Te Vaka
Encyclopedia
Te Vaka is an Oceanic
music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand. They have toured the world constantly since 1997 and have won a number of awards including "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their albums Tutuki
(2004) and Olatia
(2007) from the New Zealand Music Awards
and "Best Pacific Group" in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards They have also been acclaimed by the BBC as "the world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music."
, Tuvalu
, Samoa
, Cook Islands
, and New Zealand
brought together under the inspired leadership of award winning songwriter, Opetaia Foa'i. Te Vaka's music is "grounded in the rhythms of the Pacific by the use of pate
(single and double log drum
s) and pa'u
(indigenous goat skin conga
and bass drum
s)." Most of their songs are written in the Tokelauan language
, with some also written in Samoan
and Tuvaluan
languages. They have been wowing international audiences since 1997, presenting a rich, luscious mix of Polynesia's ancient culture to the modern world.
Te Vaka has performed in the USA and toured the UK, Europe & other parts of the world extensively over the last 13 years, performing in such prestigious venues as London’s Royal Festival Hall
and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
. The group has headlined music festivals throughout Europe and been favourites at WOMAD
festivals around the world. They have performed at the APEC
ministerial dinners and America's Cup
events in Auckland
, the Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne
, the Rugby World Cup in Paris and the Olympic Games in Beijing
. In 2008 they won a total of 4 music industry awards – “Best Pacific Group” and “Best Pacific Album” in New Zealand and in the Australian Songwriters Association Awards they took first place in the “International songwriting category” and won “Best Live performance” of the night awarded by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia.
Opetaia Foa’i is the songwriter/ lead vocalist of the group. The inspiration for his music comes from his multi-cultural upbringing - half Tokelau
an, half Tuvalu
an, 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. The group has created "a truly pan-Pacific sound" from this diverse heritage. 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.
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand. They have toured the world constantly since 1997 and have won a number of awards including "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their albums Tutuki
Tutuki
Tutuki is the fourth album, released in 2004, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It features the song Tamahana which won first place in the world music category of the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. and first place in the International category of the Australian Songwriting Association...
(2004) and Olatia
Olatia
Olatia, is the fifth studio album, released in 2007, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It won the Best Pacific Album category in the New Zealand Music Awards Olatia has more of a contemporary feeling to it while still blending in traditional Polynesian music Te Vaka are known for, with many of the...
(2007) from the New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards show, is a major annual New Zealand music event where musical acts and singers are awarded each year. It has occurred every year since 1965 to outstanding New Zealand musicians and groups....
and "Best Pacific Group" in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards They have also been acclaimed by the BBC as "the world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music."
History
Te Vaka is a group of eleven musicians and dancers from TokelauTokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
, Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, 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...
, Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
, and New Zealand
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...
brought together under the inspired leadership of award winning songwriter, Opetaia Foa'i. Te Vaka's music is "grounded in the rhythms of the Pacific by the use of pate
Pate (musical instrument)
A pātē is a Polynesian percussion instrument. It is of the slit drum family, and therefore is also of the idiophone percussion family. It is made from a hollowed-out log, and produces a distinctive and loud sound...
(single and double log drum
Log drum
A log drum is a type of unpitched percussion instrument.*see drum for the history of log drum and information on the log drum as a means of communication in ancient cultures* see also:**Tongue drum**Slit drum**Bosalabos**Wood block...
s) and pa'u
Pahu
The pahu or pa'u is a traditional musical instrument found in Polynesia: Hawaii, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tokelau. Carved from a single log and covered on the playing end with a stretched sharkskin, the pahu is played with the palms and fingers of the hand...
(indigenous goat skin conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
and bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
s)." Most of their songs are written in the Tokelauan language
Tokelauan language
Tokelauan is a Polynesian language closely related to Tuvaluan.-Speakers:It is spoken by about 1,500 people on the atolls of Tokelau, and by the few inhabitants of Swains Island in neighbouring American Samoa. It is a member of the Samoic family of Polynesian languages. It is, alongside English,...
, with some also written in Samoan
Samoan language
Samoan Samoan Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa, is the language of the Samoan Islands, comprising the independent country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language—alongside English—in both jurisdictions. Samoan, a Polynesian language, is the first language for most...
and Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan can mean:* an Austronesian language, spoken in Tuvalu, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru and New Zealand; see Tuvaluan language,* something to do with the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu; see Tuvalu* the people of this country; see Tuvaluan people...
languages. They have been wowing international audiences since 1997, presenting a rich, luscious mix of Polynesia's ancient culture to the modern world.
Te Vaka has performed in the USA and toured the UK, Europe & other parts of the world extensively over the last 13 years, performing in such prestigious venues as London’s Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was managed by musicians Ronnie Scott and Pete King. In 1965 it moved to a larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street...
. The group has headlined music festivals throughout Europe and been favourites at WOMAD
World of Music, Arts and Dance
WOMAD is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.-History:...
festivals around the world. They have performed at the APEC
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region...
ministerial dinners and America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
events in Auckland
Auckland
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...
, the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the Rugby World Cup in Paris and the Olympic Games in Beijing
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. In 2008 they won a total of 4 music industry awards – “Best Pacific Group” and “Best Pacific Album” in New Zealand and in the Australian Songwriters Association Awards they took first place in the “International songwriting category” and won “Best Live performance” of the night awarded by the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia.
Opetaia Foa’i is the songwriter/ lead vocalist of the group. The inspiration for his music comes from his multi-cultural upbringing - half Tokelau
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
an, half Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
an, 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. The group has created "a truly pan-Pacific sound" from this diverse heritage. 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.
Studio albums
- 1997 Te Vaka
- 1999 Ki MuaKi MuaKi Mua, released in 1999, is the second album by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. This album contains the hit song "Pate Pate" which was very popular around the world and no.1 in the South Pacific.-Track listing:#"Ki Mua"#"Lua Afe"#"Ke Ke Kitea"...
- 2002 NukukeheNukukeheNukukehe, released in 2002, is the third album by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka.This album is dedicated to Greenpeace and all the other environmental groups around the world for caring enough to do something about it...
- 2004 TutukiTutukiTutuki is the fourth album, released in 2004, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It features the song Tamahana which won first place in the world music category of the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. and first place in the International category of the Australian Songwriting Association...
- 2007 OlatiaOlatiaOlatia, is the fifth studio album, released in 2007, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It won the Best Pacific Album category in the New Zealand Music Awards Olatia has more of a contemporary feeling to it while still blending in traditional Polynesian music Te Vaka are known for, with many of the...
- 2009 Haoloto
- 2011 Havili