Members of the Brigham Young University performing group, Living Legends, have left the South Pacific following their very successful tour.
Seven of the talented students in the group—with ancestral ties to Polynesia—say they have each fulfilled a deep desire to pay respect to and share their cultures with the people of their homelands. It is their way of giving back.
Hannah Meha’s father is Maori and her mother Hawaiian.
She said, “I feel so humbled—not only because I got to dance in Living Legends, but to go and see my people.
“Before I came, I thought I would be meeting my family and doing some of the things I’ve done before in New Zealand.
"But I loved that I could share my culture through our performances, and I was reminded how important it is to know where you come from and to know more about my parents and my grandparents. My identity comes from the people before me—my ancestors.
“It was a new experience. Relating to more of our people than just my family was really awesome."
After performing a Hawaiian dance at the Ronald McDonald House in Auckland, Hannah visited with a mother and her son who are staying there for his treatments.
It was a pleasant surprise for them to learn that they are cousins who hadn't seen each other in years!
"My takeaway from these islands and their people are lessons that I will cherish forever. Their lives are simple, but they give so much."
Hannah graduated in psychology from BYU just days before the group left on tour. She returns to prepare for her marriage in the Latter-day Saints' Laie Hawaii Temple in June.
Michael Ikahihifo, a three-year Living Legends performer said, “I feel a lot of emotions coming to Tonga, especially since both my parents are from Tonga.
"Being able to see the people and interact with them makes me happy because I can see that they are really proud to see a Tongan in the group."
He said that is the reason he decided to join Living Legends. He learned they didn't have a Tongan in the group, so when he auditioned and made it, he convinced his cousin Sia Fifita to join also.
Together they were able to meet new relatives after the shows and to visit other relatives they hadn't seen for years. They also visited a village school, handing out candy and making friends.
This was Michael’s first opportunity since he was ten years old to visit his homeland. “Most people don’t get to meet the Royal Family, but we did. It was special, both nights that we performed, not only because of the Royal Family, but all the people as well."
“Even though I was born in America, I was so proud to come to Tonga.”
Michael is close to graduation with a degree in journalism and has already secured a job as a weather broadcaster.
Because Meleloukalesia Fifita’s mother and father are Tongan, she has visited many times. But she was excited to return to perform with the Living Legends.
Sia said, “This trip has been a humbling one. I'm extremely grateful and blessed to be Tongan and to have had the opportunity to go back.
"I go almost every summer and I always try to give back by bringing candy and clothes from America. But me doing the Tongan dance and sharing my testimony has been one of the best things I've ever left the Tongan people.
“At the end of the day though, no matter how much I bring to Tonga, they always give me so much more in return. Even when they don't have much, they literally give their all and their best."
Sia added, “New Zealand has amazing chocolate and meat pies. Tonga has amazing people and culture. Samoa is the most beautiful land I've ever seen.
"But all three islands share that Polynesian love and spirit that's hard to explain but very much felt and always remembered.
“I just feel blessed – blessed to have the culture that I have; blessed to go back to visit. I only wish I could give back more.”
Just a week after she returns home, Sia, a communications major, will begin an 18-months mission for the Church in the Washington D.C. South Spanish-speaking Mission.
In his third year in Living Legends, Kamalu Kaluhiokalani is of Royal Tongan descent.
“A few generations back, Sauliloa, a sister of Ma’afu, the highest noble, married a chief and I am a descendant of theirs,” he said.
While this was his first trip to Tonga, because of his relationship to the Royal Family, Kamalu was able to visit Her Majesty the Queen at the Palace.
He, his mother, Manao Kaluhiokalani, and grandmother, Mereoni Yee, presented Her Majesty with a Hawaiian quilt and Rotuman mat.
“Coming to Tonga has been such a wonderful experience. We’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities—especially concerning the Royal Family being able to attend our performances.”
As president of Living Legends this past year, Kamalu and his mother were able to help arrange their attendance at the performances. As she arrived, Her Majesty the Queen greeted him with a hug.
“A lot of things worked out just right," he said. "The leadership, the people in the group this year, everything just lined up. It’s interesting how the Lord works that way. We could definitely see His hand in it.
“This is the first time Living Legends has come here. And the Tongan people have been so supportive.”
In addition to dancing the dances of their own cultures, the students learn and perform dances from each others' cultures. Here Kamalu dances the North American Eagle dance.
Kamalu recently graduated with a degree in finance and will begin his professional work in private wealth management with Merrill Lynch when he returns home.
