‘Āfine Niue’: A song of women and legacy from Island Vibes Funk

Auckland’s dynamic Pacific collective, Island Vibes Funk, has released its latest single, Āfine Niue, a heartfelt tribute to Niuean women.

The song honours the strength and beauty of Niuean women, highlighting their vital role in carrying Vagahau Niue (the Niuean Language) and culture forward.

Written and led by Niuean-Tongan-Sāmoan musician and performer Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, the track was released on 18 October, just in time for Faahi Tapu he Vagahau Niue | Niue Language Week.

Speaking on Island Time, Fa’avae-Jackson says the song was inspired by the strong women who raised him and, more importantly, his young daughter, Jhayla’Rose Tu’inukuafe-Jackson.

“It's just something about being a girl dad that makes you look into the future and you're like, ‘man, one day she's going to find a husband, she's going to forget about me’,” he says.

“I wanted her to forever have something to hold on to, to remind her that she’ll always be that strong Niue woman to me.”

Following the release of Fa’avae-Jackson’s solo single, Mavehe, fans requested an upbeat track in Vagahau Niue that they could koli (dance) to, leading to the creation of the reggae-funk sound of Āfine Niue.

Tui Akau’ola, the Director of Photography for the music video, helped capture intergenerational connections and storytelling.

The video features three generations of women passing down tāoga (precious heritage/treasures) such as family recipes, weaving practices, and dance. Fa'avae-Jackson’s own family appears in a sequence where they are baking coconut bread.

Watch Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson's full interview below

“So you get three different tāogas being passed down from generation of mother through to daughters and granddaughters,” he says.

“People have loved to see it, they think it's beautiful, [and] I'm just glad that people got to see the vision that I was trying to put out there as well.”

Formed around three years ago, Island Vibes Funk grew from a circle of long-time friends and performers who met at Auckland’s Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA).

The nine-member group includes female vocalists Joanna Mika-Toloa and Nyssa Collins, male singers ‘Aisea Latu, Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, and Saale Ilaua. Sefa Taouma is their lead guitarist, with Kevin Savili on bass. Organist/keyboardist is Simon Savili and Willie Tuionetoa on the drums.

Their diverse backgrounds of Niuean, Tongan, Sāmoan, and Māori heritage create a sound that blends island reggae, funk, R&B, language, and culture.

Fa'avae-Jackson says they aim to evoke the warmth of a family jam session.

“It's definitely like we bring the sound of your uncles jamming in the garage around a bowl of kava, or if it's a band of your aunties and uncles jamming with the ukuleles and guitars at a birthday, that's the kind of sound, the feeling, and the essence that we love to bring to our gigs.”

Reaction to Island Vibes Funk's latest single 'Āfine Niue'. Photo/Screenshot/PMN News

Āfine Niue was made possible through PMN’s Moana Reo Media Fund, an initiative designed to support the development of innovative media content using Pacific languages.

This year’s final funding round introduced a new music category - Taian Kario n Ototo ao Anene, Music Projects.

Fa’avae-Jackson, who is a proud advocate for language preservation, says music is a pivotal tool for keeping our stories alive, especially for smaller island nations like Niue, given the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) classification of Vagahau as an endangered language.

“Before there was pen and paper, it was always through oral traditions,” he says. “Through performing arts…there's stories that are rich in those that we need to kind of keep using and pushing forward.”

In terms of what’s next for the band, Fa'avae-Jackson says, "We've still got music that's yet to be released. So just keep an eye out on our Island Vibes social media pages, we're on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.”

Āfine Niue is available on all streaming platforms.