Fai mai le anavatau o le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa 2024, Tautua i le alofa, manuia le lumana’i. Ma o se fuaitau e malamalama lelei ai ia Fuimaono Anae Martin ma Lesa Metitilani Alo.
O le la galuega fa’atusitala ia po’o le media, o le laua lea tautua e faia i aso fai so’o. Ae o se mea taua i le la galuega, o le mafai lea ona la fa’aaogaina o le gagana Samoa i totonu o la polokalame.
O le tamalii ia Fuimaono, o ia o’lo’o ta’ita’i ulu i le kamupani a le BluTv, o se tasi o ala leo i luga o upega tafa’ilagi o lo’o feagai ma polokalame eseese aua le nofo silafia o tagata o lo’o tulimata’ia.
Saunoa ia Fuimaono, ua ova ma le 21 tausaga o ia fefiloi fa’atasi ma nisi o i latou sa i totonu o le galuega fa’asalalau ia po’o le tusitala, Ae o le tausaga 2021 sa ia amatalia ai le BluTv ona o lona nauanaut’iga ia amata lava e ia lona lava pisinisi
E le tau fa’ailoa ia Lesa Metitilani Alo ma lona sao e ala i le taleni o le musika. Peita’i, o ia o se tasi o fa’asalalau i luga o le ala leo i le leitio o le PMN Samoa mai le tausaga 2022 se’ia o’o mai le taimi nei.
E ui la e fou i le galuega fa’asalalau, ae e ioe le taofi a Lesa, sa ia militino faatasi i le lalolagi o le tusitala/media world mo tausaga e tele e ala i lona taleni musika.
I se fa’atalatalanoaga ma nei tamalii e lua a Samoa, sa la ta’ua ai le aoga o le faaaogaina o le gagana Samoa i totonu o la matafaioi ta’itasi i galuega fa’asalalau.
O le mea muamua sa la maitauina, ua avea le gagana Samoa ma lona faaaogaina i la fale faigaluega, ma mea ua fa’amalosia ai fo’i le la taumafai ina ia tautala i le fa’asamoa i taimi uma.
“O le gagana lea fa’amatai sa ou alo mai ai lava a” o le tali lea a Fuimaono.
“Peita’i o le mafutaga fo’i ma nisi o tulafale o lo’o fa’afoea le matou polokalame o le Tautai A’e i le BluTv, sa fa’apea ai ona ou auai ai i nisi o vasega ma fesili ia i latou e uiga i le fa’aaogaina o le gagana i ona tulaga eseese”
O le fa’amatalaga a Lesa, “O i luga o le leitio, e leai se mea e te alo ai. O lo’o live stream mea uma ma e manaomia lava le lelei o lau talanoa fa’asamasamanoa ina ia fai ma kova ai le matou show”
“Ae o le taimi na ou auai ai ile PMN, sa ou feiloa;i ai ma le uso ia Lorenzo, o se tasi o fa’asalalau ua leva ona galue i le leitio. Ma sa tele lava lona fesoasoani ia te a’u i le fa’aaogaina o le gagana i luga o le polokalame”
O le la naunauta’iga, ina ia mafai ona fa’asoa atu se laua malamalama mai le la galyuega fa’atusitala ma fa’asalalau, e mafai ai ona fa’amalosia pe ono si’itia ai le fa’aaogaina o le gagana Samoa I Niu Sila.
Sa saunoa ia Lesa, talu ai ona o le to’atele o le au fa’alogo i lana polokalame o tupulaga talavou, e ese lona fiafia i le va’ai atu i feau tusitusia a i latou o lo’o matamata ma lagolagoina le polokalame.
O lana taofi, pe tasi pe lua nisi ua mafai ona maua se mea taua i le gagana ma le aganu’u i lana auaunaga, o le mea taua ia ola ma lauusiusi ia le gagana ma le aganuu Samoa I Niu Sila i totonu o tupulaga o fai mai ile lumana’i.
“E ui la o lea matou te momolia ia le gagana i alo ma fanau e ala i le polokalame a le leitio, peita’i e le’o iai se matou naunauta’iga ina ia taumafai e fosi ia i latou. Pau le mea, ua mafai ona fai le matou galuega i le matou polokalame e fesoasoani ia i latou”
I le fetuleni mai o le saoasaoa o le tekonolosi ma suiga o le lalolagi, ua iloa ai e Fuimaono le malosi o le sosolo ifo o le social media. Ma i le avea ai o le BluTv ma ala leo o upega tafailagi, o le a ia taumafai ina ia tu’u atu ni feau taua e ala i le gagana Samoa i luga o le latou polokalame
The importance of media in growing the Samoan language in New Zealand
The theme for Samoan Language Week is, “Serve in love for a blessed future”
It’s a theme that resonates with Fuimaono Anae Martin and Lesa Metitilani media practitioners in the Pacific media space in New Zealand.
Fuimaono who is the CEO of BluTV and BluWave says, that although he has been around people in the communications area for more than 21 years, he had only started BluTV in 2021 as a result of getting declined for jobs he had applied for.
Lesa on the other hand is well known for his music, but also shares his talents through the media space as an announcer on the bilingual show for PMN Samoa. Although he considers himself new to the media landscape he believes through his other talents he was always around it.
For both Lesa and Fuimaono, the Samoan language is used heavily in both their workplace. Both agree they have benefited well in their own learning of the language.
“The chief or matai way of speaking has always been something I avoided for years despite having such a high title myself” Fuimaono said.
“But it took me asking my colleague Asiata who is the host of our full Samoan show “Tautai A’e” to help me out with common knowledge of oratory and how chiefs talk”
Since then, Fuimaono has been able to understand more now in the language and it has helped in his own matters through church and the family.
For Lesa, speaking Samoan on radio has taught him how to converse in a more relaxed setting as it is a skill that is used often in his role on their show.
“It wasn’t a matter of having words to say, but more so just having that flow of discussion on our show. Lucky for me I would just break my awkwardness into telling people what the time is” Lesa laughed.
“But having the team at PMN who are all well versed in the gagana, it has also kept me on my toes in learning as much as I can in order to speak as well”
Lesa and Fuimaono hope that their work within the Samoan language will inspire the younger generation.
Both BluTV and PMN have a large following on social media. Lesa and Fuimaono hope to utilise in spreading awareness for Gagana Samoa.
“Most of the followers for us come through my TikTok livestreams and it’s so cool seeing the comments from our youngins who are learning from our Samoan content” Lesa said.
“If I can help one or two people, to me that’s enough to show me that my job is useful for our culture”
Fuimaono added that although they would be wanting for alot of the younger gen to learn, they don’t want to be forcing it on them.
“Everyone’s on their journey,” he said.
“All we do as a media person is to just make sure we’re doing our job of sharing our Gagana Samoa content”
