Students from Mahora School performed traditional Samoan Mili Mili Patia during the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival at Toitoi. Photo / Ian Cooper
Students from Mahora School performed traditional Samoan Mili Mili Patia during the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival at Toitoi. Photo / Ian Cooper
The inaugural Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival was deemed a big success with more than 1000 people packing the Toitoi event centre after organisers only expected to see 300 at the most.
More than 80 performers at the three-hour festival included Filipino, Fiji Indian, and Punjabi, Bollywood dancers, South Indian cultural and semi-classic dancers and Samoan cultural performers. Thai Laos dancers from Auckland also performed Haryanvi dance.
The event also had an array of cultural stalls from Hawke’s Bays’ multi-cultural communities, including the Chinese, Ukraine, Punjabi, Thai, Indonesian and Philippine communities.
Pasifika groups also contributed cultural routines to the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival at Toitoi. Photo / Ian Cooper
One of the organisers Sukhdeep Singh said he was “blown away by the aroha and the response we received from the Hawke’s Bay community”.
Sukhdeep finally got to see the idea he has had for several years come to life with the help of the Singh Sports and Cultural Club Inc and Akaal Riders New Zealand, funded through the Ministry of Social Development’s social cohesion fund.
To kick off the event kaumatua Charles Ropitani performed a karakia talking about the importance of Matariki, and then Punjabi School students said a prayer.
Crowed packed out the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival at Toitoi. Photo / Ian Cooper
The afternoon was full, of fun, laughter colour and community following the festival’s theme of “be proud of your culture”.
“I was very excited to see the huge involvement of our kids,” Sukhdeep said.
“Our Mahora School’s Samoan cultural performance has students from different ethnicities, which showed the real meaning of living in a diverse community,” Sukhdeep said.
Mahora School took to the main stage to show off their traditional Samoan Mili Mili Patia song during the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival at Toitoi. Photo / Ian Cooper
The organisers of the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival are excited about the possibility of making it an annual event, with a new theme each year.
An event like the cultural festival is very important, explained Sukhdeep.
“In foreign countries, a celebration like this will bring out a sense of belonging for our kids and families and It will help them to feel that they have a place in this community and in this country.”
Hawke’s Bay locals came dressed to the nines in their traditional clothing to celebrate at the HB Cultural Festival. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Napier City Council councillor Greg (Grego) Mawson, Tukituki MP Anna Lorck and Ministry of Social Development (MSD) regional commissioner Karen Bartlett all spoke on the importance of cultural diversity and MSD social cohesion Framework, why celebrating cultures is important.
Hazlehurst told the Hastings Leader the festival was a wonderful celebration of our multicultural community.
“We were treated to delightful performances that showcased so many talented cultural groups and individuals and it was a truly wonderful experience uniting our community and celebrating our region’s diversity, and we were very proud to host it.”
People pack out the Toitoi event centre to watch performances at the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival. Photo / Ian Cooper
Cr Greg Mawson attended two multicultural events over the weekend, one in Napier and one in Hastings, and he said he enjoyed them both and each had something different to offer.
He explained the Hawke’s Bay Cultural Festival was brilliant and it brought many cultures together under one roof with different cultural dance and singing acts.
“The house was packed and people seemed to come and stay, or the turnover was such the place remained packed.
