Transcript
Soulful RnB artist Aaradhna walked away with four awards for her work towards her 2016 album. Aaradhna's 'Brown Girl' got Best Pacific Female Artist, Best Pacific Song and New Zealand's Best Pacific Music Album. She says her journey as woman of Samoan/Indian descent inspired her song.
"It means a lot to me because that song comes from a real place and just to know that people are feeling it and just to get this [award] I'm just grateful. Always grateful."
Aaradhna looks to her parents when she thinks about what it means to be Samoan.
"I just feel happy that I can take something [award] home to my parents. Like my mum and dad, you know, they'll love this on their fireplace, so [laughs]."
Aaradhna also won the Best Pacific Music Video for her song 'Welcome to the Jungle'. South Auckland singer Annie Grace was Best Pacific Gospel Artist. Ms Grace shared the sacrifices of the women in her family and why that makes her proud to be Samoan.
"I went to the markets where I heard that my nana used to sell coconuts, so that she could pay for my mother's fare to come to New Zealand. I just wept at the market thinking about her and just imagining and envisioning the hour bus ride that she had to take to get to the market, so that I could be here today and for me that is what it means to be Samoan."
The gospel songwriter's recent music video 'Loimata o le fiafia' showcased the Samoan culture.
"That video clip took so much tears, so many tears and so many prayers on my knees that the world will actually know my language and know my heart and empower every Samoan child, every Samoan youth, every Samoan person that's in the world today just to rise up and embrace who you are, your culture and your identity as a Samoan."
Front-man of Te Vaka, Opetaia Foa'i, received the Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement for his musical contributions to the Disney animated film Moana. Mr Foa'i says his childhood in Samoa gave him direction for the songs he wrote in the film.
"I was brought up in a village. I was brought up in a Samoan village where music is very much part of life, of the community, so all that emotion and things is what I learnt way back there. It's so easy for me to put our culture into this movie because it's inside."
Opetaia Foa'i's daughter, Olivia Foa'i, won the award for Best Pacific Language for the song 'Tulou Tagaloa', which also featured in Moana.
