The Pasifika Festival has been a highlight of Auckland's cultural calendar since 1992. Photo / Glenn Jeffery
The Pasifika Festival has been a highlight of Auckland's cultural calendar since 1992. Photo / Glenn Jeffery
Opinion
This weekend Auckland's Pasifika Festival celebrates its 25th birthday. NZ On Screen's Nicky Harrop revisits the iconic festival along with some other key events showcasing our Pacific Island communities.
Polynesian culture is proudly reflected across all sectors of life in New Zealand, and increasing popularity has seen a regular schedule of events become established across both stage and screen. The following represent just some of what's on offer.
The Pasifika Festival has been a highlight of Auckland's cultural calendarsince 1992. Beginning as a day-long event, it now spreads across a weekend and is the biggest Polynesian festival in the world. This footage from the 2005 event - presented by Samoan hip hop artist King Kapisi and transgender rock queen Ramon Te Wake - captures the diversity and celebration of Pacific Island culture that has made Pasifika such an enduring success.
Tagata Pasifika also celebrates a milestone anniversary this year - the TVNZ programme has been delivering the latest New Zealand Pacific news each week for 30 years. Made for the show's 20th anniversary, this one hour special is hosted by actor Robbie Magasiva and discus champ Beatrice Faumuina. Presenters past and present survey changes in the Aotearoa PI community over the show's run: from education, arts and culture (Ardijah, OMC and the Naked Samoans), to political pioneers (Mark Gosche, Winnie Laban), and sports heroes (All Black icons Jones, Lomu and Umaga). Among those also paying tribute to the show's importance are Helen Clark and singer Annie Crummer.
Watch the Tagata Pasifika 20th Anniversary Special here:
Launching in 1994, Style Pasifika showcased the best of Pacific Island contemporary and traditional fashion design, along with music and dance, in a live and televised event. This 2009 footage features performances from John Rowles, NZ Idol winner Ben Lummis and Moana and the Tribe, while judges include fashion luminaries Francis Hooper, Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and Liz Mitchell. The final Style Pasifika was held in 2011.
Watch Style Pasifika 2009 here:
Now in its 42nd year, Polyfest is an annual Māori and Pacific Islands cultural festival that sees more than 9,000 secondary school students competing in traditional music, dance, costume and speech across six stages representing Cook Islands, Māori, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Diversity. This programme excerpt from Polyfest 2008 goes behind the scenes to show the trials and tribulations, colourful costumes, and action-packed competition.
Watch Polyfest 2008, here:
Presented by Oscar Kightley (bro'Town, Sione's Wedding, Harry) Otara Market profiles New Zealand's largest Polynesian-style shopping experience. Drawing crowds to the heart of South Auckland for over 40 years, the Saturday morning market features a rich mix of multi-cultural stall-holders and market-goers (and some seriously great breakfast options).
