Celebrating Fiji Language Week

Hailing from Namacu, Koro Island in Fiji and Fakaofo, Tokelau, Toloa is a multi-talented Pasifika artist. An accomplished classical violinist and music teacher with Malaga Sā Strings and award winning vogue dancer with House of Marama, Toloa’s diverse creative talents stun and delight.

Pātaka’s Claire Noble sat down with Toloa to chat about their passions. 

Thanks for chatting with me today Toloa. Wow, I’ve been reading all of your achievements with the violin! An Orchestra Wellington internship, reaching national final in the 2019 NZCT Chamber Music Contest and winning the overall prize with string quartet Sixteen Strings and the People's Choice Award with Virtuoso Strings Octet and now an accomplished violin teacher and seasoned performer with Malaga Sā Strings. So how did it all start?

I started learning when I was 12 at Rangikura School through the Virtuoso Strings programme and ever since then I ran with it. Before then I’d always hassle my Mum to play the violin but it’s a really expensive instrument so when the opportunity came up at school, I took it. When we started Malaga Sā in 2021, we saw a need for young Pasifika players to be mentored by older Pasifika players, and a need for the Classical music scene in Aotearoa to represent how diverse our country is now. When I play music, it’s like a spiritual thing for me. It’s organic.

I’ve been lucky enough to hear you play violin with Malaga Sā Strings at Pātaka and see you vogue on  stage with House of Marama. Can you explain voguing?

Voguing is a stylized dance that originates back to the black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities of New York City. Back then they struck poses that were seen in Vogue magazines, combined with sharp angular movements, spins, twists, dips. It slowly evolved with the Black and Latinx 

trans women into vogue femme which has taken the world by storm and is the most popular style of voguing currently. I’ve been with the Kiki House of Marama since 2021 - we are a trailblazing Kiki house, mostly made up of Māori and Pasifika queer artists. 

It was during the pandemic and I taught myself to vogue through watching videos on YouTube Back then, the House of Marama just existed as a 007 collective and I was invited to a kiki community gathering. I wasn’t in touch with my queerness but I mustered the courage to go and haven’t looked back since. I debuted in 2022 at the Kweens Ball with Te Whare Marama, and more recently debuted in Australia with the International House of Revlon and won a grand prize in Twister Performance earlier this year (A twister is a man that vogues femme – but presents themselves as a masculine man). 

Do you think there is much interest in Porirua for Ballroom and to try voguing? Shall we bring it to Pataka? 

I really want to bring it out here to Porirua - I think it would thrive. I know there are a lot of people here - Pasifika and Māori queer youth especially, that would excel who would love to participate in that space. 

Voguing and Violin are two very different creative outlets. Is there anything that connects the two for you? 

I feel that there are parallels between vogue and playing violin. The way that I feel when I play the violin and the way that I feel when I’m voguing are very similar. For me, I feel like I tap into something spiritually, and I let whatever I’m feeling flow out of me - into my instrument, or into my body movement. In 2023, me and a group of other queer Pasifika/Māori artists put on a show for the Fringe Festival called Arawhata. That was the first time I brought my two mediums together and was able to show both sides of me. I would love to do it again. 

You have Tokelau and Fijian heritage. Does this influence your creative practices? 

In terms of ballroom, not really – not yet. In terms of music, being a member of Malaga Sā keeps me connected to my roots. Malaga Sā recently worked on a cross-generational project called ‘Tu ma Tilotilo’ for my friend Amosa Lene-Isara’s university project. It was a mixture of Pasifika oratory from our elders and as part of that my mum spoke Fijian. It was a meaningful thing to be part of because we had two very different generations of Pasifika people sharing space and story telling together. It sparked my interest in traditional Fijian and Tokelau hymns and to find a way to keep that music alive. 

So what’s next on your creative journey? 

I currently have one final year of Bachelor of Music, but I’m just taking a break while I assess what’s next. I have so many ideas! I’m looking into being a music specialist with Libraries and Archives, I love teaching music and the violin with Malaga Sā and I’m enjoying riding the wave with Ballroom, and excited and a little bit nervous in seeing where that takes me. 

Vinaka vakalevu and vakanuinui vinaka Toloa. I can’t wait to find out what’s next for you. Thanks so much for chatting with me!