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Heiva i Tahiti is back in force

Once again, the sound of pahu and tō’ere rumbles through the valleys. The voices rise in unison. The senses are awakening. Bodies move and atune to the sound of the softest ‘aparima as well as the ‘ōte’a so powerful and full of energy.

Hear! See! Live!

Heiva i Tahiti is back in force…

After two years without a competition, more than a thousand artists invite us to join them on the paths of creation, in the footsteps of heritage, on the paths of the Polynesian soul dotted with legends, memories and history.

The Heiva i Tahiti is an emotional encounter, a meeting with ourselves, a plunge into our age-old culture, made of grace and liveliness, festivities and competitions, diversity and unity. Dualities that unite us: the Heiva i Tahiti is certainly the most beautiful expression of Polynesian culture. The time has come to give it back its rightful place!

To’atā is getting ready for this. The mythical stage, the venue for all the greatest cultural events, will host 18 song and dance groups from 1 to 16 July 2022, during five evenings of competition, an awards evening and two winners’ evenings.

9 pupu ‘ori: 3 in the hura ava tau category, 6 in hura tau category; and 9 pupu hīmene: 4 in tārava Tahiti, 1 in tārava Raromata’i and 4 in tārava Tuha’a Pae will compete. All these groups are eager to show the fruits of their efforts after several months of preparation.

Whether author, choreographer, musician, singer, dancer, ‘ōrero, but also costume designer, supplier of raw materials, maker of instruments as well as scenery, etc., they have put their time, energy and all their heart into it. These men and women, young and old, are both witnesses and transmitters of tradition.

These guardians of our culture tirelessly weave timeless bonds between our past and our present; bonds that strengthen us and will strengthen us again tomorrow. They root and enrich us in our identity so that we can always stand tall in the face of adversity.

French Polynesia and its public service, organizers of the Heiva i Tahiti, are proud to support the holding of this flagship event, the jewel of Polynesian culture for 141 years. May it survive us for a long time…

‘Ia haruru ā te pahu mai te ‘are i ni’a i te a’au

‘Ia ta’i ā te tō’ere mai te tō’are, fa’atete i te ra’i

‘Ia ‘oto ā te reo hīmene ‘aruera’a i tō tāua ‘āi’a.

‘Ia marae te marae. ‘Ia fenua te fenua.

 

A Heiva ana’e ra tātou !

Heremoana Maamaatuaiahutapu

Minister of Culture

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Tahiti ti’a mai, a clip, a message

In the spirit of the Festival and its promising name – Tahiti ti’a mai, literally “Tahiti stand up” – the Ministry of Culture wished to take up Coco Hotahota’s ‘aparima of the same name. Written in 1983 after the passage of cyclone Veena in Polynesia, it was performed in 1984 by Irma Prince on the occasion of a particularly emotional Heiva of solidarity.

The Ministry of Culture and TNTV in partnership with the Conservatoire Artistique de Polynésie Française coordinated the recording of this moving song. Many artists were brought together for the occasion, on the Playing for Change movement concept initiated in 2002 and designed to connect the world through music.

More modestly, the Country’s approach invites Polynesians to come together to get through difficult times. Resilience and hope are thus the key words of the project, and respond, almost 37 years after the performance of this song, to another painful period for our fenua.

The event grew as it went along, driven by the pleasure of getting together and the desire to participate. In the end, more than thirty singers of all generations and more than twenty musicians took part in the filming, which was held on different sites with strong symbolic value: the Museum of Tahiti and her Islands, the Assembly of French Polynesia, the Marae Taputapuätea in Raiatea, etc. The teachers of the Conservatoire were responsible for writing the arrangements, the musical conception and the vocal structure of the choir, and they took part in the performance with their students.

The images of our archipelagos are by Olivier Chiabodo, the song is followed by a performance of Bobby Holcomb’s Porinetia.

Photo gallery of the Heiva Dance Schools 2020