Led by Vaelupemaua Junior Kirstin Uatisone, the Tanoa o le Alofa Vaivase Uta Methodist Choir, with their creativity, wowed hundreds of people who were present at the National University of Samoa’s (NUS) annual graduation in 2024.
The videos of the choir’s singing, shared on social media by over a thousand Facebook users, have amazed various famous Samoan musicians, including Tanuvasa Faamanatu Solomona, the judge of Samoa Star Search, who was among the four hundred-plus graduates.
Moreover, it also garnered positive feedback from viewers.
A special moment for the choirmaster, Vaelupemaua, was when his choir was invited to perform at the conferral of the Doctorate of Laws to the first-ever woman Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, during the graduation, which also marked the 40-year anniversary of N.U.S.
What a treat it was for the graduating students.
In an interview with Samoa Newshub, Mr. Uatisone said this is the 11th year of his journey as a choirmaster.
“My love for music developed at a young age, starting from our church choir. I picked up playing the ukulele at Samoa Primary in 2007, but when I attended Church College Pesega, I really immersed myself in the music field, studied music theory, and classical piano under the direction of Brother Uili Lafaele, famously known as Pesega Boe, from 2011-2015.
“It was definitely not an easy start for a 15-year-old teenager at the time. It came with many sacrifices, trying to excel academically and having to commit to the choir two days a week, not missing a single morning and afternoon church service.”
Inspired by his uncles, Reverend Mataio Faaletonu Matai and Teotolite Elisara, who were former choirmasters of Tanoa o le Alofa Vaivase Uta Methodist choir, the 26-year-old organised a music workshop back in 2017, teaching the choir how to sight-read music (singing and understanding notes beforehand).
Everyone excelled in such a skill, which motivated Vaelupemaua to move on to teaching new songs, psalms, and choral pieces.
Securing a scholarship to study for his Bachelor of Arts in Suva, Fiji, from 2017-2019 was another door to grow in the music industry when he had to lead the Suva Samoa Congregation Choir amongst other musicians, the Pacific Theological College choir (PTC), Labasa LDS choir, and the Savaii Methodist Synod during Koneferenisi 2016, to name a few.
The Tanoa o le Alofa Vaivase Uta Methodist Choir has performed at various events.
‘Laititi ae maini’ is a Samoan phrase that many have used to describe this particular choir after they performed their own fantastic rendition of the National Anthem, Hallelujah Chorus, and the Battle of Jericho.
According to the Choirmaster, despite the attention his choir has gained, he remains humble without thinking that they are better than any other choir in the country, but he immediately thanked God for the talent.
Additionally, he expressed his sense of gratification for his family’s and friends’ unwavering support that has shaped the choirmaster he is today.
Most of the choir members are children and youths from Vaivase Uta Methodist Church, under the leadership of Reverend Tupu Selu and his wife, Eva.
“I am beyond grateful and blessed to work with such amazing and talented individuals of the choir and to be able to share my gift in developing their musical talents to praise the Almighty Lord and inspire aspiring musicians,” said Vaelupemaua Junior Kirstin Uatisone.
Fa’aliliuga i le gagana Samoa
E matua’i felanulanua’i lagona o le faitau selau o e na molimauina le fa’au’uga tele a le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa i le vaiaso talu ai, talu le leo mālie, ma le mata’ina o pesega a le Aufaipese a le Ekalesia Metotisi o le Tānoa o le Alofa mai Vaivase Uta.
O le aufaipese na ta’ita’ia e le ali’i faipese ia Vaelupemaua Junior Kirstin Uatisone, ua 11 ai nei tausaga o faia lea faiva i le Ekalesia.
E le gata na fa’amanuiaina ai i latou na i le fa’au’uga, ae o le afe ma afe o tagata na maimoa ai i luga o upegatafa’ilagi, na fa’aali o latou lagona me’eme’e ona o le tāpenaga e ofo ai.
Na i’u ai lava ina fa’aleoina ai le fa’afetai a se tasi o Tagata Musika iloga i le atunuu, o se Fa’amasino foi i le Sa’iliga Fētu a Samoa ia Tanuvasa Fa’amanatu Solomona.
O se fiafiaga sili mo Vaelupemaua, ua vala’auliaina lana aufaipese e fa’afiafia i se tasi o aso faitaulia i le Mālo, na fa’ae’e ai le Fa’ailoga Taualoa o le Fōma’i o le Tulafono i le ulua’i Palemia Tama’ita’i o le atunu’u, ia Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
E le gata i lea, o se mea’alofa matagofie mo le aso ua iu ai taumafaiga a le silia i le 400 o e na saili fa’ailoga maualuluga.
Na ta’ua e Vaelupemaua, o lona soifua auauna o se Faipese, na fa’aosofia i le va’ava’ai i nisi na mua i malae i lea faiva i le Ekalesia, ia Reverend Mataio Fa’aletonu Matai and Teotolite Elisara.
O le 2007 na iloa amata ai ona a’oa’oina i le tāina o le ukulele i le Aoga Tulaga Lua a le Samoa Primary. O’o atu le soifua a’oa’oina i le kolisi o Pesega, ma ua totō lava i lona loto, matāupu tau musika, ma a’oa’oina ai loa lesona piano i le fesoasoani a Uili Lafaele, po’o Pesega Boe ua lauiloa ai nei.
E lei faigofie le taumafai o le aoga ma le atina’eina o le taleni musika, ae o le loto lava na fai ai.
O Vaelupemaua ua 26 tausaga, ma na ia ta’ua, o lona avanoa fa’asikolasipi i Fiti mai le 2017-2019, o le isi faitoto’a lea mo avanoa tau musika ma faipese.
E ui i le to’atele o e na fa’aali lagona fa’afetai mo le aufaipese a le Ekalesia Metotisi a Vaivase Uta, e lei manatu le ali’i ta’ita’i pese o se vaega e ono ne’ene’e ai, ae fa’amaualalo pea ma vi’ia le Atua i le taleni.
O le aufaipese e to’atele i fānau talavou, ma o le fa’afeagaiga olo’o va’aia le Ekalesia e aga’i mai ai le aufaipese, o le susuga ia Tupu Selu ma le faletua ia Eva.
Na fa’afetaia e Vaelupemaua aiga ma uo ma le atunu’u ātoa i le amanaia o se fa’atauva’a.
Ua tele fa’amoemoe ua vala’aulia ai lenei aufaipese, ma o le naunautaiga ina ia fai ma fa’amanuiaga i fanau laiti olo’o iai le naunautaiga i le musika.