Samoa

“Faaninimo, the principal speaker, was my aunt, whom I was sent to by my father and so lived with as a child.  To hear her voice again telling the fagogo and chanting, or as we say: ‘tagi le fagogo’, overwhelmed me.  It was more than memory that affected me. It was more than the voice of the past speaking with such verve and authority. It was the realisation that what was once core in our lives was no more…  How can you explain to future generations the meaningful role of the elderly in our society and that our culture is premised on gaining quality or meaningful time between the young and the old?”

— HRH Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi, ‘In Search of Fragrance’