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Top 10 Artists From The Pacific Islands

admin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Pacific Islands are a sub-region of Oceania including Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Not a lot of people know where they are, much less that there are so many great artists who trace their ancestry back to them. Here are just ten of the most well-known artists descended from Pacific Islanders.

1. Nichole Scherzinger, best known for being the lead singer of pop group The Pussycat Dolls.
2. Shannyn Sossamon, an actress who got her breakout role as the female lead of A Knight’s Tale.
3. Keanu Reeves, on his father’s side. He is best known for acting in films like The Matrix.
4. Jason Momoa, actor, nominated for a Scream Actor for his role in Game of Thrones.
5. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, wrestler who branched out into acting.
6. Nephi Hannemann, Polynesian actor and recording artist.
7. Al Harrington, actor best known for his role as Ben Kokua on Hawaii Five-O.
8. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., an American hip-hop group consisting of four brothers from American Samoa.
9. The Katinas, a contemporary Christian music group popular in the 1990s, also a group of Samoan brothers.
10. Laisa Vulakoro, a recording artist. Her music mixes cultural folk music, disco, and rock.

Learning About Your Favorite Pacific Island Artist

admin — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Did you know that some of the greatest artists in history have come from the Pacific Islands? The land may be famed for its beautiful beaches and welcoming waters, but when it comes to culture, its inhabitants are right up there with the greats of the century.

Fiji, for example, is famous for its art, especially the beautiful and religiously sacred pottery of Kadavu Island. Fiji has also given the world “meke,” a type of dance that can be seen everywhere from street festivals to major sporting events.

You’ll also find music on the Marshall Islands, a small subset of greater Micronesia. The people of Marshall combine dancing, drumming and chanting for public dances that are both highly choreographed and highly unique.

Samoa is another country that’s made its mark on the arts, most notably on the red carpet. Hollywood is teeming with Samoan actors, including Nathaniel Lees (The Matrix) and Al Harrington (Family Law, Hawaii 5-0).

Who can forget Easter Island, too? Not only is it one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but its rich and diverse history has actually prompted UNESCO to declare many of its landmarks as World Heritage Sites. You can’t get more significant than that!The hits keep cominâ€™: Welcome to Suva

The History Of Amazing Artists In The Pacific Islands

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The islands of the Pacific have a rich history of folk art. Many of these artists have gone unsung or unrecognized. Many of them passed away before anyone could record their deeds or their businesses. Even though the recorded history of talented artists from places such as Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines may be short, there is still plenty to celebrate.

Perhaps the first artist that from a Pacific Island that springs to the mind of many people is not someone who painted anything. He did not make any sculptures either.This/tag helps explain it more. The artist in question is Don Ho. His pop musical styles may have been passe at one time, but now people are rediscovering Hawaiian music. It is no longer embarrassing for true music aficionados to admit that they enjoy listening to ukulele music. The ukulele may not be as popular as the Guitar, but it has regained some of its former popularity in recent years.

If the reader is more interested in the folk art of a given island, he should look up the specific customs of that island. If he can arrange a trip to the island or islands in question, he can study the folk art personally.

Artists Emerging From The Pacific Islands

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Most people know that Russell Crowe, an actor best known for his starring roles in the movie “Gladiator”, and “A Beautiful Mind” is from Australia (his accent gives it away) but what many people don’t know is that he is actually of Maori (aborigines of New Zealand) descent. There are many famous and lesser known talented artists who were either born or grew up in the Pacific Islands. Two other well known actors from the Pacific are Keanu Reeves who is Hawaiian, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who is Samoan. Keisha Castle-Hughes who was the youngest actress to be nominated for best female actress is also a Maori. When you think of Hawaiian music, if you are over sixty, the singer Don Ho might come to your mind first, but for the younger crowd a singer named Israel Kamakawiwo’ole was made famous when he revitalized the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” complete with ukelele accompaniment. The pop group “The Jets” who had a couple of hits in the 1980′s are of Tongan background. Conrod Hall, famous cinematographer (“American Beauty” and “Sons of Perdition”) was Tahitian. Finally, the nature painter Robert Lyn Nelson who was not born in Hawaii but moved there in the 1970′s definitely deserves to be counted among those artists who have emerged from the beautiful Pacific Islands.

Learning About Many Artists In The Pacific

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Pacific islands are a large group of islands in the Pacific. They are divided into 3 different regions, which are Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. These islands are home to some great actors, which readers can learn about in this article.

Hawaiian Actors

Although Hawaii is known for its tourism industry, there are also a large number of actors that come from there. Christine Keiko Agena was born in Honolulu and is one of Hawaii’s best actresses. She has played roles in T.V.series and received a Best Female Actor Award.

New Guinea Actors

William Takaku is an New Guinea born actor who has played roles in movies, T.V. series and theatre. He is the former diector of a large theatre company and is currently a talented screenwriter.Takaku has also co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in a major film in 1997.

Australian Actors

Russel Crowe is a New Zealand born actor that has performed roles in Australian T.V. series. In the 1990′s, Crowe won the Australian Film Industry Award For best Actor.

The Pacific Islands have contributed to the film industry worldwide by producing talented actors and actresses. Their determination and skill have made entertainment what it is today. Enthusiast should learn from these talented individuals, so that they can become better actors.

