Fire ignites in Māngere for the annual Siva Afi Festival

Sparks ignited in South Auckland at the weekend with the fifth annual Siva Afi Festival that brought fiery skills and talent from across the world to Māngere.

With Siva Afi Ailao practitioners from Aotearoa, Samoa, Tahiti, Australia, the United States, and Hawai’i, this year’s festival promised to feature young and experienced talent dedicated to growing the cultural tradition.

For Destiny Fruean, a novice in Siva Afi but with years of performance experience, she says the event evidently shows the growing interest in the art form.

“Bro, it’s awesome! It’s inspiring and I’m seeing what I could be doing in a year's time with the fire. It’s inspiring for our young people especially. Something cool to do, something different.

“I’m looking forward to being up there (one day) with the fire and not just a practice stick.”

Fruean and her group had only four one and a half hour practice sessions, meeting on the Saturdays leading up to the festival. She couldn’t be more proud of the effort and the execution of her team.

“I was nervous, the drums in my ears, and my heart’s racing. I’m proud we got down and did it.”

2nd runner-up in the Wāhine Toa Afi category was17-year-old Portia Meredith-Numia. Pictured here with her coach Popea Lautala. Photo/Facebook

Siva Afi Festival has become a fixture for Pacific and Māori youth, like ASB Secondary School Polyfest and Pasifika Festival, as it is showcasing and growing the art form of Siva Afi Ailao from the Pacific.

A massive calibre of local talent included 17-year-old Massey High School student Portia Meredith-Numia and Justyce Levi Uepa (Samoa/Ngāti Porou) who is the Masters of Flame Aotearoa 2024 Champion.

Some competitors as young as 11 were out to shine with Lennon Meredith-Numia from Henderson Intermediate School named the International Youth Siva Afi 2024 Junior Champion.

In an interview with Pasifika TV, Lennon says even the mishap of dropping the nifo oti on his face couldn’t slow his winning spins.

“When I burnt my face I knew I had to go all in, I just kept going. I didn’t care how many times I dropped it.

“I’m so thankful that I won and it’s been four years in the making to be able to get that title.”

Siva Afi 2024 Junior Champion Lennon Meredith-Numia from the Tielu, Taua, Leilua and Pereira families and the villages of Togafuafua, Matautu, Siufaga, Siumu and Moataa. Photo/SivaAfiAotearoa

With help from the US Embassy, Hawaiian drummers The Laie Boys brought their pulsing beats to amp up the weekend.

The event also saw incredible international exponents like Aaliyah Ava (Hawai’i/Samoa), who was able to defend her Wāhine Toa Afi Champion title from 2023, three time French Polynesia Siva Afi champion Heimana Ondicolberry (Tahiti), veteran Tamaru Colombel (French Polynesia), and Mia Angelo (US).

And one of the judges was five time World Fire Knife Champion, Mikaele Oloa (Samoa/Phillipino), who has garnered a massive online following due to similarity to Moana's Maui.

Oloa says he’s always been a fan of the humble vibes of the South Pacific and he believes humility and selflessness are the qualities of a great fire knife dancer.

“I love the artistic style, I think New Zealand has a different swag and how they go about portraying culture. I really think everyone is a great fire knife dancer.

“For me, it’s crossing those Ts and dotting those Is, who has control of their knife and who’s out there portraying a Samoan warrior.”

The pioneering event run by Polynesian Entertainers with support from Lightbox Projects and Creative New Zealand, has the mission of making Siva Afi accessible to all youth, as a way to build-up the skill and confidence so that it is seen on the same platform as hip hop dancing and Kapa Haka.

Siva Afi Aotearoa member Tom Tedrow-Natoealofa and festival MC says the event has come a long way from being an Aotearoa-only based competition to having global practitioners’ involvement.

He says while funding a specialised art form is tricky, it’s not impossible and through innovation and Pacific intuition, as the passion is always lit.

“It’s electric! The kids, that’s the future. We harness the talent and the skill from young and we hope that they continue this practice into their adulthood.

“With Amo (Ieriko) who’s been running this with his own heart and his own funding to be at this stage where we can apply for funding and people are actually backing it, our art form of Siva Afi is just going to continue to grow.”

*Tauanu’u Amo Ieriko is the founder of Polynesian Entertainers and the driving force behind the Siva Afi Festival.

*All winners from the Siva Afi Festival 2024 are eligible to compete at the World Fire Knife Championships at the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Hawai'i this coming May.