Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School choir celebrated Samoan Culture during their Fall concert.
In a video shared online by one of the performers’ mothers, Sisa Grey Uiagalelei, students can be seen singing and performing a traditional Samoan songs and a cultural dance known as a Taualuga.
In Samoan culture, the Taualuga is performed by the Taupou, the daughter of the Matai, or High Chief of a family and/or village.
During the MDHS choir’s performance on Oct. 20, three students took on the honorable title for the night.
Kīmora Lockheart, Halia Matua, and Manatua Uiagalelei are the three Taupous dancing at the front of the choir. In the video, they can be seen wearing their traditional Samoan attire, including ’ie toga (dress), tuiga (headdress) and decorative sega feathers.
Melody Lockhart, Kīmora’s mom, says the experience is humbling.
“This being my daughter Kīmora’s first high school concert made it extra special for our family. It was inspiring to see students from different nationalities embrace and perform these pieces with such pride, especially my own heritage — my beautiful island of Samoa.”
Halia’s mom, Kayla Fa’amaligi, couldn’t be prouder of her daughter.
“Halia earned her place in Honors Choir through her dedication and love for music. For this concert, she had the opportunity to honor her roots by performing a Siva Sāmoa, a dance that celebrated her culture with beauty, strength, and grace. Watching her and her classmates share their talents while representing the richness of our heritage filled me with so much pride.”
Fa’amaligi says she worked hard to raise her daughter this way. “As a Sāmoan woman, seeing her embrace both her academic and cultural journeys reminds me that she is becoming exactly the kind of young woman we have hoped to raise, confident, connected, and grounded in who she is.”
Sisa Grey Uiagalelei says her family’s roots at Mater Dei High School run deep.
“Our family has been Monarchs since we first came from Hawai’i in ‘95. My sister and brother were the first to attend, and now my children are a part of this school’s amazing legacy.”
With a family legacy to uphold, Uiagalelei was thrilled to see her daughter step up to the plate.
“My daughter chose to come to Mater High School to be with her brother, but the fellowship she gained with the other students in the choir was something she found on her own. It warms my heart to see them all become a family and looking out for each other.”
This isn’t the first time the MDHS choir has honored the Pacific Islander heritage among its members. Director Jodi Reed wants to showcase the culture. For her, it’s about helping her students broaden their understanding of the world.
“It’s so important for kids to not only see themselves in the music we perform but to see others in music not of their culture because it creates connection, learning, and understanding.”
Reed says it all came together after one of her freshman spoke up in class.
“We introduced two Samoan songs, ‘O Le Taualuga’ and ‘Lo Ta Nu’u’ on the first day of school, and one of our brand new freshmen, Tino, raised his hand and said, ‘That’s a really beautiful arrangement, but it’s actually sung like this…’ Then he just started singing the whole thing from memory. He sung it in front a group of 30 freshmen boys, most of whom didn’t know each other yet. The room went totally silent. When he finished, every single boy stood up cheering. It was this crazy powerful moment none of us expected.”
That got the ball rolling on a new arrangement Reed’s son Jacob helped arrange.
“From there, it turned into a collaboration. The boys helped us adjust some of the harmonies and more traditional phrasing, and one of our Polynesian dancers, Kīmora—who’s also president of our API Club—choreographed the whole thing with a few of the girls and offered to dance as our Taupou in the number.”
Lockhart says she’s thrilled her daughter was given the chance. “Through their dance, they told the story of ‘O le Taualuga’ — a song that celebrates grace, heritage, and the beauty of endings. I’m so grateful Kīmora had the opportunity to choreograph this meaningful performance.”
Reed says the music helps kids get in touch with their heritage.
“We’ve got every nationality you can think of, and our Polynesian students—many of them varsity football players—really helped shape this piece and make it their own. We have kids who were able to draw upon their Samoan culture and bring it to classroom. Others talked to grandparents to help us answer a few questions. It honestly became so meaningful.”
The MDHS choir comprises approximately 300 students from diverse backgrounds who come together through their shared passion for music.
“You’ll see football players, volleyball, waterpolo, tennis, golf, lacrosse players standing next to actors, scholars, and dancers—it’s such a cool mix. They take the same energy they have on the fieldand bring it into the music.”
Last week’s concert spanned multiple days. It all took place at St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church in Huntington Beach.
“It was two nights of completely different styles: classical, barbershop, Haitian, Irish, Disney, worship – everything. It’s a ton of music, but the kids rise to the challenge,” Reed said.
The choir is even international. Reed said the travel makes her job awesome.
“These students get to perform all over the world -last year we sang in Ireland, this year we’re performing a solo concert at Carnegie Hall, and next year we head to Italy – but it’s moments like this one, right here at home, that mean the most.”
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