Stuff We Like
Stuff We Like
Eclectic & Electric Vaka Te Vaka's Live at Apia Park DVD is a dream come true for devoted fans of New Zealand's popular contemporary Polynesian band. The DVD, which was released last year, follows the group's three successful albums. The DVD includes footage from Te Vaka's 2002 concert in Apia, Samoa, "other stuff" the 11-person group did while in Samoa such as visiting schools, three music videos and more. It is exciting to watch Te Vaka, whose songs are primarily in the Tokelauan language, dance and sing in front of a crowd of over 20,000. The energy level peaks when they perform their hit "Pate Pate" wherein teenagers and adults alike go wild. www.tevaka.com. US$22.99. - ADVERTISEMENT -
Polynesian Vibrations Polynesia, the new CD by Tabu, AKA Gladys Ualani Pulotu, is a unique blend of Jawaiian, Tongan and R&B beats. Tabu's Hawaiian influences are obvious given that she is a Tongan from Hawaii. Her song "Tabu Love" starts off with a Hawaiian chant performed as a rap, and "Polynesia (Rainbow Country)," the album's title track, is a reggae inspired tribute to her Pacific Islands roots. The CD has the tendency at times to take the listener back to the '80s with Tabu's techno remake of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," which features a bizarre voice in the background. The highlights of Polynesia are the songs sung in her native language. They include "Eva Mai Ki Tonga," "Aue," and "Isa E!," all of which showcase Tabu's sweet and soulful voice. www.Tabu411.com. US$12.99
Never Behind Papua New Guinea's online version of The National newspaper (www.thenational.com.pg) could very well be one of the most current and up to date online news sources in the Pacific. For example, the homepage alone is packed full with news about the Lukim PNG Nau Expo 2004 and National Tourism Seminar in Port Moresby, the Hawks rugby team and their new uniforms along with the new look of the Raun Raun Theatre in Goroka. The Website also features a link to the "Journey To Paradise" promotional Website for travel to "Niugini." Unfortunately, the regional news is not from the Pacific Islands, but rather is geared towards Asia. www.thenational.com.pg/.
Diverse Micronesia Neil M. Levy's most recent edition of Moon Handbooks Micronesia is a thorough journey through an often-overlooked part of the Pacific Islands. The book opens with a good map of Micronesia and an introduction to the region and its peoples. Levy then moves into detailed descriptions of the islands country by country. This travel book never gets boring for Levy provides the reader with interesting cultural vignettes about Pohnpeian sakau and Yapese betel nut, "practicalities" and "impracticalities" of each island, in addition to the usual necessary information on hotel accommodations and what to do. Moon Handbooks Micronesia falls short on its usage of indigenous Micronesian words, some of which are misspelled and taken out of context. Despite this, it is a useful guide for this part of the Pacific. www.moon.com. US$17.95 |
