Transcript
The diversity festival aims to build a greater cultural awareness within South Auckland.
For Steve Laufititoga Maka, from Wallis and Futuna, it will be his first time participating in the festival and showcasing his culture through dance.
"We are going to sing and dance. The soamako vave is about the illustration of a warrior going to war and coming back to their family, win or lost, you come back to your family and enjoy that moment."
Mr Maka has lived in New Zealand for two years with his wife and son.
He says he is excited to share his culture with the wider community.
"I am really happy to participate. Wallis and Futuna is not known in New Zealand. We are maybe 20 to 30 people around New Zealand, so we would like to come together and showcase."
Natasha Elekana, from MBrace Pacific Dance group, says they plan to do a variety of traditional Pacific dances representing Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Hawai'i.
Ms Elekana says they will be given a 15 to 20-minute slot and they will do costume changes between sets in order to capture all the cultures.
She says she is enthusiastic about being part of the diversity festival because of its uniqueness.
"It means a lot getting to watch other cultures that we don't usually see at Polyfest or at Pasifika because we are only at one stage, whereas here it's the one stage that shows off all the cultures, so I think it is a great experience."
Also making an appearance is 16-year-old aspiring hip hop rapper Donnell Fa'auma.
It's not his first time performing for the diversity festival which he says has helped build his confidence while starting his career.
"I actually performed last year. I performed one song and that was my first solo performance as well. I'm going to do the same thing this year, but like three more songs, more songs than last year. I've already started my music career. I'm already performing on stages and hopefully I can go further with this career."
Mr Fa'auma is a Samoan- Solomon Islander and says he wants to showcase more of his Solomons side for one reason.
"I just want to expose more of my culture, especially Solomon Islands because not many people know about that culture."
The event is funded by the Otara-Papatoetoe local board in South Auckland and organised by the World Council of Sikh Affairs.
Diversity Festival will be held on the 22nd of February.
This is Sela Jane Hopgood.
