I write the songs

Musician and academic Igelese Ete (right) appears on The Naked Choir this week as a mentor. He talks about his work on the Moana soundtrack and why singing is like rugby.

If you’re one of those people who reads film credits, then you may have seen the name Igelese Ete.

The Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised, Fiji-based Head of Performing Arts at Suva’s University of South Pacific was responsible for some of the music in the hit Disney film Moana. “That was a great experience,

Moana, especially from the New Zealand Pacific side because it speaks of our culture here,” says Ete.

“I was involved in the choral scores and my choir was the one that sang all the choral scores throughout the whole movie.

“I was working closely with Disney. Just consulting them and making sure the sound was authentically Pacific and that it wasn’t an Americanised version.”

For Moana’s world premiere, Ete visited Hollywood where he caught up with A-lister Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson whose voice was that of demi god Maui in the movie.

While in Los Angeles, Ete also chatted to Broadway sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was one of Moana’s composers.

Ete’s musical talents were also used behind the scenes on Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring where he was the choirmaster.

A then-teenage Jeff Hunkin, who now hosts The Naked Choir, was part of the film’s choir presided over by Ete.

“It was quite funny when I caught up with him. It was ‘Hey, you were in my choir. I remember you’.”

The Naked Choir is a local series in which a cappella groups sing their hearts out, hoping to be judged the best in the country by jurors Matt Gifford, Lizzie Marvelly and John Rosser. From a total of 60 groups, Hunkin selected eight for the TV series.

Ete, a youthful 49, appears in the show as a mentor when there are only four groups left.

“I spend time with each group just working on what qualities I think they need to work on,” he says.

“Obviously with different choirs there are different attributes, different strengths.”

One thing he likes about The Naked

Choir is that it shows how a passion for singing can bring people together.

“It’s a bit like rugby,” says Ete. “If you’re passionate about your sport you come together.”

Ete, who has three children aged 18, 14 and eight months, grew up in a household where music was simply part of everyday life.

Born in Samoa, he moved to Wellington with his family when he was seven. His father was a pastor and singing and performing in the church was encouraged.

“We never said ‘Hey we’re very musical’. It was just part of what we did so it was a given. I didn’t really notice it,” says Ete.

At age 11 he won a competition after composing a piece of music on his beloved piano.

“I was very much an introvert growing up,” he says. “My best friend was a piano. I was very shy.

“I remember one year at school they shifted me up to another class and I had no friends for a whole year. I was just by myself.

“My only friend would have been that piano so thanks to my friend the piano I’m here.”

As a young teen Ete joined his first choir. By age 14 he was the choirmaster for his Samoan congregational church in Newtown.

“My dad said I had to do it. That’s where it all started – within the church.”

Ete says he grew up listening to songs played on the now-defunct pop music video show Ready To Roll.

“There (was also) church music, Samoan music and classical music from my school so there was a mixture of all those different styles,” he says.

One of eight children (“a normal Samoan family”), Ete says that while his siblings were all musical, he was the one who took it furthest.

He sang in choirs at secondary school and studied music at tertiary level. He is currently working towards his PhD.

“I’m writing a new production based on my ancestoral roots and the sounds of my village back in Samoa,” says Ete.

As to whether any of his children are musical he says: “My 14 year old is a pianist so I think he may gravitate towards that.

“(But) he thinks he wants to be a graphic designer.”

“I was very much an introvert growing up. My best friend was a piano. I was very shy.”

– Igelese Ete