Canaan Ene: Reviving music with authenticity and collaboration

Canaan Ene has established himself as a master mixer, capable of transforming almost any song from any genre into a reggae hit.

The Sāmoan producer, videographer, and film-maker is renowned for his slick electronic beats and his social media series, Every Song is a Reggae Song.

“I think one of the cool things that I do with the reggae remixes, in terms of the song selection, is they’re songs that we've grown up listening to, you hear it at functions, weddings, and birthdays,” he says in an interview with Niu FM.

One of his most popular remakes is the reggae version of Adele’s Easy On Me, which gained global attention on TikTok and has received praise from American artists such as RUSS, Emily Bear, and Jay Sean. The track currently boasts over 2.6 million views on YouTube.

Ene has received a nomination for the Pacific Music Awards (PMA) in the Best Producer category for the second time. His name is also associated with several finalists this year.

“Man, it's always a privilege to be acknowledged for the work that you do,” he says.

“This time it's just music, but I think it's cool because there are like six songs that I'm nominated for.”

One of the reggae remixes nominated is Ene’s collaboration with Folau, a Tongan artist, on a Celine Dion classic, That’s The Way It Is.

The project emerged after Ene teased the idea on social media, leading Folau to request to provide vocals for the track, which was released in December 2024.

Having grown up in a religious household as a “PK” or “Pastor’s Kid”, Ene draws heavily from his gospel roots as a musical influence.

In 2023, Ene received a PMA nomination in the Best Gospel Song category for his reggae worship track, Tabamuni, featuring Fijian soul singer Junior Soqeta.

Ene also teased a gospel reggae EP that fans can look forward to soon.

Behind the beat

Ene’s feel-good summer song, Handyman, features Tongan powerhouse Sione Toki, who provided vocals for the track.

The song’s message is centred around the need for a Jack-of-all-trades who can fix both labour and love problems. Ene says the song is a tribute to Sāmoan roots musician Laga Savea.

“I wanted to make something that was sort of channeling his musical style,” Ene says.

“We went back and forth with the drums, and I actually ended up getting a real drummer to play on the song. One of the things about Langa Savea's music is the lively component to it, so it felt like it needed that real drum sound.”

A legacy of collaboration

The Pacific music scene faced a major loss with the passing of the legendary George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso, a pioneer of the Poly-Reggae sound who was among the many icons to take Pacific languages to global audiences.

Fiji died last month at his home in Suva after a long illness. He was 55 years old.

Ene believes Fiji’s legacy has left a lasting impact on many Pacific musicians worldwide, emphasising his humility.

“One thing I take away from Fiji is that with his talent and with what he's been able to do and his experience around the world and in the music industry, he still kept his heart,” Ene says.

“That's something that I will carry with me - that no matter what heights I achieve in the industry, never lose your touch or who you are.”

As for the legacy Ene hopes to create, he says growth through collaboration is important.

“I hope that everyone who works with me grows, grows together or learns something from me, or I learned something from them, in terms of the body of work that I leave behind or the impact that I make on people," he says.

I hope that people hold who they are. Music is a great connector for people.”

The Pacific Music Awards night will be held at the Manukau Due Drops Events Centre on Thursday, 21 August.