The Fagufagu and The Rhythm Section

Join Andrew Faleatua the 2024 New Zealand School of Music Te Kōkī Jazz Composer in Residence for a live performance of music in response to Vaiei Tupuna. A key feature of the work will be the incorporation of tapa beat-making patterns as a rhythmic foundation for his ensemble. The music will incorporate traditional Samoan instruments such as the foafoa, fagufagu, fala, and pātē, with a small jazz ensemble. The ethos underpinning this amalgamation of traditional and modern instruments is captured in the Samoan proverb ‘E sui faiga ae tumau faavae’, which can be translated as ‘our practices may change but our foundations remain’.

Free, all welcome, no booking required.

Dr Andrew Faleatua is a music composer, performer, educator, and researcher. He was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and proudly hails from the villages of Gataivai, Savai'i and Salua, Manono in Samoa. He is the 2024 Jazz Composer-in-Residence at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. His project focuses on fusing the jazz tradition with Samoan music and dance traditions. Alongside performing, he has a firm footing in the film industry with several feature film scores under his belt. His musical vision is to push the envelope for Pasifika musical expression and inspire others to engage with this transcendent art form.

Image: Tapa beaters from various artists of 'Ahu Ngā Warua o Hina, collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Installation view 'Vaiei Tupuna', Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2024. Photo: Ted Whitaker.