Poetry readings in Fiji was popularised by the Niuwaves Writers’ Collective in the late 1990s. After a gap period of five years, with sporadic poetry reading events scattered around Suva organized by various art groups and organizations such as the Fiji Association of Women Graduates (FAWG), VASU Pacific Women of Power Exhibition, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, and Kalamwasa Writing Fiji during the Wasawasa Festival, the heat is on again in Suva.

The revival of the Poetry SLAM began around 2008  jointly organized by the School of Language, Art, Media and Journalism (also S.L.A.M) at the University of the South Pacific and Hugh Fraser, an Australian Volunteer. The thinking behind the School facilitating SLAMS was a deliberate attempt to maximize the association of SLAM events with the School acronym. SLAM events over the 2008 – 2010 period began with much hype but towards 2010, fewer events were organized much to the dismay of the growing audience who look forward to the event.

In 2010, the School also initiated a small-scale poetry reading event at Icrave, a newly established bar in Suva. The Icrave readings draw an audience of about 20 in an intimate poetry sharing event unlike the NiuWaves crowd drawer readings which took place at Traps Back bar in the late 90’s to around 2002.

The USP SLAM is pure entertainment, providing students, staff and the wider public the opportunity to watch spokenword poets compete in a performance event. It also features a number of local musicians and bands in a promotional effort.

2011 marks the beginning of new era in spokenword performance around the region. On-the-Spot, a Tonga based artist collective has taken up the challenge and has organized an on-line call for participation in the first ever Tonga Spokenword event titled “StageFright!”. When S&GS suggested the platform to On-the-Spot in 2010 during the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies outreach at the Kava Kuo Heka Festival in July, On-the-Spot organizer Ebonie Fifita expressed hesitation about organized poetry readings and spoken word performances. However, after some thinking, it is exciting to note that the group has added spokenword events to their visual arts, film and music program.

In Fiji, the Fiji Arts Council under the new Directorship of Laisiasa Veikoso, the literary arts committee is currently considering inclusive literary events also featuring recitals and performances.

At the Oceania Centre, the establishment of a new position in Literary Arts and Film means that there is now a structured approach to Pacific film nights and spokenword performances. The appointee, Derek Cleland joined OCACPS in February this year. Derek who spent the last 4 years in Fiji as an Australian volunteer working in the area of Culture and Heritage began his own journey in the arts after the Festival of Arts experience in Pagopago 2008 and has been deeply engaged in various art initiatives with the Fiji Arts Council and Wasawasa Festival. In 2010, he also performed with the Davui Ensemble – a local orchestra performing poetry to their music. Derek brings with him the promise of new and innovative ideas to Spokenword initiatives in Suva.

In an attempt so as not to confuse or duplicate poetry SLAMS and readings as organized by the School of Languages, Art, Media and Journalism, the Oceania Centre has launched its “Blood in the Kava Bowl” Spokenword series which features performance poetry, story telling and sharing in a Pacific style on-the-mat around a tanoa of Kava. The inaugural event which took place on April 1st at the Oceania Centre featured 10 spokenword artists in an open-mic event accompanied by the Oceania Centre’s New Sounds band led by Calvin Rore.

Blood in the Kava Bowl which is a tribute to the late Professor Epeli Hau’ofa also takes the title of Epeli’s poem which it is said was a literary response to a professor in Pacific studies with whom Epeli was in conflict at the time of writing.

Derek Cleland performed a number of pieces including an impromptu with New Sounds which provided a new feel to the spokenword event. Peter Sipeli also brought his home-grown local style with a personal piece in his usual inspiring performance style. Other performers included two new comers, as well as Sadrishan, Vilisoni Hereniko, and Teweiariki Teaero. Yours-truly a.k.a 1angrynative took the opportunity to respond to Blood in the Kava bowl as an extension of the original antagonist Guerrilla-style that Epeli began.

With the Pacific Festival of Arts 2012 just around the corner, S&GS wonders if this may mean an increase in authentic spokenword artists in the region ready to show the word how Pacific artists rock the stage. Whatever the outcome, one thing is for sure, Spokenword is growing in the region and in Fiji at least, 2011 promises more literary events for the masses starved of creative inspiration.

