Former Warriors rugby league star Manu Vatuvei will debut on Dancing with the Stars this weekend. Photo / Supplied.
Former Warriors rugby league star Manu Vatuvei will debut on Dancing with the Stars this weekend. Photo / Supplied.
Each week, we invite music lovers to share the songs that have soundtracked their lives. This week, we speak to former Warriors and New Zealand rugby league star Manu "The Beast" Vatuvei, who debuts on Dancing with the Stars this weekend with partner Loryn Reynolds.
Stand By You - Rachel Platten (2015)
This is the track for our first dance this weekend. Loryn played it to me, it was one of the first songs we started dancing to at practice. It's a song that will always remind me of the show. I think it suits what we're doing. We're gelling together pretty well. We've got pretty similar personalities, we both just like to have fun and have a laugh. Loryn's pretty chilled out and really patient with me and doesn't get too frustrated when I don't get things right.
When Adeaze's first album (Always and For Real) came out, Getting Stronger was and still is one of my wife, Jennifer's, favourite songs. Jen and I met back at high school at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara, and I would listen to this track then, while I was coming through the junior grades at the Warriors and playing for the Junior Kiwis. It reminds me of those days - a long time ago!
On This Day - Junior Maile (2003)
This was our wedding song that Jen walked down the aisle to. We both liked it a lot and chose it together for our special day.
This song always reminds me of our four daughters Makayla, 13, Savanah, 8, Eva, 5, and Aaliyah, 3, and has stuck with my family for a long time. All of the songs from the Moana film soundtrack were popular in our house. The movie was pretty much playing 24-7 at home and that track was a favourite. My two youngest daughters especially love that song. The girls are all pretty excited about me appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Makayla was laughing about it all a bit. She's older and understands a little bit more about everything. But my two younger ones love it because they enjoy a bit of dancing at home, and like to put on a bit of a talent show and have some fun. I try to take them to some of my dancing practices and they just love it.
Matter of Faith - Lapi Mariner (2001)
Everyone knows what that song means for the Warriors. It always reminds me of being at the club as a young kid and then actually making it into the first grade NRL team in 2004. We'd hear it a lot and they would play it at Mt Smart Stadium as the boys were running out to play. Lapi would also come and perform it live before games. It still has special meaning for Warriors fans too. Whenever that song was played they'd go crazy and hearing them cheer when you run out was mean.
Any UB40 Song
UB40 and reggae music is massive in my family. Growing up we were always listening to their albums and Bob Marley. My father used to play all of those songs on his cassettes. We used to drive down to a farm in Matamata and pick onions and together with my brother (Lopini) we'd all listen and sing along. I loved all of those tunes. I saw UB40 live at the One Love Festival this year and they were awesome. (Lead singer) Ali Campbell was going hard out. I loved it.
Every Woman - Az Yet (2001)
This was a song that I and one of my best friends - he's also called Manu (Laumea) – would sing back at high school. We sang it to our girlfriends (Verotia and Jennifer) before they headed away to go into camp for a couple of weeks to do a course. Manu wanted to sing them a song and that was the one he picked – I just tried to sing along with him! We still bust it out every now and then along with a few other songs. Manu has a good voice and I just try and harmonise with him and have a good laugh.
