Festival draws near

[Stacey King]

FIJI TIMES ONLINE - Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Fiji delegates waiting for the bus in Tahiti during the last festival.
Three more days to go? I can't believe it. The Pacific Youth Festival begins at Suva's Albert Park in just three days time. We have certainly come a long way and encountered challenges all the way but I'm glad to see that the organisers have stuck to their guns and continued to push on with their preparations. I'm excited and I just can't wait to meet regional peers who have chosen to come in and participate in this event. I am humbled by their continued willingness to come and participate and their understanding of our unique situation.

For me, this is Pacific Youth solidarity at work and exactly what we ordinary youths in Fiji need at this time.
So I'd like to pay tribute to my peers and their governments in Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, Marshalls, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Wallis and Futuna, Kiribati and the Cook Islands.

Delegates are expected to begin arriving into the country from July 7 to 12.

Tuvalu is expected to be the first to arrive and will travel by boat from Funafuti to Suva. The opening ceremony on July 11 will begin with a march through Suva City by country delegates to Albert Park.

Whilst most of the ceremony will be formal, the performances being coordinated by the Fiji Arts Council is expected to showcase Fiji as a leader in the Pacific in terms of contemporary art, energy, and vibrancy.

Master Lai's Conservatorium of Music will be conducting the traditional yaqona ceremony to welcome regional participants and it is expected that they will also perform a meke during the entertainment.

Peter Sipeli who is coordinating groups for the performances says a traditional Rotuman dance will be performed by a group from the Itumuta Dance Group.

One of the seven districts on the Island of Rotuma, Itumuta is perhaps well known for its lively dances - just ask those who attended the 2009 Rotuma Day celebrations at the Vodafone Arena like my friend Jacob Itautoka.

Jacob who is the president of the PYF Fiji alumni and a key PYF organizer insists that although they are good dancers in Itumuta, Malhaha where he hails from literally means knowledgeable?

I can't relate that to him though? Sorry Jacob. The Shobna Chanel Dance group and the Banaban Council Dance group will perform traditional dances representing the different cultures in Fiji.

I think the Fiji Chinese Youth Association will also perform and rightfully so because a few of their members have been closely working with the Department of Youth and Sports through the years.

Even at the PYF in Tahiti, Tracey Young who was chosen from the Chinese Youth Association to be part of the Fiji delegation performed a Chinese fan dance.

Well funnily enough - Tracey's performance debut wasn't the Chinese fan dance - it was a hula to a panana challenge from the Tahitian boys.

For the closing ceremony, Letila Mitchell, Peter and the crew at the Fiji Arts Council are lining up some big names like Black Rose, True Vibes and contemporary Pacific dance groups like Rako and Vou.

Letila says the closing will focus on a more Pacific/contemporary theme with emphasis on youth energy.

In other words, we are having a Party. So wherever you are - this kind of events come only once in while and for free, so if you're in Suva on the July 11, the place to be is Albert Park.