Lovers lick etcetera
In dreams of hope etcetera
Democracy a wooden flower
More what ifs and no no
But lovers gift etcetera and yes yes
More more

And running rain

No but and then
There was love
And death
And the whole other load of etceteras

Of women birthing
More dreaming souls
That spins in
Cocoons
Spilling red seed
And green yellows
Somewhere
Light is dark

If money talks etcetera
What does it say?
Yes yes

Sunset sunrise
Tomorrow
Would be a good place to start

You will seek
The oracle of etcetera
And say what the fuck?

This is…

To see the world
As only you can
Would mean climbing
Into your blind spot
I cant do that.

After an interesting conversation with Derek Cleland on straight and curved poetry, I began reflecting on the true role of Slam poetry in Fiji.

SLAMS being introduced about two years ago as an initiative of the newly formed School of Language, Media and the Arts at the University of the South Pacific. Recognizing the potential to play with the accronym for the school ‘SLAM’ and the potential to move away from the traditional poetry readings to interactive performances, the use of poetry Slams began.

Since then, we have had numerous slams on campus and around Suva. Notably, during the Pacific Youth Festival two workshops included Slam poetry. One facilitated by Hugh Fraser and Dave Lavaki introduced participants to hip-hop and performance poetry for Slams and the other, by yours truly explored the role of the arts as social commentary and antagonistic art.  Slam poetry as performance being one of the art forms presented.

Despite the slam being just over two-years old, the culture of slamming has yet to reach beyond the usual suspects. How do we engage more meaningfully with the wider community? How do we begin to engage more young people in well articulated, thought provoking performance pieces?

As the reigning Slammer (2008/2009 — simply, i might add— for the mere fact that I participated in both annual Slam events and was voted overall winner) I would like to see more slammers – more aggressive, performance artists who mean what they say and say what they mean.  I would like to see more mixed age groups, young, old, experienced and emerging – rise to the occasion.

I am still not convinced that there is enough awareness or development of emerging performers or non-competitive development, performance opportunities.

In the interim, I wait for the time that there are categories of slam to allow new developing ‘shy’ slammers to grow as well as  for those with more experience to move further in their own development.

Perhaps we need to you tube our slams… hmmmm – lots to do it seems…

For more on the founder of SLAM Poetry see  http://marckellysmith.com/

Bloodstone…
breath rests like a stone/

in the palm of your hand/

the end/and the beginning/

a thought
swimming like fish/

floating
dormant/

gnash your teeth

against its hips/

and you will find
a woman/

waiting for the new moon…

© C-F-K2009

Please support a worthy cause & circulate to your networks.
Also connect to Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, USP

on facebook: “oceania centre”.

contact: oceaniacentre@gmail.com or tarte_a@usp.ac.fj

after hours: 936 2486

The evening bells have just rung for evening prayer.
Our prayer tonight is
that of gratitude
that our family and neighbours are safe.
But our hearts
are with those families
who can not say the same,
who will sleep tonight
without a son,
a daughter,
a mother,
a father,
an uncle,
an aunt,
a cousin.

Their loss is our loss.

Even the night birds feel it.

~ Sia Figel

Even the night birds feel it
your words
swim the sky
and through
red feather clouds
and blood tears
i know that we are
connected
even in our disconnectedness
of space

~ Frances Koya

even in our disconnectedness
of space
the whole of Samoa is on its knees
Samoa in Aotearoa
Samoa in Fiji
Samoa in Amerika
Samoa in Hawai’i
praying and
swallowing salt tears
swallowing time
shoes and soles of feet
swallowing bones and lives and sheet
memories of the day before Wednesday
swallowing distance and space
swallowing our sea memories
to taste this pain
that is ours

~ Selina T. Marsh

To taste this pain that is ours
To remember one’s heart is there
On that day in September
At the earliest hour
They watched the sea disappear
The bay empty like a valley
The sea rush back in a moan
Took the weaver from her fale
Took the child from warm arms
Took the elder from his family
Took the sleeper from her sleep
The blue deep, deep moana
There at the sacred heart of us
That echoes through each of us
When the panic madness falls
And the calm tide breathes
With all Samoa everywhere
With all of Tonga too
Remember your hearts there
And my heart too

~ Dan Taulapapa McMullin
And my heart too,
along with yours.
We are reminded
in the most brutal way
that we are all connected.
We are reminded
in the most brutal way,
that our relationship
with the ocean
is never
on our
own terms.

