SMILING SOULS
Smiling Souls is made up of three different families who bring together a diverse musical sound that is influenced by Jazz, Reggae, Hip Hop, Dancehall and old school Funk. Their signature style is honed in by their brass section, which has attributed to the unique blend and sound they create. With the upcoming release of their first album, Smiling Souls is ready to share with the world their talent, passion, and love for music. Smiling Souls will be performing live at the Island Christmas Bash at the E-Center on Friday, December 07, 2007. Don’t miss out—Buy your tickets now!!!
PT: How did your band come together and how long have you been together? SS: This newest version of Smiling Souls has been playing together since 2003 with the exception of a few band member changes. The four Tu’itupou brothers got an early start in their musical careers. They were taught by their father and have played for many different venues over the years. The group also includes long time friend, Jonathan Tufuga, and his wife, Kelly Settle Tufuga. Jonathan and the Tu’itupou’s played music together in Samoa in the mid-1980s with a group called Island Magic. Ana and Sau Tafisi, our sister and brother duo also known as Tafisi Flaming Soul, joined the group to make up the collaboration of “Souls.” The original Smiling Souls was created by Sione Seluini Tu’itupou in Hawaii in the 1970s. Sadly, Sione passed away on October 29, 2007. Our performance at the Island Christmas Bash on December 7, 2007 is a tribute to his extensive musical background and to preserve his legacy in music.
PT: What is it about music that inspires you as a band? SS: Music has always been a part of each band members’ lives. Growing up in our Polynesian communities, music was always part of our everyday life from church to school to family gatherings. When we came together as a band, we realized we could mix any type of music together and reach a bigger and more diverse audience.
PT: If you had the chance to collaborate with anyone in the music scene, who would it be and why? SS: We have so much diversity in our music so it would be difficult to name one specific artist or group we would like to collaborate with and each band member would probably give a different answer. We have had the privilege of working with some old school reggae artists as well as Polynesian talent and each collaboration has been a learning experience. PT: Of all your songs, which would you say is the most empowering and why? SS: Any of the songs we perform using our brass section is empowering because that’s always been our signature style. When Smiling Souls was revamped in 1994 in Utah, the focus was always on the brass section. This has always been our strength and our inspiration.
PT: What is something about your band that would surprise your fans? SS: The band is a hobby for us rather than a career. We practice and perform during our spare time. If we’re “discovered,” great, if not, we keep playing because it’s all about the love of music!
PT: What does it mean for your band to live a “life filled with purpose”? SS: “A life filled with purpose” means continuing the music and passing on the skills to our children as well as others. If the music stops with us, we have wasted our time. If we teach future generations, then we continue Sione Tu’itupou’s legacy and we’re passing on our knowledge.
PT: What do you feel is our contribution as Pacific peoples to the rest of the world? SS: Instead of going into the misperceptions about Pacific Islanders, we’re going to dwell on the positive side; which is their contribution to the world. We think we as Pacific Islanders have been put down enough by ourselves and others so we don’t need to be reminded of the negative things. Pacific Islanders are slowly making an impact around the world. The most well known impact has been in the world of sports from football to international rugby. If we look around we can find our people in other venues as well such as authors, educators, leaders, and entertainers. We bring a different flavor when we participate in these venues and that makes us unique. We also create awareness among the Pacific Island peoples and teach the world about our cultures.
PT: One of the main purposes of the upcoming concert in Utah is to create a positive awareness of our Pacific Islander communities and to promote education, non-violence/unity/peace, and health awareness hence the theme “live and learn”. How do you see your band contributing to these causes? SS: As stated earlier, we are dedicating this performance to Sione Seluini Tu’itupou, the founder of the Smiling Souls and the inspiration for our music. Sione was a music teacher for many years and founded many different bands around the South Pacific and here in the United States. He encouraged his sons to get the best education they could, practice their music, and never give up. Sione taught many different people including Polynesians, Native Americans, and Caucasians and he would learn the different cultures so he could appeal to his students. Sione fought a one year battle with cancer and he encouraged his family to take care of themselves and lead healthy lives. All of these topics are very important in our Pacific Islander communities because we’re not invincible, much as we would like to believe, and we should always learn something new, be aware of the people around us and respect their cultures, and take care of ourselves for the sake of our families and those that love us.
Smiling Soul’s Myspace Page http://www.myspace.com/smilingsoulz
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