Known Ukulele Artists

Eudoxie Hinarava FAUA

Ia Ora Na Eudoxie, can you tell us about yourself and your background?

Ia Ora Na! My name is Eudoxie Hinarava Faua, I am 23 years old and I come straight from Canada where I studied. I lived there for 5 years and today I think it was time for me to return. I'm a designer by training but I've always been drawn to music, I grew up in a typical Polynesian family. Music is part of our life, my father is a musician and I believe my passion for music comes from him. Sometimes in the morning when having breakfast, we just take the ukulele next to it and jam sessions while eating! Same thing for the family, we can party until late.

You lived for several years in Montreal, can you tell us about your life there? What did you love about our Canadian friends?

Of course, it's completely different from the life we ​​know on the islands, it's very dynamic. There are a lot of things to do, Montreal is a student city, you discover new things every day. There is also the adaptation, personally I think I have integrated well, I would say that the most difficult is the winter, the cold. It's so exotic, it's sure that we miss the warmth of our Fenua at one time or another.

But it is an experience to live. That's actually why I started learning the ukulele. I was looking for a way to feel "at home", to warm my heart and music was a real antidepressant for me. 

As in Quebec, we have a great musical culture in Polynesia and I find it important to keep and preserve it. In Quebec, I used to take my ukulele everywhere with me on weekends wherever we went, and share my joy of Tahitian music with others.

Quebecers are welcoming, a value from home that I surprisingly found there. They are also very nice. But what I liked the most I think is the openness they have and their lovely accent of course. They love Tahiti and are very interested in Polynesian culture when we talk to them about it. It's something I was able to share there. I have also kept in touch with my Canadian friends and I hope that I will see them again soon!

Can you tell us who your favorite Quebec artist is?

So, it's going to be hard to answer because I have three in fact! Soran Dussaigne, Safia Nolin and Roxanne Bruneau. Artists of my generation with whom I associate myself with their texts and their style of music.

What is your favorite ukulele song?

I would say "Dream a little dream of me" and in a more local repertoire I would say "Te Anavai Ora"

 One last question for the road, who is your favorite Polynesian artist?

I really like Eto, whom I discovered in Canada, especially with "Parataito" and Pepena, whom I've been listening to since I was a teenager. In the emblematic artists of the Polynesian culture I would say Bobby Holcomb for his love for the Polynesian culture which one finds in his art and his music.

Mauruuru!


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