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Tongan teacher Mia Kami, a former activist and singer-songwriter, broadens her students’ horizons through overseas music tours.
This week, Cami travelled to Aotearoa with the Tupou College Brass Band to compete in the Pacific Brass Festival at the New Zealand National Brass Band Championships.
Member of the Tupou College Brass Band
photo: Our Mia
The history of the tournament dates back to 1880. Tupou Academy was the youngest band to qualify and compete in the B-level competition.
“A lot of these kids have never been out of the house. It was a wonderful experience to see them in a completely different environment.”
She said it was a joy to see the joy on the children’s faces the moment they boarded the flight to New Zealand.
The Tupou College Brass Band competes in the New Zealand Pacific Brass Festival.
photo: Our Mia
“I overheard a boy who was sitting next to the window seat. He looked out and said, ‘Oh my God, it’s the wing of the plane,'” Kami said.
Although Cami has taken a break from activism to pursue a career in education, environmentalism remains something close to her heart.
In 2018, she wrote the song “Rooted” for an anti-logging campaign in Papua New Guinea. Although the song was not adopted by the campaign, it featured prominently at the Our Ocean Conference in Palau.
Cami describes it as “an anthem of resilience and an anthem of hope.”
“We are here to stay, you are not going to touch us, you can try to do it to our people, our land, our ocean, but at the end of the day, we are not going anywhere,” she said.
Mia Kami is a Tongan storyteller and songwriter.
photo: New Zealand Pacific Radio
Kami encouraged young people to fight for change and said her song was a tribute to those fighting to protect the environment.
“The work they do is really important, and they should know that.”
Kami said preparations are underway for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Tonga in August and she has high expectations for Pacific leaders to take concrete actions at the annual meeting.
“I just hope that whatever comes next is productive and centered around a new generation,” she said.
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