We are reminded
in the most brutal way
why dominion over nature
was never a part
of our epistemology.

We are reminded
in the most brutal way
why we know ourselves to be
simply a part
of a sacred continuum
of sacred relationships
where even
the ocean is alive,
where even
the night birds feel,
where even
the rocks have spirit,
where even
the blood red clouds
know why they are red.

We are reminded
in the most brutal way
the balance of life betweenÂ
is sacred, va tapuia,
endlessly interconnected
across distance, space, time, species, life, death.

We are reminded
in the most brutal way
why long before
Christ arrived
on these shores
we have always been
a people of spirit
a people of faith.
~ Karlo Mila

A people of faith
A people
A people of
A people of faith
Faavae i le atua
They said
God will protect us
They said
Samoa is founded on God.

O children of the great and mighty Fofoaivaoese
Those of us who watch, and listen
from the great watery expanses of all the corners of the earth
hear Samoa’s cry
Fofoaivaoese will not desert you Samoa
For even now the groundswell of love, support and prayers
Wave after wave after wave will crash on the very same tear-filled shores
which tore our worlds assunder
and will overcome, embrace and lift up our people, our aiga, our villages…our Samoa.
from despair and devastation

Do not grieve Samoa,
Outou, mataou, tatou…
With one hand we will hold on to the ancient words and wisdom of our ancestors
And with the other we will grasp the almighty power of Le Atua
As we people of faith
Calmly but surely…do what we have to do
Do
Do what
Do what we
Have to do
To remain…
People of faith
People of the Vao ese
We are here, watching, listening
And waiting…..

~ Melani Anae

We are here, watching, listening
And waiting …

Waiting for the sun to lick our wounds dry
Waiting for the breeze to untie the knotted memory
Left ,Swept in by Moana

Aueeee, our fathers cry
Aueee, our mothers cry
Auee, our children cry
Aue, we all cry

We cry salted tears
We cry silent fear
We cry mournful alofa
For our people
We cry, Aue…. We cry!

~ Allan Alo

We cry, Aue…. We cry!
The strongest of the strong cry
Through the push and pull of the tides
And waves of pain and agony
that crash against the shore of our wounded hearts
we cry, Aue…
We cry
We cry tears of blood
that flow deep through the sea of sorrow
flow with the whispers of our soft prayers ascending above the clouds
and settle beyond the depths of our soul
It is there
that our tears have dried
dried into a grain of salt
a grain of salt called faith,
the one thing we continue to hold on to
for faith, isn’t faith
until it is all that we have left to hold on to
it is what will wipe the tears of the strongest cry
give us comfort in the night
allow the warm rays of the sun to brush upon our skin
push and pull the greatest memories of love with that of the tides
heal the waves of wounded hearts
lost in the sea of sorrow
dry our tears
and carry us into tomorrow…

~ Christina Pelesasa

The now calm and perfect seas do not answer me
When I ask why you have taken my loved ones
To never return
You, earth beneath the oceans, do not answer me

When I ask why, you sneezed, and caused the sea to
Tremble
And release her power on my helpless people
Did you sky, issue a warning in your many colours
And I did not know
Did you birds try to tell me, in your cries and flying patterns
And I could not read it
Did you waves and trees try to tell me
That the earth was about to move
And I could not hear nor see your message

Aueeeee…
Aueeeee…
Aueeeee…
~Tepora Afamasaga

“Let go, let go” he whispered
But he couldn’t really mean it
and reached out to hold them as well,
his children, his life.
One was dead with sand in his eyes
One was alive with death in her gaze
holding her little brother close to her heart,
for ever and ever.

Emma Kruse Vaai

See BBC link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8286485.stm

October 5, 2009

Background

As part of the University of the South Pacific’s response to the tragic tsunami in Samoa and Tonga the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture & Pacific Studies [OCAC-PS] is organizing a community fundraiser called the ‘Samoa Feather Appeal’.  This tragedy claimed the lives of over 150 people, the majority of whom are believed to have been children.

