Samoan songwriter and entertainer Fa’anana Jerome Grey is the first recipient of the “Olo Letuli Lifetime Achievement Award” (OLLAA), The award will be presented at the Weekend in Polynesia Festival at the Long Beach Recreational Park on Sunday September 11 at 5 pm.
The OLLAA is presented to those who have achieved greatness and have been an inspiration with creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the preservation and longevity of traditional contemporary Samoan and Polynesian Arts during their lifetime.
Recipients have raised the bar by displaying passion that empowers others to live their dreams.
Created by the board of the Pacific Talent Academy of the Arts in Los Angeles, the OLLAA is named after the Paramount Chief, Olo Letuli, who is also known as the “Father of the Fire Knife Dance”.
Tui Letuli, founder of the Pacific Talent Academy of the Arts and the son of Chief Olo Letuli, states: “As we enter our 13th Annual Weekend in Polynesia event, we are thrilled to bestow OLLAA’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to a very special individual.
This award was a way for our community to show our appreciation for the contributions made by world-renowned Singer/Songwriter and legendary Entertainer Fa’anana Jerome Grey.
Jerome Grey has indeed been a “keeper of the flame” for our culture, so it is fitting that we honor him as our first recipient.
Among Faanana’s most famous and popular compositions are, “We are Samoa, ” and “Eleni” which he released with the recording group Ava in the early 1980’s when the group was the house band at Soli and Mark’s Restaurant.
After the band dissolved, and Faanana moved with his wife Emily and children to Hawaii, he continued to release hits like “Wait Your Moment,” “Manu Samoa” and other timeless hits.
The presentation of the inaugural OLLA award will include performances by Lea Love, Loa Greyson, Shawn Ishimoto, and Taupou Samoa, and a special appearance by Faanana himself.
