Pacific Underground goes symphonic

RNZ News

22-05-2025

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Pos Mavaega (musical director) and Tanya Muagututi'a (lead creative and co-leader) from Pacific Underground.
Photo:
The Press
At lot of household names in New Zealand entertainment have made art with Pacific Underground: Oscar Kightly, David Fane, Ladi6, Dallas Tamaira - to name a few - since the Christchurch based performing arts collective began in 1993.
From Thursday 22 May, you can add the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra to the list.
That's when the CSO will join the Pacific Underground Band in the Christchurch Town Hall for the
Ōtautahi Pasifika Legacy Project.
The project, which came out of a request from the CSO itself, features Pasifika music and poetry including the performing talents of
Mark Vanilau
and poet
Tusiata Avia
with orchestral arrangements by
Seta Timo
.
Pacific Underground director, Pos Mavaega, and conductor Samiu Katoa Uatahausi spoke with RNZ Concert ahead of the gig.
Mavaega says the opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra was too good to turn down.
Tongan-born Maestro Samiu Katoa Uatahausi.
Photo:
Supplied
Uatahausi will be making his CSO conducting debut. Originally from Tonga, he came to classical music via the trumpet, having grown up as part of the Kingdom's thriving brass band scene, before migrating to New Zealand.
He learned his conducting skills as a pupil of leading Kiwi choral conductor Dr Karen Grylls.
Mavaega says the concert is part of Pacific Underground's thirtieth anniversary celebrations - and is a tribute to his parents' generation who made the choice to move to Christchurch.
He's excited not just to be performing with the CSO - he's a guitarist with the Pacific Underground - but also to have three generations of Christchurch's Pasifika community up on stage, including four of his own family.
CSO - how's that for a big band?
Photo:
Duncan Shaw-Brown