Friday 25 April 2014

EXPERIENCE A TASTE OF ALL THINGS SAMOAN AT ‘PACIFIC VOICES LONDON’ RAISING MONEY FOR PACIFIC CULTURAL ARTS PROJECTS ON 19 MAY 2014

The Gafa Arts Collective (GAC) is back and they are excited to announce that they will be pooling a number of celebrated Pacific, New Zealand and Australian talents such as Ben Makisi and Aivale Cole for one night only for a fundraising concert, Pacific Voices London, taking place 19 May 2014 at 7pm at Chelsea Old Town Hall. The concert will provide a unique mix of traditional opera with more contemporary Pacific arts, a must-see for culture vultures and music lovers, with money raised going towards future Pacific cultural arts projects. Tickets are available at www.gafasamoa.com.

The GAC is excited to showcase the amazing talents of Tongan Tenor, Ben Makisi, who will be making a guest appearance at this fundraising concert. He will be joined by the likes of Samoan soprano, Aivale Cole, aligning operatic favourites such as Nessun Dorma and O mio babbino with an interesting programme of contemporary Samoan and Pacific music, poetry and culture.

“It is a real coup to have Ben and Aivale on the same stage and along with the other GAC luminaries, Londoners are in for a real treat”, says Creative Director and Tenor Sani Muliaumaseali’i who will also be lending his talent to the evenings proceedings.

Other artists who will be joining the collective on the night include GAC newcomer contemporary Samoan poet, Courtney Sina Meredith, who has already been making waves in the art world and will be reciting some of her works alongside Pacific artist and GAC associate director, Rosanna Raymond. Innovative New Zealand composer, Simon Eastwood, and Australians Louise Callinan (mezzo soprano) plus accompanist Kathryn Bolitho will also be joining the GAC in full support of the cause.

Specific causes that will benefit from the event will include the promotion and development of Samoan and Pacific Art, artists, language and culture in the UK, including the GAC London School of Samoan Language, a new initiative which is being implemented in April 2014. The GAC was founded in 2011 by Creative Director and Tenor Sani Muliaumaseali’i and has been actively promoting the talents of Samoa and the Pacific ever since with regular events held across the UK.

For more information on the event visit www.gafasamoa.com and for further information on Samoa as a destination visit www.samoa.travel.
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For more information on the event please contact:
Gafa Arts Collective
Olaminas Jones 
Tel: +44 7939 719 151
E-mail
: gafa@gafasamoa.com   

For Media Enquiries Please Contact:
Anna Wolstenholme
Tel: +44 208 877 4511

Notes to Editors:
Pacific Voices London is presented by the GAFA Arts Collective
Date & Time: Monday 19 May 2014, at 7.00 pm
Venue: Chelsea Old Town Hall, King's Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW3 5EE.
Tickets
: £30, £20, £15 (concession) available from: www.gafasamoa.com   

Samoa
The Treasured Islands of the South Pacific are the true heart of Polynesia and Samoa is one of the first places in the world to see the sunrise. Ten islands of stunning wild beauty, five only of which are inhabited, Samoa - or The Independent State of Samoa as it is formally known so as to avoid confusion with American Samoa, is paradise waiting to be explored. From powder soft beaches, to warm tropical seas, colourful coral reefs alive with marine life. The rugged, lush interiors reveal endless wildlife, waterfalls and hiking trails. Former home and resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson, also known as ‘Tusitala’. Samoa is less than four hours from Auckland and approximately five hours from Sydney and Brisbane on Virgin Samoa flights on www.virginaustralia.com. www.samoa.travel