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Opetaia Foa'i For full bio click here

Opetaia Foa'i Lead singer and songwriter for Te Vaka

Opetaia Foa'i plays guild acoustic guitar on stage

Band leader, guitarist, percussionist lead singer and song writer for Te Vaka. Opetaia has written and arranged all the band's material as well as co-produced the five Te Vaka albums. Opetaia has been described as ..."one of New Zealand's finest songwriters - his sentiments are universal and his subjects deeply personal"...

Manase Foa'i

Drum kit, Pate Toa (rhythm log drums), Pate liki (double log drums) He is quarter Tokelauan, quarter Tuvaluan and half New Zealander. Manase joined Te Vaka in 1995 as a log drummer and percussionist but by 2001 he had taken over the drum kit. He now alternates between drum kit and log drums.

Matatia Foa'i

Drum kit, log Drums, skin drums, Percussion. Born in New Zealand, Matatia is quarter Tokelauan, quarter Tuvaluan and half New Zealander. He joined Te Vaka in 2003 and makes his way around log drums, skin drums, percussion and drumkit with ease and skill beyond his years.

Tremayne Lihou

Tremayne was born in New Zealand . Part Niuean, Cook Island, Maori and European, Tremayne is a passionate dancer. She joined Te Vaka at the beginning of 2005 and has been stunning audiences around the world ever since.

Talaga Sale

Singer & dancer. Talaga is full Tokelauan, born in Tokelau. He joins Te Vaka on tour for the first time in 2007 but his voice can be heard on the first Te Vaka album recorded in 1996.

Vasa Foai

Bass player and Pau'u Malu (goat skin bass drum). Luavasa has been with Te Vaka since 1994. He left the band in 2000 but is now back on the bass. Vasa is half Tokelauan and half Tuvaluan born in Samoa and brought up in a Tokelauan community in New Zealand.

Olivia Foa'i

Olivia is part Tokelau, Tuvalu and New Zealander. Born in New Zealand she has danced with Te Vaka since 2005. As with many members of the group, Olivia is multi-talented singing and playing keyboards when she is not dancing.

Neil Forrest

Lead Guitar, Pate Toa (rhythm log drums), Pate liki (double log drums), Pa'u Malu, skin drums& flute. Neil has been with Te Vaka since 1994 and is a New Zealander. He has been involved with music for most of his life, learning piano at the age of eleven, and going on to play drums, guitar, flute and log drums.

Etueni (Edwin) Pita

Lead Dancer. Half Tokelauan, quarter Cook Island and quarter Tuvaluan, born in New Zealand. He has been dancing since the age of five. Joining Te Vaka in 1997, he made his debut at WOMAD Pacifica. Since being with the band he has contributed his traditional and contemporary dance skills and also assists with choreography for the stage shows.

Melodee Panapa

Vocals. Melodee is part Tokelaun, Tuvaluan, Samoan, Cook Island and European. She started playing piano and singing at the age of 5 but didn't start performing professionally until 15. She has sung in a number of bands around Auckland as well as performing in Polynesian cultural groups, indulging her love of the culture and dance of the South Pacific. Melodee has been with Te Vaka since 2003.

Te Vaka is a unique group of ten musicians and dancers from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, and New Zealand brought together under the inspired leadership of Opetaia Foa'i, one of New Zealand's finest songwriters. They have been wowing international audiences since 1997, presenting a rich, luscious mix of Polynesia's ancient culture, to the modern world and have just been announced the winners of the “Best Pacific Group” award in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards”

Te Vaka has performed in the USA and toured the UK, Europe & other parts of the world extensively over the last 12 years, performing in such prestigious venues as London’s Royal Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott’s nightclub. The group has headlined music festivals throughout Europe and been favourites at WOMAD festivals around the world including the WOMAD Festival in Seattle, USA. They have been nominated for two BBC Radio 3, World Music Awards - Best “Asia Pacific” and the “Audience Choice Award” categories.

Opetaia Foa’i is the songwriter/ lead vocalist of the group. The inspiration for his music comes from his multi-cultural upbringing - half Tokelauan, half Tuvaluan, 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.

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.

Te Vaka has performed in 35 countries around the world and released five albums to date. The first gained immediate worldwide acclaim and recognition for the group. Released through ARC Music, a UK based Record company, the album was distributed to over 80 countries. The second album, released in 1999 through Warm Earth Records created an even bigger impact going to number one on world music charts and in some countries on mainstream radio. The third album, released in May 2002, was described as “Phenomenal” and gained the group a nomination in “Best Roots” category in the New Zealand music awards. The 4^th album Tutuki , entered the European World Music Charts at no. 4 & the USA Global Rhythm top 10 chart at no. 3. It won a Tui for “Best Pacific Music Album” in the New Zealand music awards. The latest Te Vaka album Olatia, released in July 2007 has also achieved rave reviews both in New Zealand and internationally, entering the European World Music Chart at No. 4 and winning a “Tui” for “Best Pacific Album” in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards.

On tour Te Vaka performs songs from their new album, Olatia, fourth album, Tutuki, third album Nukukehe, second album Ki mua and the successful Te Vaka, their first album released in May 1997 and acclaimed worldwide for its original style and powerful tribal, rootsy feel. Click here for downloadable Real Audio music samples. Or read some album reviews.

A chronology of the band's successes to date shows their rapid growth over the last few years.

Although based in New Zealand, the band's fusion music is inspired by the Pacific Islands, particularly the groups that comprise Tokelau,Tuvalu and Samoa, from whence the family of band leader Opetaia originally came.

The islands of Tokelau, Tuvalu and Samoa were major influences on Opetaia's upbringing and his songwriting. He was raised in Samoa until the age of nine when his whole family emigrated to New Zealand. The Tokelauan community there continued to provide musical inspiration; every gathering was an opportunity for people to sing and dance, and this mood is sustained in the evocative spirit of the band. The addition of band members from many Islands in the South Pacific also helps to add flavours from all over Polynesia to the music and dance of Te Vaka.