"Tuaikaepau is a story of tragedy and victory. To commemorate the courageous survivors of Tuaikaepau (a boat that was shipwrecked on Minerva reef for over 100 days in 1962), a poem was composed by Queen Sālote with music and dance by Noble Ve‘ehala (Leilua) and Malukava (Tēvita Kavaefiafi).The Kava Tonga Vocal Choral Musical group sung the song in 1962 but Sione Faletau has used the version sung by the Afokoula group at a later date. Sione Faletau extracted the audio wave spectrum from the recording of the song and created kupesi (a Tongan word for patterns) from the frequencies. Creating lines that connect and disconnect, making new kupesi every time."
"Tuaikaepau is a story of tragedy and victory. To commemorate the courageous survivors of Tuaikaepau (a boat that was shipwrecked on Minerva reef for over 100 days in 1962), a poem was composed by Queen Sālote with music and dance by Noble Ve‘ehala (Leilua) and Malukava (Tēvita Kavaefiafi).
The Kava Tonga Vocal Choral Musical group sung the song in 1962 but Sione Faletau has used the version sung by the Afokoula group at a later date. Sione Faletau extracted the audio wave spectrum from the recording of the song and created kupesi (a Tongan word for patterns) from the frequencies. Creating lines that connect and disconnect, making new kupesi every time."
An audio recording of Waitemata Harbour is used to generate visual kupesi (Tongan patterns).
Visual kupesi (Tongan patterns) are created and move in response to a Tongan choir.
Recorded sound from Auckland's CBD is transformed into kupesi (pattern).
Ongo (sounds) from Manukau Heads lighthouse and Whatipu beach generate vivid kupesi (Tongan patterns).
Sione Faletau
Sound is not static, it moves in waves and into the flickering, morphing kupesi patterns of Sione Faletau's work.