Pasifika Voice: Taking Culture To The Streets
The Pacific Islander Association (PIA) at Cal State Long Beach hosted their annual PASIFIKA VOICE (PV) event; a platform to elevate Pacific Islanders voices in speech, spoken word, and song. One of the lead-organizers for the 2015 event was PILOT alumnus, Grace Porotesano. The event also featured performances by PILOT alumni: Justin Kalolo, Celina Yandall, and Tonga Fakalata. Scroll to read what our students had to say about their PV experience.
“This was the first big event I had ever coordinated. I was nervous when I agreed to help Jasmine with the event because I had no idea what the process was like. I got a little taste of it last year when I was just following Fa’aputu Va’afuti around. She was one of the coordinators for last year’s PV. I was amazed at all of the paperwork she had to complete for certain things to happen. Luckily, Jasmine knew what she was doing so it made the planning a lot easier. We both agreed that a small intimate event would be better, instead of having 8-10 performances like we did last year.
We started planning early, which made things better, we booked the rooms, found performers, and catering; we came up with the theme, and even advertised. We didn’t wait till the last minute to do anything. When the event finally happened, everything ran smoothly. I guess you can say we operated on palagi time instead of Poly time. The one low I had was that I didn’t get to enjoy everyone’s performance. I was too busy running around to truly enjoy the event. But I guess Periscope makes up for that so I’m good. If anything, I am truly thankful and grateful for the wolfpack’s support. I couldn’t believe how many PILOT alumni showed up and supported the event. I can only imagine how many people will show up next year. To see everyone made my night, and I thank God that He has brought this family into my life.”
“I was nervous because I have never spoken in this type of setting. I have only spoken in a classroom, and I hadn’t anticipated such a difference until I saw the venue. I am grateful for the ‘Talk Behind Your Back’ exercise, because it supported the efforts of my inner voice. While listening to a recording of my talk, I realized that I was too worried about other things, and that what I cared about most was giving a message. Understanding what I really wanted to do helped ground the thoughts that were flying through my mind. I felt centered. As I was speaking, I tripped-out over the size of the crowd. I felt like I was in a fight, scrapping to calm down and be still. The lights were hella bright, so I could only see a few faces. The faces I saw were mixed between young and old. I expected it to be a young audience. I became more comfortable as I went on. I had to coach myself; I knew what I was talking about. I wasn’t trying to flex on anybody. I was thankful for the teaching of fakatapu and potopoto ‘a niu mui. When I finished, my inner critic came rushing in. I had to take a walk, get some air, and do my Self-Talk. I felt that I could have done better and thought of the other things that I had planned on saying but didn’t. After telling myself to nut up and get back to the event, I bumped into my older brother who only backed what everyone else would tell me, and what my inner voice was trying to say. There is nothing like having your big brother validate you. I wildly chased that as a youngin’, but now it is something I’ve learned to let come on it’s own. Watching my sisters go up and bring life with their voice was amazing. The storytelling was on point and their vibrations, lively. I thought of how cool it was to have shared a stage with them. The greatest part of the night was when the Pack took over the space in front of the ballrooms. It was like the moment at a family function where the young generation are all in one spot and vibing. I thank God for allowing us to cross paths and journey together. E ui ina tetele pesega, ae mapu lava ile o’o. I am proud to be a collection of who these people are.”
Three young Pacific Islanders stand smiling. There is one young man in the middle with his arms around each of the young women at his side.
“I love the idea of Pacific Islanders openly expressing their deepest emotions through their favorite form of art. As Pacific Islanders we are notorious for wearing a mask of intimidation. We often keep our feelings to ourselves because of our pride. As a result we are afraid to be vulnerable.
To participate in such an event is an absolute honor. I have been in love with music for as long as I can remember. And after losing my grandma, I decided I could no longer hide my passion. PIA was my very first public performance, it is where I chose to step out of my ‘music closet’. I am forever grateful to have been a part and plan to continue to represent my community.”
Five young Pacific Islander women stand together smiling.
“As a rookie to public speaking, why do we feel so much anxiety before going up on stage? In retrospect, I realize that it’s not so much the exposure that gives me anxiety, but the fear of being vulnerable in front of an audience. There is no real solution to overcoming the angst right before a performance, only tips and helpful strategies. What pulled me through during Pasifika Voice was the motivational mantra that each performer carried. Whether it was praying before a set, sharing motivational scripture, or even cheering loudly backstage. There was a communal sense that acknowledged the strong power that we carried within our character and love for our Pasifika culture. I believe this came from the prayers and mana of the collective.
The biggest takeaway I had was that public performance is terrifying, but with time and practice it will get better. There was an enlightening truth that came out of the chaos, which was that this is not the last time we may have to speak on behalf of our community, so we should appreciate our God-given craft now.”
Four Pacific Islanders stand together smiling. A young women second to the left has a stack of leis around her neck, and a money leis crown on her head.
“I was so proud of all the performers. I was so enlightened and empowered by all the performances including the dances the PIA girls did. Just to see some members from the pack go on stage sharing their light and knowledge made me so emotional. It’s always great seeing young minds come together to share their talent. Everyone from the pack that performed did an amazing job. The mana in that room radiated from them.
Jay Niko’s spoken word piece: Culture, moved me to tears. In only five minutes Jay was able articulate the many layers colonization has on our culture; and how hard it can be for us as Samoans, or as Pacific Islanders to find who we really are because of it. The way she spoke to my frustrations without really knowing me was in a way liberating. If there is ever a time I am unable to use my voice to raise awareness about: who I am, where I come from, and what I am capable of, I can now turn to Jay’s piece to do that for me. You had to be there to experience it for yourself.
A special shout out to Gracie and Jasmine for planning such a smooth and successful event. Before PILOT, I knew I needed a strong support system outside my family. The pack is what I’ve always needed and I would do anything to ensure that every single person receives the love and support they have given me. Congratulations to the performers of Pasifika Voice 2015, CSULB’s PIA, Gracie, and Jasmine. Thank you so much for an empowering night!”
Six young Pacific Islander students are standing and smiling.
“Each performance was unique and touched your mind, body, and soul to a point where you either wanted to stand and say ‘that’s right!’; get up and dance; or cry because you know what it felt like. I applaud Justin, Celina, Tonga, and Grace for sharing their talents and words with us. Reminding us that we are as big as the ocean we come from.
Justin’s performance was like a lecture and a life lesson all in one. I enjoyed listening to the intellect that Justin spits because it just makes sense, and is so heartfelt and real. Celina’s song choice made me feel right at home; from the first song to the last. It reminded me of high school, when I used to be a student trainer. Before every football game the Pacific Islanders would get together, pray and sing that song. It brought back a lot of good memories. Tonga’s words I could relate to big time. All the activities that she was doing in college, I did almost the exact same in high school. I tried to join every group possible to figure out who I was but there was always a missing piece. It wasn’t until after joining PILOT that I finally felt like I found a group of people who I feel whole with.
Grace was my favorite performance of the night because she is from my favorite cohort. Grace’s name speaks for the way she dances. So graceful and beautiful with every movement. Proud of all the hard work she put in to make an amazing event because it was more than I expected. If there was one word to describe that night, it would be mana-full. I can’t wait until the next event.”
Four young Pacific Islander student sit at the base of the UCLA Golden Bear statue, while a young Pacific Islander man sits on top of the Bear statue.