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If you are a Siva Afi (fire knife dance) performer you are going to want to know how to tie a lavalava. A lavalava is known as a pareo or sarong in other places.  In Samoa it is called a lavalava, ie lavalava or just an ie.  It is the material that is used as clothing and wrapped around the waist or body. Siva Afi performers use them in their performances as it was traditionally used by our warriors when they went to war. For those of you who don't know siva afi is an adaptation of the ailao, a...

Today we are sharing 5 Samoan phrases if you don't speak Samoan. If I can go to school and learn German and Spanish then anyone can learn Samoan. Our Learn Samoan series will help you to continue your Samoan journey whatever stage you are at. Phrase 1 E te iloa tautala faaperetania? Do you speak English? Phrase 2 Oute le iloa tautala faasamoa. I don't know how to speak Samoan. Phrase 3 Ua e malamalama? Do you understand? Phrase 4 Ua ou malamalama. I understand.  Phrase 5 Oute le malamalama. I don't understand. To hear the audio and pronunciations of the...

I grew up in a Christian household and saw tattoos as defiling our bodies. Movies and television depicted villains and "bad people" with tattoos. Tattoos in my youth meant something negative. Then as a teenager the cool thing to do was get a taulima (tattoo around arm). Today the cool thing would equate to a sleeve. The thing is, even though it is cool, it doesn't give our people the actual connection that tatau (tattoo) has to our Samoan culture.  Each motif has a meaning. Placement in the pe'a and malu has a meaning. We lose the meaning of the...

Forgot to get mum a gift for Mother's Day?  You could learn this beautiful Samoan song to sing for mum on her special day.     Here are the words: Samoan Lyrics 1. Oute alofa, ia oe tina.* Ua auina mai a’u ia oe e le Tama. Pe a ou latalata ia oe. Oute iloa lou alofa ia te a’u. 2. Oute alofa, ia oe tina. Oute fia fesoasoani ia oe. Ma usita’i, ia te oe. Fiafia aua oute alofa fo’i ia oe. Oute alofa ia oe lo’u tina. English Translation 1. Mother*, I love you; mother, I do. Father...

It has been a few years since we updated our Favourite Samoan Actors blog.  We are so happy we did so that we could share our newest favs.  Enjoy our 5 Favourite Samoan Actors of 2021.   Image Credit: IMDb Beulah Koale You will most likely recognise Beulah from his role as Officer Junior Reigns on Hawaii Five-O or in New Zealand on Shortland Street.  But Beulah is also seen on the big screen in movies such as One Thousand Ropes as well as the award-winning short film Manurewa. Beulah has made our list because we know that this is...