By Staff Writer
Samoan comedian Tofiga Fepulea’i or Aunty Tala of the Laughing Samoans, will host a first of its kind televised and digitally streamed online music concert this coming Saturday, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pacific Islands.
Selected artists from the islands including Samoa , New Zealand and Australia are lined up for performances on the virtual concert.
‘Pacific Unite: Saving Lives’ is the chosen theme for the event organised by the UN Office in Fiji.
The call is for leaders and prominent citizens in the region to work together to fight against the pandemic alongside world efforts.
Special appearances are also being set up from the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Miss Pacific Islands 2018-19 Leoshina Kariha, Her Royal Highness Princess Salote Mafileó Pilolevu Tuita of Tonga, Director of the World Health Organisation Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Palau President Tommy Remengesau, and more.
“This will be the first ever virtual concert to comprise primarily of artists from across the region and be accessible to audiences not only in the Pacific but around the world,” said Tofiga .
“I’m very proud to be part of this historic event. Now is the time for us to come together, to celebrate the strength and solutions that are possible when the Pacific unites.”
Concert organises said the “Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together is an opportunity for the geographically remote Pacific region to connect with each other and the rest of the world, recognising that we must work together to beat COVID-19 and build a better future.
“The concert will pay tribute to essential workers across the Pacific for the work they’ve done so far to prevent transmission and save lives,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator for ten countries in the Pacific, Sanaka Samarasinha.
“But we must remain vigilant as COVID-19 is still raging around the world. At the same time, we see the devastation it has already caused for our island nations, destroying the livelihoods of many, disrupting education, stretching basic health services, increasing nutritional deficiencies of children and undermining the human rights of those who were already vulnerable – especially women and girls, people with disabilities, youth, migrant workers, refugees and the elderly.”
“The Pacific Unite virtual concert is a call, through music and art, for continued solidarity across the region as we face this unprecedented challenge together. It is also a reminder that as we rise up as a family of nations, we must seize the opportunity to build a more inclusive and resilient Pacific and a more sustainable and equitable world.”
Pacific Unite: Saving Lives Together will be aired by broadcasters including Fiji Broadcasting Commission, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation, Tonga Broadcasting Commission, Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited, 103.5 FM (Marshall Islands), PAOA FM (Solomon Islands), Palau National Communication Corporation, and more to come.
“Music brings people together in harmony, reminding us of our common bonds and all that is possible when we work together,” said Te Vaka songwriter and vocalist Opetaia Foa’i.
“It is a privilege to be part of this special event, helping to unite people across the Pacific and around the world in the fight against COVID-19.”
Already among the most remote countries on earth, Pacific island states saw their vital economic links weakened in recent months with the evaporation of tourism, severe disruptions to international trade, and a reduction in remittances.