Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Cultural Experience| YOYO TUKI
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Cultural Experience with YOYO TUKI
Saturday December 8th
16:00-21:00
WeMove Studio
Mullumbimby
Corner Stuart St and Tincogan
$45 Full Price – Whole event (Rapa Nui culture talk, traditional hoko dance andmusic concert)
$40 WeMove Members Whole day
$20 Individual cultural talk, workshop or music concert
$12 Traditional Polynesian food
It is an absolute pleasure to be able to invite you to this special event ‘RAPA NUI CULTURAL EXPERIENCE’ – “The living culture of the remotest (and one of the smallest) indigenous communities in the world”.
This event is unique and one of a kind (specially here in Australia). We are lucky enough to have Yoyo Tuki, one of only 4 native Rapa Nui (Easter Islanders) in Australia, residing in the Byron Shire!. Only about 5.000 in the world and descendants from just 113!!!
islanders that survived the tragic encounters with foreign diseases and slave raids in the late XIX century.
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) lies 3700kms off the coast of Chile, and 4000kms southeast from Tahiti. The official language is Spanish as the island is part of Chile, though the Islanders also speak ‘Rapa Nui’ – a Polynesian dialect similar to Tahitian, Hawaiian and New Zealand Maori. Despite being the most isolated and remote island on the planet, Rapa Nui gain world fame thanks to his giant megalithic stone statues called ‘Moai’ together with its fascinating and intriguing culture. Only found here, The ‘Moai’ is a unique symbol of Rapa Nui and you can witness their majestic presence reigning all over its volcanic landscape when you visit this special place. Musician, artist and cultural ambassador Yoyo Tuki, is a native Rapa Nui (Easter Islander) who has been dedicated to his craft for over 20 years and will be sharing the story and culture of his people together with an intimate music concert. This is the official launch of this new cultural experience that Yoyo has crafted in a way to be able to share some of the many different aspects of his rich culture with the wide international audiences. He hopes that this project will expand in the future and bring in other areas such as art, cultural exchange, collaborations with other indigenous peoples and even trips to the island!. For most people, the idea of traveling to Rapa Nui is impossible and very expensive. Thanks to Yoyo’s many years of experience and involvement in the culture, music scene and international touring, this cultural experience will allow people from different towns, cities and countries to experience the Rapa Nui spirit.
THE SCHEDULE
4 to 4:45PM
1. Rapa Nui Culture Talk:
Travel beyond geographical frontiers, across the immense Pacific Ocean, into the most remote and isolated island on the planet. The remotest and furthermost settlement that the amazing Polynesian navigators dared adventure themselves in their oceanic Vaka (canoes). Te Pito O Te Henua (the navel of the world) or Rapa Nui (the great Rapa or rock), the land of the great Polynesian king Hotu Matua. From their original homeland in the continent of HIVAOA and the forced migration that lead them to find Rapa Nui. Their cosmology, myths and their giant stone staues Moai. Who carved them? Why? How? What do they represent? their ancient civilization that developed the only known written system in the Pacific, to the way they live today and their resilient fight to maintain their cultural identity in a modernized world. This workshop will be followed by a Q&A session.
5 to 5:45PM
Traditional Hoko (Haka) Dance:
‘Hoko’ is a close cousin of New Zealand’s Maori war dance ‘Haka’. This amazingly strong and physical, yet fun dance was performed in ancient times by warriors prior to attend war. This sacred dance would lift their spirits and set fear of their systems so they could embrace all power within to attain focus and vitality for the battle field. Also, was performed in front of the enemy as a form of intimidation. Hoko is still practiced today on the island but mainly as a performance form and in traditional ceremonies. Amazing fitness routine, it will sculpt your body into a strong and toned shaped if you perform it in a regular basis. Yoyo offers this workshop to male and female students, by following the tribal drum beats, you will learn to sing the actual chant that accompanies the dance and use your body to express its meaning. Fun, amazing exercise and release therapy, if you practice Hoko regularly, you will find yourself flowing between slow and fast paced movements that work intrinsically together with the rhythms of the drums.
If time allows, you might get face painted a traditional Rapa Nui warrior pattern!
6PM
Traditional Pacific Island food (Cooked in earth oven):
From 6pm onward, there will be Traditional Pacific Island ‘Umu’, (food cooked the traditional way in an earth oven) available for you to treat yourself and purchase! This will be prepared with much love by our beautiful Solomon island sister Joyce and her sisters. Remember that this is sold separately and you need to book your plate in advance as numbers are limited! please place your order by the 30th of November the latest or you will miss out!
6:30PM
Intimate music concert:
At 6:30pm we will have the traditional welcome to country ceremony by local custodian Uncle Athol Comptom, followed by a special semi acoustic music concert by Yoyo and company. Yoyo will be sharing his beautiful heart opening music supported by a duo and some guest musicians through the night. If you would like to know more about Yoyo’s music and cultural background, please go to his website:
Facilitator
Yoyo Tuki
Rapa nui (Easter Islander) Singer-Songwritter-Musician, Artist and Cultural Activist.
“Yoyo Tuki, the voice of the island Rapa Nui”. “The voice, with music and lyrics from the most isolated island of the world”. Rapa Nui (Easter Island). ‘La Contradejaen’, Spain. Like his ancestors who carved megalithic stone giants, Yoyo is an artist with a powerful ability to fuse tradition with innovation. With over 15 years performing throughout high profile music festivals and events in Polynesia, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, USA and Europe – Yoyo is today one of Rapa Nui’s finest Singer songwriters and musicians. “His songs reclaim Rapa Nui culture, communion with nature and the respect for the ancestors of the place. An artist that is different, committed with the idea of promoting the culture of his ancestral people.”
Fresh from his first international tour around the world as feature artist of the indigenous Austronesian project and super band ‘Small Island Big Song’ and an outstanding packed performance at O’Heart Festival 2018, Yoyo is ready to share more about the ancient wisdom of his people together with his well known heart opening music.
www.yoyotuki.com
www.facebook.com/yoyotuki
www.youtube.com/c/yoyotuki.com
$45 General Admission
$40 WeMove Subscribers
$20 Individual cultural talk, workshop or music concert
Any Questions?
Contact Alona: 0424476767
