Soundtrack to my life: Sammy Salsa

Sammy Salsa. Photo / Supplied

As a fashion stylist and director, Sammy Salsa sees himself as a storyteller who weaves his tales with clothing. The NZ Fashion Week 2021 ambassador shares the stories behind the music that has influenced his life.

Like a Prayer
Madonna

I remember this song from my childhood. I was born in 1984 and Like a Prayer came out in the late-80s. Mum played it a lot at our home in Mt Roskill [Auckland]. I'm not sure why she liked it so much. I've never got around to unpacking that with her but it's an iconic track. And Madonna is amazing. I've always admired her fashion choices and the way she stands up for what she believes in.

Waterfalls
TLC

TLC's CrazySexyCool was the first album I ever owned. I bought it when I was about 9. It's the first girl group I remember listening to and I loved the Waterfalls video. I would pretend to be sick so I could stay home from church on Sunday to watch it on TV's Top 10 hits. It was a ground-breaking video, using early CGI techniques and so fashion-forward. They didn't release Waterfalls as a single and I wanted to learn the lyrics so I had to buy the album, which I ended up falling in love with. I performed Waterfalls at our Dominion Rd School assembly, even the rap bit. It must have gone okay because the kids asked if I could sing at a few more school assemblies.

Brown Girl in the Ring
Boney M

This is such a nostalgic song for me. It brings back happy memories of Christmas at my grandparents' house. It was such a beautiful and colourful day, full of heaps of kids opening gifts, always a barbecue, my Grandma's famous custard pie, then drinks and a party celebration – that was when the Boney M would bust out.

Crazy in Love
Beyonce

I'm a big Beyonce fan. I associate this song with my early 20s, when I was navigating my path into adulthood and coming to an understanding of who I am. I'm the eldest of five boys and my dad was in and out of our lives when my other brothers were born, so I took on a lot of responsibility in our family during my teens. I remember picking up my first FQ magazine and looking at the fashion shots and wanting to be involved in that world. At the time I didn't even know what a fashion stylist was.

Purple Rain
Prince

This is the first song I ever sang at a karaoke bar. In 2002 I started going to this place in Hobson St called Bar of the Stars, one of my first club experiences. Some of the people were really s*** at singing but no one cared. I love the way singing can transport you into another world. It's quite therapeutic for the soul, being up there singing for three minutes without a care in the world.

Could You Be Loved
Bob Marley

This song reminds me of my dad. He migrated to New Zealand from Samoa in the 70s. When he got here he was treated like a number and there was not a lot of support offered. He found brotherhood in gang life as a King Cobra. That was where he discovered a sense of belonging. This was my dad's favourite song and he'd play it when he had his friends over for a few drinks in the kitchen and there would be people laughing and a lot of happiness. There were challenging times in my childhood, there was a lot of domestic violence. My parents separated when I was in my teens. It's crazy looking back at what my family went through because now Dad's at his best ever and Mum's at her happiest. I love my dad wholeheartedly. He's finally found the brotherhood he was yearning for, from the relationship he has with his sons.

As told to Leanne Moore