Great Fiji Art Sites

www.enchantedstudios.com — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Between all the celeb honeymoons and the Travel Channel on direct tv you may have a slightly skewed view of what Fiji is like. But rest assured it’s not all beaches and sunthere’s a thriving art scene here and many websites actually dedicated to it. Here are a few of our favorites:
OceanaArtsSet.com – This great site has pages for all the Pacific Islands but we love what they’ve done with the Fiji site. There are examples of Fijian pottery and exposes on the artists which makes for a well-rounded and interesting read.
MyFijiFriends.com – This one’s actually a blog but it’s a really great community forum where people come together and talk about their favorite Fijian artists. There’s everything from music talk to watercolors here and there’s a lot of interaction going on.
ArtLink.com – More of a news database than a fun site, Art Link actually has some great articles about the art and culture scene in Fiji. From the opening of a new art school to interviews with Pacific Islanders themselves, this is a great site to check out.

Artists In The Pacific: Both Past and Present

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Artists are a unique and special segment of our population. All Throughout history artist have recorded the culture, the thoughts and habits of the region and the times that they lived in. Artists have a voice that speaks volumes and never utters a word but through their visual interpretations we understand. The artists of the pacific past have forged a legacy for the artist of today in that region. Oceanic Art commonly referred to as Pacific Art is clearly important to the history of this region. This includes art from the indigenous people of Australia, New Zealand and all the islands between New Guinea and South Africa. This type of art consisted mainly of artifacts used in everyday life. Today we find artist like Theodore Ah Wong who is of Samoan and Chinese descent. His art provides an in depth look at the Samoan lifestyle through the traditional motifs expressing the tatau or tattoo and the Siapo which is bark cloth imprinted with designs by the Samoan women. Then there is the contemporary artist, Ledua Peni Tuicake whose work displays the stories passed down from generation to generation in a visually stunning depiction that captures the very essence of the culture of Fiji. The language is clear and the legacy is still being passed.

The Greatest Artists From The Pacific

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Remembering A Legend
Tupac Shakur was one of the greatest musicians off all-time. He sold over 50 million records throughout his career. With hit singles like “Keep Ya Head Up” and “So Many Tears,” he quickly soared to the top of the charts. The albums “All Eyez On Me” and “Me Against The World” went down in history as the best-selling records of all-time. His legacy still continues today. Fans around the world are inspired by his music. In 2005, a museum in Stone Mountain Georgia was built to honor his life, achievements and career. This exhibit includes platinum records, artistic drawings and monuments from Tupac Shakur. On September 13, 1996, Tupac Shakur died from multiple gunshot wounds, he was 25.

Studio Albums
1991 – 2Pacalypse Now
1993 – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
1994 – Thug Life: Volume 1
1995 – Me Against The World
1996 – All Eyez On Me
1996 – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory

Posthumous Albums
1997 – R U Still Down?
1998 – Greatest Hits
1999 – Still I Rise
2001 – Until The End Of Time
2002 – Better Dayz
2003 – Tupac Ressurrection
2004 – Loyal To The Game
2006 – Pac’s Life

Your Favorite Pacific Island Artists Online

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When we think about famous artist and painters, we often immediately turn our minds to Renaissance art, or to French impressionist art. Sometimes we even go so far as to think of Expressionist art. Regardless of the type of art that comes to your mind, everyone has different ideas and impressions of what art is and what makes art beautiful. Most people, however, are interested in expanding their idea of what makes art beautiful or appealing, and one way to do this is to view art that you would not typically think to view. Some of the most beautiful art–paintings that will blow your mind comes from the Pacific Island.

One artist was not a native Pacific Islander, but he was drawn to the beauty of Tahiti, and was inspired by the people, the landscape and the women. This artist was Paul Gauguin. Paul Gauguin did not paint in a realistic manner, but rather, painted his impressions of Tahiti and the culture in Tahiti, with bright colors, loose textures, and unrealistic proportions. Looking at a Paul Gauguin impression gives you a dream like impression of a beautiful country and helps you see some of the color you might experience in real life in Tahiti.

Talents Emerging From The Pacific Islands

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The world has associated the sound of a ukulele with paradisiacal ideas of the islands of Hawaii. But in recent years a man has emerged from these islands that has taken this small simple musical instrument called a ukulele and destroyed all misconceptions that it is anything but simple. Jake Shimabukuro is a living legend in the ukulele community. He has proven without a doubt that the ukulele is not just a simple man’s musical instrument that can play only Hawaiian songs. Shimabukuro has astounded musicians around the world by demonstrating the ukulele’s versatility as a serious musical instrument.
Shimabukuro has amazed many the world over with his musical talent so much so that he was greatly honored to be invited to perform before the queen of England. Shimabukuro will captivate your senses as you hear him weave his musical magic with his simple ukulele, here is a link if you want to hear him for yourself http://musicouch.com/instruments/string/youtube-video-jake-shimabukuro-greatest-ukulele-player/.
Jake Shimabukuro is without a doubt the greatest ukulele player ever born, some of his most outstanding songs he plays are, Ukulele Weeps, Bohemian Rhapsody, Let’s Dance and Over the Rainbow will captivate your curiosity and invoke a love for the ukulele.