Samoan star tipped as big Pasifika drawcard
I never believed that I could get to where I’m going to perform. Tofaga Meke
One of Samoa’s hottest acts is taking the stage at this year’s Pasifika — the first time the songstress will perform in front of a festival crowd.
Tofaga Meke has been a regular feature on New Zealand’s YouTube music charts in recent months, despite her songs being sung entirely in the Samoan language.
The 32-year-old’s hit songs — including Kauvaga L¯ı, Le¯ Kea Ai Sesi, Sau i Lalo and OAiNaale Matagi — have been trending at the same time as some of Aotearoa’s best-known artists, including Stan Walker, and international acts such as Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Tongan-Hawaiian singer Josh Tatofi.
Meke has a huge fanbase among Samoans in the motherland and overseas, including here in New Zealand, and is expected to reel in a huge crowd when she takes the Samoan village stage today at the Pasifika Festival in Western Springs.
“I never believed that I could get to where I’m going to perform — at the Pasifika Festival. I’m thankful to God for His blessings and especially such opportunities,” she told the
Weekend Herald.
“I’m really happy to be there as this will be the first time I perform at a place like this.”
Meke started singing alongside her cousins at church, as part of the praise and worship team.
But her singing career started after appearing on a television singing competition dubbed Star Search — Samoa’s version of
American Idol — in 2020, where she made the final 12.
“I came away from that and started writing and composing a song that basically started my singing career on YouTube and social media.”
Meke said she thought one of the reasons her songs were popular with the public was her choice to use slang and the conversational Samoan people used on a daily basis.
“I think the use of everyday language makes it easier to understand. With some people, when the respectful dialect is used, they don’t understand.”
Pasifika is on today and tomorrow and will feature musical and cultural performances at seven Pacific Island villages — Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Niue and Aotearoa. A Fale Pasifika village will showcase performances native to Hawaii, Kiribati, Tahiti and Tokelau.
Each village will offer traditional and contemporary island foods and stalls will give visitors the chance to buy traditional arts and crafts too.
Among some of the big names performing are roots band Unity Pacific with Tigilau Ness and Che Fu, Parris Goebel’s Royal Family, Samoan singer Puni, Tatau Dance Group, Seth Hapu and Mal Lakatani.
It’s the 32nd festival, and with sun forecast on both days, big crowds are expected. In previous years, the festival has drawn up to 130,000 people.
● Tofaga Meke is playing on the Samoan village stage at Pasifika Festival at Western Springs, at 5.20pm today.