Contributing his voice and measina [taonga] as part of the O le fogava’a e tasi – One family exhibition, in this track hear Charles Cokanasiga talk about his connection to Fiji and the special family link with his chosen measina, Masi [Tapa].

Masi was ceremonially displayed on special occasions, such as birthdays and weddings. In sacred contexts, tapa was used to wrap images of deities.

Charles recalls how his mum and her grandma used to make the masi from scratch and sell them at the markets for a source of income.

"Recently, I found out that the technique they use to make tapa [masi] is very unique to that Island. When asking her about how she made the tapa and its paint, she can recall it very well and go into deep detail about it. This tapa is special to me because of that, and also it can also be used in a lot of important events".

Image: Charles Cokanasiga, 2023. Photographer Pamata Toleafoa, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections

Music: Track 1: Drum_Dance_Vaipae_Aitutaki from the album https://discover.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/search/card?id=b2816c56-f483-4573-816c-56f4837573d1&entityType=FormatGroup

O le fogava’a e tasi – One family exhibition can be viewed on Level 2 of Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero | Central City Library till the end April 2023