Opetaia Foa'i
| Te Vaka | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Genres | South Pacific Fusion |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Warm Earth Records |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | Opetaia Foa'i Joe Toomata Douglas Bernard Olivia Foa'i Matatia Foa'i Etueni (Edwin) Pita Manase Foa'i |
| Past members | Sulata Foai-Amiatu Alana Foai-Auimatagi Vai Mahina Melodee Panapa-Leilua Jeff Harris Talaga Sale Neil Forrest Simona Hope Tremayne Lihou |
Te Vaka is an Oceanic music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by singer and songwriter Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand. They have toured the world consistently since 1997 and have won a number of awards including "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their albums Tutuki (2004) and Olatia (2007) from the New Zealand Music Awards and "Best Pacific Group" in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards They have also been acclaimed by the BBC as "the world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music."
Te Vaka is a group of eleven musicians and dancers from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, and New Zealand formed in 1997, under the leadership of award-winning songwriter, Opetaia Foa'i. That year, they released their eponymous debut album through ARC Music, a UK/European record company. The album gained immediate success and recognition, being distributed to over 80 countries. Their follow-up album, Ki Mua, was released through Warm Earth Records, and went #1 on world music charts and mainstream radio in the South Pacific.
In 2002, the band released their third album, Nukukehe. The album gained the group a nomination in the New Zealand Music Awards and the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. Their next albums entered the European World Music Charts, as well as winning numerous awards.
Through their career, Te Vaka has performed extensively around the world, performing in London’s Royal Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, as well as headlining music festivals throughout Europe like WOMAD. They have also performed at the APEC ministerial dinners and America's Cup events in Auckland, the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the Rugby World Cup in Paris and the Olympic Games in Beijing.
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