DIVA SIVA

Fa'afafine Cabaret - Premiere
Island Diva's / Curator: Lisa Taouma
FRI, 30st of May, 23.00 h (free admission)
SAT, 31st of May 23.00 h | SUN, 1st of June 22.00 h
Admission: 8 Euro, reduced 5 Euro | FRI free admission

"Read my lips"
Talkshow with Lisa Taouma and Island Diva's
SAT, 31st of May, 18.30 h
Admission: 5 Euro

>The Production
"In the exotic Pacific of the Western imagination, sex has always been the sizzle that's sold the sausage. Fa'afine (=like a woman) in their relentless re-invention of clichés of the Pacific, engage the politics of parody to usurp that most popular icon of 'paradise' - the dusky maiden, the South Seas siren, the hula girl, the velvet vixen." (Lisa Taouma)
The Island Diva's are a collective of performance-artists, dancers, musicians and DJs. Conducted by Lindah Lepou the ensemble fuses traditional island culture with contemporary fashion, sounds and visuals. Feeling more at home in a nightclub than a gallery they present the talents of the Fa'afafine (Samoan for "like a woman"), the well accepted third sex of Samoa. In families with too many male children they were raised as girls, to help their mothers with the household.
A Pazifika Divas performance is much more than drag, as it explores what it means for a man to be coded as 'female' and the representation of the 'dusky maiden' in the Western imagination. In a delightful and celebratory way, we are presented with ideas of transgression and ambiguity which boldly pronounce 'we are here, we are loud and we are proud.'

>The Opinion
"On the surface the viewer is presented with a flamboyant carnival, but beneath this lies a critical and political intention to speak about mythology, sexuality, gender identification and colonisation."
(Real Time)

>The Ensemble
Shigeyuki Kihara
Of Japanese /Samoan descent Shigeyuki uses the pseudonym 'dusky-geisha'. She's a graduate of Wellington design school and is known for her controversial design creations and her visual art pieces. She presents a piece of 'live ethnography' looking at the different ethnic notions of royalty and the Western idea of royalty that was bought to the islands in the Victorian era.

'Buckwheat'- Samoan grand diva of drag performance
'Buckwheat' represents one end of the fa'afafine spectrum - the urban pacific drag queen. Pacific humour and parody is a key element in her performances as a voluptuous 6"6 larger the life Polynesian 'mama'. Buckwheat' has performed extensively in shows nationally and internationally.

Lindah E - Samoan soul and R & B diva
Lindah E is a singer / songwriter as well as a renowned fashion designer with the label 'Dencium Compri'. She is currently working on her first album and will be the main live singer in the Diva performance for InTransit. Lindah is a transgender fa'afafine who lives in Auckland New Zealand.

Siaosi Mulipola 'Shenene'
Siaosi Mulipola is a contemporary dancer who has recently joined theatre group 'Pacific Underground'. Like 'Buckwheat', his alter ego is 'Shanene' another big Polyensian doyenne of drag. Siaosi's many credits include the travelling stage production 'Popo the Fairy Queen' and the contemporary dance troupe 'Black Grace'.

'Samantha'
Samantha Fuimaono is a traditional Samoan performer and fire dancer based in Samoa. She has performed with the Samoan Visitors Bureau dance troupe and does a regular show at 'Mangoes' bar and café.

Phylesha Acton-Brown
Phylesha is a professional dancer of both traditional and contemporary Pacific movement. She has worked on the pageant circuit for the last five years as well as dancing in Samoa, Tonga and Niue.

Curator Lisa Taouma
Lisa Taouma is a Pacific Art Historian based in Auckland New Zealand. She has curated both visual and performance art pieces nationally and internationally, most recently at the Asia Pacific Trienielle in Queensland Australia. Lisa is a multi media artist and currently works as a director for the Pacific Islands television programme 'Tagata Pasifika'.

Set Designer/ Technician Sean Coyle:
Sean Coyle is a graduate of the New Zealand Drama School and has a graduate diploma in Dramatic Arts Design from Victorian College of the Arts Melbourne. He has worked throughout Australia and New Zealand as a theatre designer and tutor on a number of award winning productions.

Body Adornment - Sofia Tekela-Smith
Sofia is a designer and jewellery maker who's work has been highly acclaimed nationally and internationally. Her body adornment work has been bought for public and private collections in New Zealand, Australia and London. She is the main costume designer for the Island Diva's with pieces that include full body tattoo, and Pacific adornments made of mother of pearl, seed and coconut sinet.

The other productions:

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- The Global Soul - The Buddha Project >>
- Undesirable Elements Berlin >>
- Report on Giving Birth >>
- The Incredible Disappearing Woman >>
- Mapplethorpe >>