Meeting Tiana Nonosina LIUFAU in Punaauia, 13th of July 2013

Interview of Tiana Nonosina LIUFAU in English, that was translated in French for the website Tahiti Info (TAHITI INFO ARTICLE LINK)

« My name is Tiana Nonosina LIUFAU, I was born and raised in Anaheim, California, but my family is from Samoa and Hawai’i. I came here because we have a group, we teach Ori Tahiti, and it’s important for me that my dancers come back to the Mother Land, to see the Fenua, the people… it’s important to know where the Ancestors come from.

My grandmother started the group in 1965, and then it was handed down to my mum and then to my brother Mevina. He wrote many songs that are played on the radio here, his son lives here and he lived here in Tahiti back and forth for ten years.

We started planning for this trip in January, to get the whole trip organized, the costumes, the tickets…

I wrote the show, with my partner, Mika, and I created the choreography for the boys and the girls, and the music… I am not Tahitian, I have Tongan, Samoan and Hawaiian blood, but for some reason, in my family, we love Ori Tahiti.

For me, Ori Tahiti represents being in touch with Polynesian ancestors. The stories are so similar, Hina, Tane, Tangaroa, Va’a, the Stars… it’s a good way for traditionnal and contemporary and we make it one.

We arrived July 11th and leave July 21st. We are going to have our big representation on the 17th, and be there at the Soirée des Lauréats, we’ll follow the Tuaro sports… We’ll have an island tour, see Teahupoo, so famous for surfing, we’ll see Mo’orea. We went to the Marae Arahurahu in Paea, yesterday (Friday 12th), to pay tribute to the Ancestors, we had a little ceremony there. We arrived the night before. We introduced ourselves to the Marae,  we said who we are, where we come from and that we have good intention.

There is 150 of us, kids, adults, dancers, and family, 95 will be performing on To’ata.

We love and respect the culture of this land so much, that’s why we’re here. Not to be famous or to make money. It has to come from your heart. I had to bring my dancers here, so they know, It’s a connect, we dance Aparima, Otea. Some people never came to Tahiti so they just imagined. We are dancing for Tahitian people, for them, for the Fenua, for these trees, and these stars… it costs money but it is worth it.

It’s not the first time Nonosina comes here. We came as a group in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2008, and we danced on Toata. As a group, it’s our 5^th time, but my brother and I, we have family here.

Nonosina is the story of a bird that flies high above the clouds, and when it goes underneath the clouds and that humans can see it, it means that’s a good sign. This bird is from Samoa, Nonosina is just its Samoa name, but you have it all over Polynesia, it’s also called Tavake. (She shows the logo on the tee shirt).”