Pacific Magazine > Magazine > January 1, 2006

Pacific Travel - American Samoa

Dancing The Night Away

American Samoa’s Colorful Fiafia Shows

By Floyd K. Takeuchi

 

Tourism development has not figured high in the economic development plans of American Samoa for too many years. While that is changing under the administration of Governor Togiola Tulafono, a consequence of years of neglect is the belief that "there isn't much to do" on Tutuila, the main island in the U.S. territory. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Staffers of the Clarion Tradewinds Hotel practice during the week for their performance at Friday's Fiafia Night. [All Photos: Floyd K. Takeuchi]

While most regional tourist attention focuses on neighboring Samoa, American Samoa offers the intrepid traveler a chance to experience Samoan culture like a local, without the polish that comes with visitor industry seminars and consultants. One of the best examples of the charm and color of discovering American Samoa is the weekly fiafia performances on Tutuila.

Fiafia is Samoan for "happy." It is an apt description of the high-energy cultural dance performances that are a must-see for any traveler to the Samoas. On Tutuila, the weekly fiafia celebrations take place at the Clarion Hotel Tradewinds in Tafuna and the Sadie Thompson Inn in Fagatogo. And because they take place on different days--Sadie's fiafia is on Wednesday night, while the Tradewinds performance takes place on Friday evening--you could experience both shows in one trip.

Sadie's Fiafia Night features a variety of Polynesian dances. Here, the performers are dancing a Hawaiian dance.

They are both worth seeing. The shows reflect their venues. The fiafia at Sadie's, an inn along the Fagatogo waterfront, feels like you have been invited to a party in someone's backyard. The fiafia at the Tradewinds is bigger, like the hotel, but no less warm and inviting.

Both shows rely primarily on staff that does double duty asperformers. The dual role makes for some interesting situations. On afternoons leading up to the Friday night fiafia, you can usually find a few of Tradewinds' staff out by the pool, laughing while they practice their dances. If you have dinner at the highly-regarded restaurant at Sadie's early on a Wednesday evening, don't be surprised if a waitress appears at your table dressed in her elaborate dance attire.

Here, Sadie's dancers are performing a Samoan dance.

The Sadie's show is the smaller of the two fiafia. The hotel's proprietress, the vivacious Ta'aloga Drabble, turns the inn's small front courtyard into the performance venue. The dancers there include hotel staff, but also some younger girls who perform Hawaiian and Tahitian numbers. A group of boys perform the ever popular Samoan fire dance, but given the small size of the "stage," you might want to sit back a row or two. Music comes via CDs, and the energy level is high.

Here, a Sadie's dancer performs a Tahitian dance.

The Tradewinds fiafia has more performers, and the stage is larger. The fiafia highlights Samoan dancing, which has a mix of performers sitting and standing. As with any fiafia, the male performers' athletic dancing serves to accentuate the gracefulness of the moves by the young women.

Some fiafia shows in Apia, on the other side of the Samoa divide, have more performers than either show in American Samoa. But all of the performances I've seen, in either Samoa or American Samoa, have levels of energy and fun that can only come from performers who truly enjoy what they are doing.

Another appealing aspect of the American Samoa shows is that they attract good numbers of local residents. A visitor gets the sense that the performances have meaning for Samoans, who come for the entertainment and to see friends and relatives perform.

Staffers of the Clarion Tradewinds Hotel practice during the week for their performance at Friday's Fiafia Night.

Of course, there's more to an American Samoan experience than fiafia shows. There is spectacular hiking, gorgeous beaches and bays, and a huge national park to explore.

But for the traveler on a tight schedule, American Samoa's fiafia shows make for an evening that captures the best of the rich Samoan culture.

For more information, contact the Clarion Hotel Tradewinds (www.tradewinds.as) on (684) 699-1000 or the Sadie Thompson Inn (www.sadiethompsoninn.com) or (684) 633-5981.