BUILDING A COLLEGE PROGRAM THROUGH MUSIC
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer
The American Samoa Community College Concert Choir, under the direction of Namulauulu Dr. Paul V. Pouesi, has released a collection of hymns titled "Lo’u Tama E," available in either CD or DVD format. This new release captures the sights and sounds of a special performance by the Choir, accompanied by a string orchestra this past January in Carson, California during their tour of Hawaii and the US West Coast.
Dr. Pouesi chose the title as a tribute to his father, the late Reverend Ioselani Pouesi, a medical doctor, minister and prolific composer of hymns in the Samoan language. "Lo’u Tama E" features the Choir performing eight of the Reverend’s compositions, and two by his son. For this recording, the Praise Symphony Orchestra of Carson provides accompaniment, lending an additional melodic sophistication to the already-powerful style of Samoan choral singing.
The new release came about as a result of Dr. Pouesi’s longstanding dream of re-establishing a brass ensemble at ASCC and organizing the College’s first string orchestra. Long ago, the College had its own stage and concert bands, until its music program fell victim to a lack of funding and qualified instructors. By the time Dr. Pouesi took charge of the Music Department in the mid-1990s, most of the instruments had fallen into disrepair or disappeared, although the school’s vocal ensembles had continued to flourish.
Faced with a limited budget with which to re-equip his program, Dr. Pouesi made ambitious plans last year to take the still-strong Concert Choir on a fundraising tour of Samoan communities in Hawaii and the US mainland over the Christmas holiday this past December and January. Simply getting the 30-plus members of the Choir to these destinations required months of advance planning and fundraising in itself, but once the tour got underway it went exceptionally well. The Samoan communities in the States gave the visitors from home their full support, often providing accommodation for the travelers in addition to donating generously towards their cause. Their performance at Reverend Malaki Tauilili’s Samoan Congregational Christian Church in Carson with the Praise Symphony Orchestra, recorded and filmed for "Lo’u Tama E," provided a fitting climax to a highly successful tour.
As a result of the Choir’s 2003 travels, and through additional support from the College’s Board of Higher Education, the ASCC music department received its first new set of brass and woodwind instruments in many years. Dr. Pouesi hopes to have an ASCC wind ensemble ready to perform in time for American Samoa’s Manu’a Flag Day celebration in early July. Happily, the strings will also arrive soon, thanks to Aliimau Jr. Scanlan, Director of the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce, who recently approved an additional grant to go towards the purchase of 32 new string instruments for the College.
The Choir may have accomplished their immediate goals, but given the amount of goodwill they generated on their last trip, it comes as no surprise that the ASCC Concert Choir will visit the US mainland again this summer, although on a smaller scale than last time. In late July, the Choir will travel to Long Beach, California, at the invitation of the organizers of the Tafesilafa’i Festival, an annual culture and arts celebration organized by the city’s Samoan community. This year’s Tafesilafa’i Festival will take place on July 30th and 31st at Long Beach’s Queen Mary Events Park.
While in California, the Choir will also revisit Rev. Tauiliili’s church in Carson for another recording session in early August. This time, they plan to record a selection of Christmas songs, accompanied once again by the Praise Symphony Orchestra. For their other concerts, however, they will stick to the secular repertoire that never fails to win over audiences. "For our Christmas recording," enthuses Dr. Pouesi, "I’ll select music from my father’s and my own compositions. For other concerts, we will sing Samoan music, and perform skits in our own language based on biblical scriptures and Samoan legends." At press time, the Choir has only confirmed their performances in Long Beach and Carson, but they may schedule additional appearances before they depart for the States in July.
While the principal goal of the forthcoming tour remains fundraising for the ASCC music program, Dr. Pouesi feels that the Choir’s visits overseas have additional positive aspects. "The Samoan communities in the States love it when they can enjoy a little bit of home," he explained. "Also, students from American Samoa find it enlightening to experience the US mainland, and to see how Samoans adjust to living there."
For more information on the ASCC Concert Choir, or the CD/DVD "Lo’u Tama E," visit Dr. Pouesi’s web site at http://www.geocities.com/profnamu. To find out more about the Tafesilafa’i Festival in Long Beach, visit http://www.tafesilafai.com.