South Auckland’s Soul Brown returns with ‘Fire’ - the second single from his upcoming EP - just in time for Cook Islands Language Week, which runs from August 1 to August 7. This year’s theme is ‘Ātuitui’ia au ki te Oneone o tōku ‘Ui Tupuna, which means,
“connect me to the soil of my ancestors”.
‘Fire’ is a good-time tune with an ‘island party’ vibe that blends the unmistakable sound of the ukulele with an
infectious beat and a Cook Islands chant (Kuki Pe’e) courtesy of The Kabin Bread Boyz.
Listen to 'Fire' here.
“In 2019, I was in Samoa for some shows. I actually got to visit Pago Pago for the first time and it was breathtaking!
In the day Samoa is always a wonderland, a paradise”, says Soul.
“After the big show at Maliumai Resort, as we do, we got pretty buzzed. It was a wild night, and it got me in the groove
of songwriting after a good couple months of drought.”
The accompanying video, made with support from NZ on Air, has been shot and edited by Connor Pritchard. The video
features the Anuanua Dance Troupe who perform Cook Island dancing, as well as Popea Lautala who performed Siva Afi (Fire
Dancing) for the video. Watch here.
“The video had to have two things - fire and fun. It has always been a dream of mine to incorporate and showcase the art
of Siva Afi (Fire Dancing) in one of my music videos,” says Soul.
“I just really wanted the video to catch the heat of the moment, where for a few minutes while grooving to the music at
the party, we can... forget about the worries of the week.
“Imagine a hot summer night in the islands, music blasting and fire blazing... well that's what I want you to do when
you watch the video. Dancing around fire, dancing under the stars, Kuki dancing and Siva Afi.”
Proud Samoan/Fijian from South Auckland - Soul Brown was surrounded by the vibrancy of the Pasifika cultures that flood
Manukau. Born into a family that exposed him to eclectic genres, Soul has made his mark in Aotearoa’s music scene by
blending Pacific flavour with Latino heat.
Familiar with adversity, Soul triumphed over cancer when he was 12. His writing, poetry and songs were initially born
out of a need to escape his reality, with the intention to inspire others to persist through tough times. True to his
message, he has been hustling in the music scene since his first release - 2011’s 'Don’t Sweat'.
Now, after perfecting his craft, Soul is gearing up to release a new EP, which showcases his talent for turning out
irresistible and infectious, feel-good dance-floor fillers. He’s already proved this on the EP’s first single, ‘Weekends’ (2020), which debuted at #12 in the NZ Hot 20 Single chart and has since clocked up 90k on Spotify.
This year’s theme for ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week is ‘Ātuitui’ia au ki te Oneone o
tōku ‘Ui Tupuna, which means, connect me to the soil of my ancestors.