‘‘Light up the hurricane lantern’’(Tutu maia le moli matagi) sings Lani Alo on his latest single Tua i Manu.
The Dunedin musician channelled the challenges and anxieties of the Covid era when creating his song.
‘‘It is a prayer to God and the message we are trying to share and convey through the music and the visuals is that regardless of where we are in our walk of life, in our journey, when we do hit those tough spots we can look to God or whoever we believe in for guidance,’’ Alo said.
He was fortunate to have a ‘‘really stacked’’ team for the project, he said.
Musicians Mona Fua and members of the EFKS New Vision Youth Choir feature in the song.
Sound, music and video producer Faiumu Matthew Salapu, of Auckland, directed and produced the music video and director of photography was Canaan Ene, of Auckland.
Apart from these two, the rest of the cast and crew for the music video were Dunedin-based, Alo said.
Sa Maylanie Alai of Alo’s Dunedin-based arts collective Brown Bruce Creative wrote the screenplay.
Alo said he ‘‘immediately fell in love with Dunedin and the Otago region’’ upon arriving from Auckland in 2012 to study at the University of Otago and Dunedin landmarks Aramoana Beach and First Church of Otago feature in the music video.
‘‘To be able to be in a stage of my career where I can showcase that through the visuals for my music, it is a dream come true.’’
The song has been dedicated to Tanuvasa Taito Livingstone, a former cabinet minister for Samoa who died in 2010.
He was the grandfather of Alo’s writing partner Livingstone Efu.
Many of the words used in his prayers when he was alive formed the backbone of the lyrical content of Tua i Manu, Alo said.
As well as thanking all involved in the production of the song, Alo thanked the people of Dunedin.
‘‘This has really been a Dunedin community initiative for me and the people around me, so in sharing this project I honour the people of Dunedin.’’
The single was made with the support of the NZ On Air Music New Music Pasifika Fund and Dunedin City Council.
Spirited . . . Dunedin musician Lani Alo sings about overcoming struggles in his latest single Tua i Manu.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
