Wedding...
. The choreographer was Cook Islander Teokotai Paitai and the producer Makerita Urale.
Classical Polynesia featured emerging Pacific voices in opera and classical music, at the time, including Jonathan Lemalu (bass), Ben Makisi (tenor), Daphne Collins (soprano), Aivale Cole (soprano), violinist Sam Konise and a chorus made up of Pacific youth.
The narrative of the work was based on 'One day in the life of a Samoan village.' The music for the work was inspired by the 1960s recordings of Samoan songs made by the Samoan Teachers College and the Samoan composer Tuala Falenaoti Tiresa Malietoa
Tuala Falenaoti Tiresa Malietoa
Tuala Falenaoti Tiresa Malietoa is a politician and educator in Samoa. She is leader of the Samoan Christian Party, and one of the first women to lead a Samoan political party....
.
In 1999, Classical Polynesia was restaged at the Auckland Town Hall. The Auckland season was produced by Enari's nephew Iosefa Enari, who shares the same name as his uncle.
Theatre
Enari was also an actor. In 1996, he played the lead role of the father in A Frigate Bird Sings, a Samoan play about fa'afafineFa'afafine
Fa'afafine may be viewed as a third gender specific to Samoan culture.Fa'afafine are biological males who have a strong feminine gender orientation, which the Samoan parents recognize quite early in childhood. Not always are they raised as female children or rather 'third gender' children...
which was commissioned for Tu Fa'atasi, the Pacific arts component of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts 1996. A Frigate Bird Sings premiered at Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
The Downstage Theatre is a theatre in Wellington, New Zealand, and the country's longest running professional theatre, established in 1964.The founders at the inaugural meeting in the Wellington Public Library on 15 May 1964 were actors Peter Bland, Tim Elliott and Martyn Sanderson, with...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. The play was directed by Nathaniel Lees
Nathaniel Lees
Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand born actor and theatre director of Samoan descent. He is known for his role as Captain Mifune in The Matrix trilogy and his role as "Uglúk" in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. He has also had roles on the TV series Young Hercules, Hercules: The Legendary...
, co-written by Oscar Kightley
Oscar Kightley
Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley, MNZM, is a Samoan-born actor, television presenter and writer who has been a resident and citizen of New Zealand for most of his life.-Biography:He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film Sione's Wedding...
and Dave Fane, dramaturg by Maori playwright Hone Kouka
Hone Kouka
Hone Kouka is an acclaimed New Zealand playwright. He has written 13 plays which have been staged in New Zealand and worldwide including Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia and Britain. Kouka's plays have won multiple awards at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, the 'Oscars' of New Zealand theatre....
, producer Makerita Urale, set designers Kate Peters and artist Michel Tuffery
Michel Tuffery
Michael "Michel" Cliff Tuffery, MNZM, is a New Zealand artist of Samoan, Tahitian and Cook Island descent.He lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand...
and lighting design by Ivan Morandi. The all-male cast included Iaheto Ah Hi, Mario Gaoa
Mario Gaoa
Mario Gaoa is a Samoan New Zealander actor, writer and director, best known as a member of the Naked Samoans comedy group. As part of the group he has appeared in the film Sione's Wedding; provided the voices of Sione Tapili and God in the animated series Bro'Town, which he also co-writes; and...
, Ole Maiava and Stan Wolfgramm. The Festival production was nominated for Best Production, Best Director and Best Set Design at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards
Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards
The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards are the theatre "Oscars" in New Zealand and honour the best stage talent and productions in the capital Wellington....
1996, in Wellington.
"Powerful production shows the Pacific way." Sunday Star Times, Review March (1996): 7-7
'A Frigate Bird Sings' was later re-staged at The Watershed Theatre in Auckland by producer Cath Cardiff.
Enari performed as an actor in other theatre productions, including shows by Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
based Pacific theatre company Pacific Underground.