A new wave of Pacific music arrives with language revival album

An impressive lineup of Pacific musicians has united for a groundbreaking initiative to rescue the most endangered languages in the region.

HIVA FOLAU VAKA - Vaka Carrying Music is the ongoing legacy project of the Pacific Music Awards (PMA) Trust, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the awards by supporting the development of original musical works written in Pacific languages.

The 22-track compilation album pays tribute to Vagahau Niue, Te Gagana Tokelau, and Te Reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani, set to be released on 28 November.

Today marks the release of the first single, Penina He Moana, featuring Vitinia, a Niuean-Fijian R&B and soul artist, and Eseta, a Niuean banjo-playing country singer. Produced by Vince Harder, the song is an upbeat, bilingual summer tune featuring Vagahau and English.

“Just the call out itself for revitalising Pasifika languages,” Vinita says in an interview on Pacific Days. “When they called out for the Niuean language too, I was like, ‘yeah, we definitely gotta look on to this one.”

Eseta says the experience taught her invaluable linguistics lessons. “We were trying to figure out how to say the words and write the words, we were like, ‘does this make sense grammatically?’

Watch Vinitia and Eseta's full interview below.

HIVA FOLAU VAKA features well-known artists such as Maisey Rika and Tipene, as well as exciting emerging talents like Fredwyn (Tokelau/Sāmoa), a former member of Tomorrow People, Kitoria, an alternative hip-hop artist, Nayeza, Vox Dawn, and Jere Snohh.

The project is a collaboration with some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s top producers, such as Harder, David Atai, Tenei “10A” Kesha, and Christian Mausia, creating family-friendly tunes.

Two PMA trustees, Petrina Togi Sa’ena, PMA Event Manager, and Fonoti Pati Umaga QSM, a renowned musician and disability leader, discussed the project on Island Time, reflecting on how it has been a long-awaited dream come true.

“As a trust we thought, is there something else that we can do,” Sa’ena says. “Thinking [about] the space of language revitalisation, the place that music plays in that and just how important music is for our cultures, we morphed this project to create some new songs.”

Umaga adds that the collaborative efforts aim to develop and nurture the next generation.

“We’ve been talking together for a number of years…to see if we can support the development of language through music…bringing in some of our younger artists who may not be really that confident with the language.”

HIVA FOLAU VAKA encompasses traditional and contemporary genres, featuring everything from musical instruments and chants to RnB and Reggae, performed by an all-ages collective of artists.

The album includes a powerful anthem of unity and hope, Tala-Noa, a waiata in te reo Māori and Gagana Sāmoa.

The song, created during the project’s pilot stages and debuted at the opening of the 2024 PMAs, was written and performed by Rika, Kas Tha Feelstyle, Tipene, Kenzie from Welly, Mo Etc., and produced by 10A.

Watch Petrina Togi-Sa'ena and Fonoti Pati Umaga's full interview below.

A joint statement from the PMA Trust says the creative process for Tala-Noa laid the blueprint for the remaining songs, using a “village approach” with gatherings in Auckland and Wellington.

"As a proud Cook Islander it was an easy yes when asked to be a part of this project,” Atai, from Nesian Mystik and the Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa, says. “When we preserve our language, we preserve our identity, our culture, our people. HIVA FOLAU VAKA embodies this ethos."

For Harder, working on the album has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.

He says the collaborating and writing songs in Pacific languages allowed him to “connect deeper with these cultures and build great friendships”.

“I found a new love and respect for the languages, and the process of learning and translating even the smallest phrases opened my mind to a whole new world of sound. Creating music that brings our Pacific languages to more ears and hearts is a privilege I cherish.”

The project was made possible through funding from NZ On Air in partnership with the Centre for Pacific Languages, along with support from Big Pop Studios and Massey University - Ahumairangi Studio and APRA AMCOS.

Hiva Folau Vaka. Photo/Pacific Music Awards/Facebook

The trust hopes the album can help bridge the gap for families who may feel distant or disconnected from their communities and homelands. They envision the collection of songs as potential new Pacific classics for the future.

Togi-Sa’ena highlights the project’s dual legacy - from process to product - and the long-term value of HIVA FOLAU VAKA.

“We had professional studios, producers brought in, knowledge holders, language experts in the room so our artists were able to come in and be fully supported,” she says.

“Songs have a great long lifetime and we’re hoping these will be songs that our community will pick up and love and hopefully an inspiration to learn their language.”

The Pacific Music Awards Trust took a "village approach" to the project. Photo/Pacific Music Awards

Umaga believes the album will have a profound emotional impact, evidenced during a listening session with the artists’ families.

“We got the artists to come up and talk a bit about their songs, what it meant for them, and how it was created and recorded,” he says.

“The producer spoke as well and then when they performed it you just see the faces of the people that were. Some of them were actually in tears, especially songs written about family members or grandparents or others who had passed, that was some of the highlights for me.”

Umaga hopes the project will set a new bar for young Pacific artists to embrace their languages across traditional and modern music. He says music’s role in Pacific storytelling offers deep healing and support, especially for youth confronting mental health, disability, domestic and family violence, and suicide prevention.

Pre-save HIVA FOLAU VAKA here.

Full artists list:

Eseta

Fredwyn

Heiressofthegame

Jasmine Leota & Isitolo Alesana

Jere Snohh

Kas Tha Feelstyle

Kenzie from Welly

Kitoria & Nayeza

Liana

Lio Soul

LJ Unuia

Maisey Rika

Malekeline

Mo Etc

Rosetta Lopa & Nate Lopa

Tarani Takai

The Tuloto Band

Tilly & Sagita Lesa

Tipene

Vitinia

Vox Dawn

Producers:

Christian Mausia

David Atai

NOÉ | Seru Tuivoavoa

Tenei ‘10A’ Kesha

Trek One | Lance Wairau-Laga

Vince Harder