Listen to the 2022 Mana Moana concert recordings
Combining symphony and traditional Pacific music, the Mana Moana concerts are a yearly collaboration between the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa (NZSO) and the Signature Choir. They highlight the connectedness of the "Pasifika" nations through music, and reimagine their music by fusing it with a vibrant orchestra.
2023's Mana Moana concert was curated by Fepulea'i Helen Tupa’i, music director of Signature Choir, in partnership with Wellington’s Pasifika communities and orchestrated by composer and arranger Thomas Goss. It featured 13 songs from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, and Tonga. The concert included both traditional and contemporary songs, such as Faliu le la, which depicts the beauty of Samoa’s vast and beautiful landscape; Siueli o e Pasifiki, which proclaims late Tongan Queen Salote Tupou III's love for her country; and Isa lei, a Fijian farewell song. Community leaders helped Signature Choir select the songs according to their significance to the Pacific islands they represent and the stories that they tell.
Watch a clip from the concert on Signature Choir's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reel/222478144129546
Text by: Ambrose Cheung/Licha Stelaus Productions
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Disclaimer: We are fans of great sound and music. We are neither the agent nor presenter of the musicians featured on this post. We do not own the photos and videos in this blog - Licha Stelaus Productions