The thirty-two-member Amerika Samoa Choir at FestPac performed Wednesday at the Concert of Choirs held at the historic Kawaiaha’o Church.
This is the first time choirs have been added as a category for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.
Led by conductor Mr. Pati Pati, the choir delivered a captivating performance with a repertoire of hymns, traditional and contemporary songs.
Deputy Secretary of Samoan Affairs Tauese Vaaomala Sunia gave the choir’s introduction and set the stage for their performance.
Choir Director Pati Pati dedicated one of their songs to the late Tuifaasisina Palauli, who once directed the Amerika 
Samoa Arts Council choir and was also Secretary General of the Pacific Community, formerly the South Pacific Commission which created the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture.
Play Audio
Hawaii’s First Lady Jaime Kanani Green hosted an afternoon tea at the Washington Place inviting women representatives from island nations at the festival.
The Wahine Wellness Panel provided a platform for women to discuss pressing issues affecting Pacific region women including Healthcare, Climate Change, and Community and Cultural Resilience.
The two representatives from American Samoa were poet, 
Samoan language advocate, and Executive Director of the Samoan Language commission, Pesetā Tia Seloti, and the newly crowned Miss American Samoa, Pauliana Angelfromheaven Felise-Vitale.
Miss American Samoa was asked for her thoughts and experiences as a young woman regarding the importance of self-care.
Ms. Vitale expressed how she felt out of place trying to articulate the importance of self-care for Samoan women.
“Self-care is often looked down upon in my culture, as the primary focus is on taking care of our families. In a Samoan home, women are expected to be caretakers, prioritizing the needs of others above our own. The prevalent belief is that by caring for others, we are inherently caring for ourselves,” she said.
