Vaiteani

With far too little South Pacific Polynesian music making its way across the big waters these days, this is a particularly welcome new release. Combining the talents of Tahitian singer Vaiteani Teaniniuraitemoana and French guitarist-percussionist Luc Totterwitz, as a duo Vaiteani take an essentially acoustic folk music base, and add local culture with a dash of Gallic sophistication, to create a distinctive and contemporary Euro-Pacific folk-pop musical hybrid.
With her lyrics sung in Tahitian, English and French, and her phrasing and timbre of voice somewhat reminiscent of a Polynesian Joan Armatrading, Vaiteani is a real discovery. And while it's her Tahitian material that works best, the English songs like ‘Silver Ocean and ‘Three Weeks’ also display a notable charm. The bonus track ‘Belle-Île-En-Mer, Marie-Galante’ is an upbeat, ukulele-driven piece of Gallic fare. Recorded in both Tahiti and France, with an equal mix of Papeete and Alsace influences, this debut release successfully weaves a fresh and modern take on Polynesian folk music – one that bridges two worlds, two hemispheres and numerous times zones.