Pacific flavours wow Manukau

Break dancers perform at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre. Photo / Steven McNicholl

A Pacific-flavoured extravaganza of dance, music, fashion and art is wowing the crowds in Manukau.

And organisers say there's still a lot more to come.

The second annual Manukau Festival of Arts has seen hundreds attending exhibitions, shows and concerts at venues around the city.

Festival marketing manager Leisa Sitene said the idea was to build up an arts scene from a local level.

"This is really about trying to engage at a community level because it really wouldn't be worth us starting on a level like Auckland and the kind of international arts festivals that they have," she said.

"People are just getting to know about our arts scene now."

The festival has already seen performances from Manukau group, Ardijah, who formed in an Otara garage in 1978, on stage along with singers Whirimako Black, Ruia Aperahama, Che Fu, Nesian Mystik and Smashproof.

Future breakdancers, graf artists and hip-hoppers have also been given lessons in their respective arts from local experts.

And with at least 20 more events taking place around the city over the next two weeks, Ms Sitene said audiences would be spoiled for choice.

She said Albert Belz's play Whero's New Net, Taonga Tuku Iho - an exhibition of bone and pounamu carvings, the New Zealand Salsa Nationals and Pacific Dance Fono 09 were likely to be big attractions.

The Manukau Film Festival, which is playing in theatres at Mangere, Papatoetoe and Howick, features Children of the Migration - a documentary on life for Pacific Islanders living in New Zealand with interviews with former All Black captain Tana Umaga, boxer David Tua, and hip-hop artist King Kapisi.

The two-day Villa Maria Cult-Couture fashion awards and show starts next week.

Manukau mayor Len Brown said last year organisers worked to create an event with a "distinct Manukau flavour".

The Manukau Festival of the Arts runs until November 15.
* www.mfa.org.nz