islandlivingstories

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Lady of the light

You know of #climateaction taken by ordinary people? im looking! #Fiji #climatechange #pacific

First published in The Fiji Times Tuesday, June 13, 2017

HER mornings start before dawn. At the foothills of the Nadarivatu mountain range where the village of Waikubukubu lies, 4am is still a pretty dark time to be up. But darkness is not something grandmother Lotaini Nabua is frightened of. (more…)

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Heading to Bonn

ITS always been a dream of mine, not to go to a European country with possibly its harshest winter approaching, no!

But yes i have always wondered what it might be like to watch and listen to world leaders make decisions about a critical environmental problem and being eyes and ears for people back home who just want to know how it will affect them.

COP23 in Bonn, Germany from Nov 3-19 is my…

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WHEN you pride yourself as some sort of connoisseur of Pacific events, you crave the colour and texture that having many islanders in one place can dish up.

I’m like that when Fiji Fashion Week rolls around, the idea of seeing people’s stories and culture come through their designs, styling and even their runway walk is like a feast!

So the effect of a chance to watch Fiji Fashion Week is ‘Mai Kana’ or ‘Me’a Kai’!

It was the ‘Pacific Islands Show’ or as we found out at last nights show when #MissE! announced, the ‘Pacific Islands Fashion Week’ launch and it was strong.

There were so many ingredients to the success of last nights show.

Curiously, this is MissE’s last Fiji Fashion Week with the show being in the market while she works on growing it in Australia.

There was the promise of such a diverse range of collection with all three Pasifika groupings represented.

Never before has there been so many Pacific Queens been on one runway, so between reigning monarch Anne Dunn, Teuira Napa, Alisi Rabukawaqa and who can forget Fiji’s first Merewalesi Nailatikau.

Some may agree that other pageant representations, the four Miss World Fiji girls so graciously lent to FJFW may have all but stolen the fashion attention in the form of Esther from Labasa and former Miss Fiji Nanise Rainima.

Solomon Islands model and pageant contestant Lovinda Reggie is a gem! Between her, Esther and Miss Rainima I can’t be sure which girl should be the Melanin power poster girl!

And what about Disney’s Loans through the people who gave power to her song, Pasifika Voices? Almost a year later from when I first heard and was sworn to secrecy about their Disney project, these Pasifika singers still give me goose bumps!

But the clothes, yes we were therefor the clothes right? In a  nutshell, best show ever.

HAUS of Koila was by far our favourite collection. Making her debut at FJFW and yet she opened was already a clue that she had something specks as MissE does not give that spot away easy. As if she had something to prove, Koilas originality in her prints and bold use of texture to contrast with the colourful Pacific splash of her like was exciting. Haus of Koila was regal, fun, dating, flamboyant, sexy and fun! She was every woman and man who would like a piece of the Pacific to take to the world.

MOST WEARABLE and also a favourite Kini Zamora or shall we say “Aloha is the new black” … we loved loved loved this project runway finalist take on Hawaiian streetwear.

Zamora combined south sea romance, funk and spice in a collection that had so many textures it was a story on its own! This was for us the most versatile,  most creative collection and the best mix of trend and Pacific identity.

Well done MissE!

Moana, Koila and Kini WHEN you pride yourself as some sort of connoisseur of Pacific events, you crave the colour and texture that having many islanders in one place can dish up.

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Exciting times

Suva abuzz with #FJFW #FJFW10Years #FijiFashion #PacificWear #PacificResortWear

Ellen Whippy flanked by three of her top Fiji Fashion models in Sydney last year.

SUVA has been a buzz these past few weeks with May bringing around the most exciting time to be in the capital of Fiji, when music, art, fashion and sports all come together.

Tonight of course begins the pinnacle of Fiji’s fashion scene with the opening of Fiji Fashion Week runway shows and we are excited because it…

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Disney impressed with Pacific choir

Disney impressed with Pacific choir

IGELESE Ete is a name most in the Pacific know. A musical genius of sorts, the Samoan via New Zealand music academic rose to prominence a while back at the success of the Lord of The Rings triology.

(more…)

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Twenty hand picked Pacific Island voices from in or around the University of the South Pacific community made history this past two weeks when they recorded for Disney.

The details are sketchy mostly because the choir members, most of whom are friends of this writer kept a tight lip, owing to legal agreements with Disney. We do know that when movie producers came, Samoan via New Zealand Maestro Igelese Ete chose Fiji’s best songbirds (and guys) mostly from the famed Pasifika Voices and two from Honiara’s Solomon Voices.

Altogether, 7 producers from Disney’s Moana: The Movie T eam: Osnat Shurer- Producer Tom Mcdougall- Music Superviser. Don Harper- Choir conductor and three others came to record the choir at the USP’s ICT studios over a few days between August 11-15 at Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel to record sound effects and several choral arrangement to add to TeVaka’s soundtrack of the movie.

We understand that 36 different tracks were recorded to be used in different scenes in the movie!

