When we launched this site to share the treasures of Raiatea, the idea resonated with Manuiarii Ebera who grew up here. He is now a ground handling agent at Air Tahiti, but even if he can no longer live there on a daily basis, Raiatea still means a lot to him and he supports any initiative to promote it. He told us about a song he had composed for “his beautiful island” …
Let’s meet him so that he tells us all about it!
What does RAIATEA REPRESENT TO YOU?
It’s my native island, so it’s bound to be different for me. She is unique, she inspires me, I miss her … It’s a mysterious and resourceful island.
I left her when I was 21 but I still have a nostalgic side and an emotional connection. When I return to my island I feel this energy that surrounds it. Moreover, when I returned for the first time, I felt the welcome that my island had reserved for me: it was so warm that I shed tears as the plane touched down on the runway. .. As I got off the plane there was that feeling of peace and joy like a child who has left his parents and comes home filled with happiness.
It was this connection that inspired me to write a song that I called “To’u Fenua Here / My island of love
“
Its history dates back to 2017. I felt the need to put down on paper what I felt for my island: I was inspired by the Love I have for Raiatea. When I write a song, I draw from the bottom of my heart what I’m feeling exactly at that precise moment … so I had the lyrics that conveyed my feelings, my nostalgia, but no music to go with it yet. But it didn’t last!
I was living on Bora Bora at the time. I came to Tahiti for the holidays, to my cousin Aitoofa Haoa (a great musician), precisely to make audio recordings with his professional equipment.
My cousin is a pianist. What I like about him is the way he plays this instrument: it’s so beautiful that I could place vocal lyrics at any time! And that’s what happened one evening …
I rehearsed the songs that I had to record for SACEM. He started to play a new melody and at that moment, I started to place the lyrics of my song that I had just composed … And there as if by magic, the melody was there and the lyrics filled this perfectly. beautiful composition !
WHAT IS THE STORY OF THIS SONG?
CAN WE HAVE THE WORDS?
To’u fenua here
Te fenua Raiatea
To’u ai’a Tupuna
Mihi nei au ia oe
I te mau taime ato’a
Mo’a rahi to oe io’a
Apetahi te tiare
Puhi hau mai te Mata’i
Noanoa te Tiare
To’u fenua here
Mihi nei au ia oe
To’u ai’a nui e
Ua here au ia oe
I to’u reva raa
Moemoea nei au ia oe
Taoto nei, ho’i au i te po
E oto nei au ia oe
My island of love
My island Raiatea
The island of my ancestors
I miss you
At every moment
Your name is so sacred
Of which Apetahi is the emblematic flower
The wind picks up
And diffuses the perfume of the Tiare
My island of love
You make me so nostalgic
My Royal Land
I miss you
When i left you
I never stop dreaming
When I fall asleep at night
I mourn your absence
And you, did you feel Manuiarii’s emotions while listening to this song? In any case, thank you to him for giving us an overview of what binds him to Raiatea. No matter where he is, “his beautiful island” will always have a place in his heart. An emotion difficult to explain to someone who has never been here, but an emotion that Manuiarii was able to put into words and music. We wish him to continue to share his feelings in song and to be able to come back often to his native island!
If you liked his song, Manuiarii has others on his channel Youtube …
It is true that as a general rule, no matter where we grew up, we always keep a little nostalgia for the places of our childhood … But for those who have come to know Raiatea, to love her, it would seem that ‘it has the same effect at any age, whether you were born there or not: a desire to go back and find this bond!
Attachment to memories, simple crush or deeper love story with an island that does not leave you indifferent? If you had the choice, is it still on Raiatea that you would like to live?
You too tell us your story, your link with your island!