The initiative was created by USP staff members Frances Koya, Allan Alo, Kylie Jayne Anderson and Ann Tarte.  The art community and members of the Samoan community in Fiji are participating in a range of activities coordinated to raise funds.

Why the feather?

The use of feather in the title is a reflection of one of our activities – ‘Sei for Samoa’ which is a feather headpiece (tekiteki in Fiji and Tonga).

Objectives

The target is to raise FJD$10,000 for donation.

To bring together the art community and USP in support of our member countries.

Activities

1. Sei for Samoa

Known as tekiteki in other parts of the Pacific, Sei are essentially hair decorations.  Importantly, however, they are a symbol of hope.

Feathered sei have been on sale from the Oceania Centre from Monday 5^th of October since 12noon.  Each sei costs $3.00 and are available for sale from USP (Book Centre and Oceania Centre).

All sei makers have been volunteers drawn from the USP community (including students, staff) and our extended community of family and friends.

Three sei making workshops have been held at the Oceania Centre (the first on Friday 2^nd October, the second on Saturday 3^rd of October and the third on Monday 5^th of October.

The response from the USP community has been so overwhelming we have had to hold a mini feather appeal for the feather appeal!  Donations of feathers from individuals and organizations have been gratefully received!

In the first day of sales over 200 sei were sold.

2. (t)Sunami Saqamoli

Coordinators of the appeal were bemused by a conversation with Suva taxi-driver, Mr. Yusuf Koya, on Saturday which revealed that taxi-drivers have been discussing how they might contribute. His suggestion – that each person donate one saqamoli – has been taken on board.  We are now organizing a ‘(t)Sunami saqamoli’ drive – tins will be placed at a variety of outlets at USP and throughout town.

3. Samoa Feather Appeal Music and dance Extravaganza

Taking place on October 8^th, 2009 from 5.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m, the concert will include music performances by Tom Mawi and the house band, Laisa Vulakoro, Pacifika Voices, Kaila Stars, Olivia Solei (2008) and Ana Silivale (2009), Michael Levaci, Adrian ‘Magic Fingers’ Narayan, and Teagan Fong & Francesca Horoi, 4 boys, Aquila Qumi and others.

Dance performances by the Oceania Dance Theatre and a fashion segment by Rosie Emberson-Semisi.  An added item will be a reading of a collective poem that has been developed by Pacific writers responding to an initial email by Amerika Samoa author Sia Figel commenting on her lived experience of the Wednesday tsunami in Pagopago.

Admission $20.

Outlets include Kahawa, Esquires, USP Book Centre, and Shoreline Boutique, Guava café and the Oceania Centre, USP.

4.  Raffle:

A number of well known artists have donated works for a raffle.

Raffle Prizes include:

Artworks:

Marita Brodie, painting

Lingikoni Vakau’ta, painting

Craig Marlow, painting

Lambert Ho, jewelry

Peter Sipeli, jewelry

Teweiariki Teaero, painting

Ledua Peni, painting

Pita Waqanui, painting

Ann Tarte, painting

Frances Koya, painting

Kylie Jayne Anderson, painting

Paula Liga, sculpture

Adi Nacola, photograph

Marie B. Koya, photograph

Letila Mitchell, painting

Sponsorship currently includes:

Shore Line Boutique $100 Gift Voucher

Uprising Beach Resort 1 night accommodation

USP Book Centre $100 Gift Voucher

Mango café Lunch/Dinner Voucher

Donations: VASU Pacific Women of Power Art Collective $500

Personal contributions to date amount to $500.00

Raffle tickets: $20/ticket

Tickets will be sold at  Kahawa, Esquires, USP Book Centre, and Shoreline Boutique, Guava café and the Oceania Centre, USP. The draw will be held at the Oceania Centre on Friday 16 October, at 3.30 p.m.

Invitation to Contribute

We invite business houses to contribute by means of sponsorship towards the raffle through donation of prizes.

Individuals may contribute by purchase of sei, raffle tickets and tickets to the main concert extravaganza on October 8^th.