Moana: The Movie is a bittersweet occurrence for island centric commentators like myself. On the one hand there is that excitement that Disney finally sees the beauty and sacred mana that is the South Pacific. There is also the angry native discourse around intellectual property thievery … lets call it borrowing for now.

Make no mistake, we dont approve of rich Hollywood (animated movies are made there too right?) using our traditional history and not have to pay for it. It could have funded preservation efforts of our beautiful navigation history, explored Sustainable Traditional Transportation projects as an answer to escalating carbon emission worries and .. the list goes on.

However, we aren’t going to hide our excitement over the fact that some very talented Pacific island voices are part of a big movie! So lets praise them:

Sopranos: Ani Lewaniu, Paulini Bautani, Matelita Bale, Elena Baravilala,Vilisi Nuqa Altos: Jane Bautani, Peci Buinimasi, Josephine Dass, Gali Vulaciri, Eseta Cokanasiga

Tenor: Eroni Dina, Peter Waqavonovono, Vic Levand, Paias To’omai ( Solomon Voices), Emmanuelle Zarine ( Solomon Voices)

Bass: Lepani Delai, Maikali Lomata, Dan Fox, Elijah Dau, Roland McCaig

The entire week, they were dressed by Suva based costume maker, Fumaru Fatiaki of the Isullu  label.

We hope USP was smart and got paid a lot for the part Pasifika Voices has played in Moana’s musical success. Like their peers worldwide, these young artists live impoverished lives in honour of their art but unlike many, they sing to promote and preserve the Pacific voice, they sing to maintain authentic cultural art, to raise the profile on global environmental problems and to show other young people that in our veins run cultures deep with talent, mana and music!

Congratulations Pasifika Voices! We look forward to frowning upon Disney but loving on you when Moana: The Movie opens in Fiji in September.

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Pacific Voices sing for Disney #MoanaDisney #MoanaMovie #USPChoir #PasifikaVoices #IgeleseEte Twenty hand picked Pacific Island voices from in or around the University of the South Pacific community made history this past two weeks when they recorded for Disney.

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Former gangster uses past to ispire

Paid for gang life with jail but #JDeuce uses to inspiral musical lyrics #FijiHipHop #Music

Most people don’t realise that Sekove Qiolevu was a real live gang member and he actually paid heavily for it. (more…)

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Fashion a possible Fijian export

Fiji fashionwear could be a export commodity if we work better at creating the product!

The successful staging of a show specifically for Pacific Island designers at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is a clear pathway to increasing the country’s garment exports. (more…)

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Vuta off to biggest fashion event

Vuta is one of four Fijians modelling at #MBFWA for the first time.

Twenty year old Bulou Vuta Buatoka has only been modelling two years. Compared to other models normally chosen for an overseas gig, she’s almost still a babe in the woods. (more…)

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America Goodwill Ambassadors on musical tour of Fiji and Kiribati

American band on goodwill tour of Fiji and Kiribati. #FijiMusic #Music #DinaPreston #Fiji

She is not only the lead singer of band named for her but Arizona native Dina Preston is also an entrepreneur, PhD and Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix.  And she is on way to Fiji and Kiribati spreading goodwill. (more…)

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#MissTuiketei and I with #kulakeiuluivuya boss lady @lanah_cokanauto at the @fijimusicawards show #FijiNews #music (at Damodar City Events Cinemas)

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Jacque banks on Versatility

Jacque Williams was pushed into entrepreneurship by circumstances. #Nadi #VersatileAssistant

LIKE most in the Small Business sector, Jacquelin Williams was pushed into entrepreneurship by circumstances beyond her control. (more…)

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Exciting times ahead as our judges sit on the weekend to decide the nominees of the #FPRAMusicAwards #Fiji #Music #Nominees #FijianGrammys

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Heather is in Miss Worlds Top 10

Top Fashion model Heather is Top 10 for Miss World

Its pageant season and how fitting that the local chapter of oldest beauty competition in the world, the Miss World Fiji Pageant should start the show with its reveal of the 2016 Top 10. (more…)

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Student believes diversity is key to modelling

Student believes diversity is key to modelling #WorldSupermodelPageantPNG #SheiLaufa #PNG

Published in Newswire, January 22, 2016 | 11:39 am

With a mix that includes two different races in Papua New Guinea and Tonga in her ethnic make up, 22 year old model Sherridan Haro Laufa is all about diversity. (more…)

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Fish Kills: Unprecedented temperature threatens marine eco-system

Thousands of dead fish wash up on Nadroga Shores. #Fiji #CoralBleaching #FishKills #ElNino

First Published on Newswire/ Feb 9.

Thousands of dead fish are washing up on the shores of Coral Coast as a result of the recent high temperature, with a local expert saying reefs could lose a significant amount of coral if seawater temperatures remain high. (more…)

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Playing for the diaspora

VLY is working hard to take his music to the Fijian #diaspora #FijiMusic #VLY #Fiji #FPRAMAs

VILI would have been too basic for such a flamboyant artist so with his equally creative friends in the Fijian entertainment industry, Viliame Navoka thought of the stage name VLY, different spelling same sound. (more…)