Jazmine Emerson was excited for her first trip to Samoa. She was also worried.
“It was very nerve-racking," she said. "I was kind of nervous to come to Samoa and dance for the people here. But I knew that we practiced a lot in Living Legends.
“And I knew that I have prepared, starting back from when I was little and I started dancing Taualuga [a traditional Samoan dance].
“It just felt really great being here. It kind of felt like I was home, even though I had never been here before. But, everything my grandma told me about her life and her parents’ life here came back to me as I toured around Samoa."
She added, "I have been able to meet a bunch of my family members in all three places we've been. They all came to the performances and they loved it. I loved having the opportunity to share the show with them and to dance for them.
"It’s just amazing to be here at the college where my grandpa taught and to be where my family grew up. I am grateful I got to come back and be part of that too—be a part of that history here.”
Another part of Jazmine's history will forever be in Samoa, since her (now) fiance, a former missionary to Samoa, flew from Utah to propose to her while she was there.
Jaz graduated with a degree in English just prior to leaving on the tour and plans to go on to graduate school and a wedding when she returns.
Of his experiences, Joel Laie Fonoimoana said, “To be able to come here to Samoa to perform has really been a blessing, knowing my ancestors came from Samoa, the island of Savai’i."
This was Joel's first trip to Samoa.
"It was a humbling experience to walk some of the lands my great ancestors once did. The land is beautiful and so serene. It was quite a sight to take in and embrace in such a short period of time."
People came up to Joel after the performances to tell him they were his relatives.
“It has been an eye-opening experience for me to hear the stories passed down from my ancestors through family reunions and what not.
"To be here, and to feel everything, and to witness, just being here in the land and travelling the country and seeing their way of life. It has helped to strengthen my faith and testimony in the pioneers of our family, our Samoan family."
Joel continued: “My great-great-grandfather was the first to join the [LDS] Church in the late 1800’s. He helped build up the Church in Savai’i, and then moved here to Apia to help build up the Church at Sauniatu. There is a lot of history there with our family."
Before the group left the island, they went swimming near the beautiful Sauniatu waterfall. Joel had been planning to take advantage of this very special place and surprised his sweetheart, Lauren Nabahe, a fellow-performer, with a marriage proposal.
He said, "She is the sweetest young lady I have been able to get to know. She is strong-willed and courageous. She never backs down from a challenge and is always up for exploring and setting out on new journeys. I knew she was the one I wanted to marry. She had no idea this was coming here.
Joel, performing as a Native American chief in the traditional Living Legends song, "Go, My Son," took the opportunity while on tour in Samoa to propose to his fellow performer and new fiance, Lauren Nabahe (in white).
"This tour was probably the best tour I've been on, and I couldn't have been with any other group of people to make it any better. I love this group and I stand for what this group's mission and its purpose is. I am going to miss being together with the Living Legends group and the people and relationships we made in every country we visited."
Joel will continue his studies at BYU when he returns, majoring in manufacturing engineering and will graduate at the end of the year.
Filemoni Tiatia said, “This is my first time to Samoa, that's why it means a lot to be here.The best part of being in Samoa is seeing my grandma and being in a place where my parents grew up.
"My whole life they talked about the sacrifices they made for us to be in America, especially my grandma. Her biggest thing was for us to get an education.
"It's great being able to see everything come full circle, to see how it all fits together."
He went on, "They made sacrifices for me to get an education to be at an amazing university—Brigham Young—and then come back to give back to the community, give back to the youth, give back to my cousins, my nieces and nephews, give back to them.
"So it seems kind of my way of paying it forward, and paying it forward back to my own family is a wonderful opportunity."
Moni has been dancing with his family since he was a child and with Living Legends for four years and loves it. He admits he spends many hours a week dancing, but that hasn't prevented him from being a successful student, and in fact, he believes, it has helped him be focused, organized and healthy.
Moni has only one year left to graduate, studying psychology and business management. He, like all the Living Legends students, has made good on his grandmother's dream for him to get a good education, and they have found themselves in the process, through their service to others, sharing their talents and testimonies, being grateful to their ancestors and their Divine Creator.
Students at Brigham Young University, owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), agree to live by an honour code with very high standards of personal morality and integrity, honesty, and abstinence from harmful substances. They have also proven their academic success by being accepted into this top-ranked university.
For the students in BYU Living Legends performing group, these standards are evident in the way they live their daily lives and their countenances that shine with goodness and light (as noted by audience members). They are very appreciative of the opportunity to study at this university and to be a part of Living Legends.