Direct deposits to the Samoa Feather Appeal may be made at ANZ 10443098

For further details contact Ann Tarte at USP on 323 2832 Email: tarte_a@usp.ac.fj

Or oceaniacentre@gmail.com After hours: Frances 9362486 or Ann 9370787

FACE BOOK PROFILE: “oceania centre”

Hapapua, W. Waves of God’s Embrace: Sacred Perspectives from the Ocean. Norwich: Canterbury Press. 2008.

Many intellectuals have and will continue to explain the Pacific and its inhabitants, whether it be in terms of Philosophy (epistemology, knowledge) or practice (anthroplogy, sociology or psychology). This book is different in that you see the same words and phrases such as ‘vaka’, ‘oceania’, ‘talanoa’ but the twist is that it is not an academic discussion. By this I refer to academic writing that can be fragmented and distracting by the constant need to back track and reference one’s ideas, as if the author cannot think freely but must constantly validate that these thoughts and ideas were shared by another or multiple others. As if that gives the discussion authenticity.

This book is a spiritual guide. It discusses the concept of ocean “Moana” as a uniting force that connects not just the region, but the entire globe. One of the appealing features of the book is the selection of religious verse that is not restricted to Christianity. Of particular interest is a modern psalm by Joy Cowley from Pslams down under in which ‘God the dancer’ is undeniably female.  An excerpt of ‘The Legacy of the waves – dance ‘ is shown below:

In the beginning God the dancer
danced the dance of love,
filing up the emptiness
of waiting with her rythmn.
She danced out the universe,
twirled the stars and planets,
held light and dark in either hand
and clapped them into wisdom…

The deep reflection is one of great maturity and shows the spiritual conviction of the author. It is a recommended read even for non-religious readers with an interest in Pacific thought as it adds a dimension that is often forgotten or side-lined, that of spiritual thought.

While the basis of the collection remains Christian beliefs, the underlying philosophy of connectedness and of the ocean, sky, land and humanity summarizes the very foundations of all Pacific Cultures.  Halapua succinctly comments; ” Groaning and glaring poverty is not so much the lack of resources as of our isolation from one another – our failure to realize the depth of our connection” (p8).

What I particularly like is his reference to Moana as Space and Pacific peoples as ‘Tangata Moana”  as an indigenous coinage of  people of the sea or ocean people. It is reminiscent of the Rapanui reference to “Tangata manu” (lit. birdman  or people of the birds.

Alan Alo, choreographer at the Oceania Dance Theatre USP recommended this as an inspirational reading. He was right, but the selling point of the text for me was not the spiritual message but its strength as an alternative Pacific voice in a region where talk is politics, economic or academic. This was a great read and a distraction from all of those competing voices. This was an opportunity to reflect and remember the things that make us who we are as Pacific peoples.

~E

So here goes… I know that I’m a bit shy about my art but the whole VASU experience has made me realize that it is only with practice that I am ever going to get anywhere. This piece, a quadriptych is an attempt to move beyond the cliched use of four basic panels. I am now working my way onto a nine piece installation which should be fun [I think!].

This piece is called lost rainbows never sing and is about displacement or if you like diaspora (what a bad bad word that has become) and the pain of belonging or not belonging and its about the Pacific and the ocean and one-eyed fish in open skies. I completed in just in time to be exhibited at the Fiji Arts Council Exhibition hosted at the US Ambassadors residence in Suva earlier this month [March 16, 2009].

Gigi, one of the twins helped me name the piece while Kati, the other tried to make sense of my manic paint session with the kitchen sponge.

Lost rainbows never sing:

flying fish eyes
hover over blood dreams.

ochre women weeping.

still she wears the moon around her throat
in search of a song…

(c) lost rainbows never sing, 2009

(4 x 300mm x 400mm, Acrylic on Canvas. Collection of Letilla Mitchell, Director FAC, 2009)

I’ll be interested to hear your comments on this piece as its an experiment in process. I have to say being a relatively unknown visual artist makes for great conversation, while you stand by your painting and listen to an elite audience critique and attempt to interpret your work. hmm… Having the other more established artists comment is always great as well although my skin isnt tough enough yet I think for that level of critiquing! (back story : it took me two-years to finally tell the Niu Waves Writers’ Collective that I was ready for their criticism! *lol*).

Here’s to more painting and perhaps happier rainbows.

~ C