Palmerston North, New Zealand—5th June 2026
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata (MMAA) proudly launched four new bilingual Samoan children’s music videos during Samoa Language Week 2026, continuing its commitment to preserving, promoting, and celebrating gagana Samoa for future generations.
The music videos formed Part Two of a collaborative project between Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata and award-winning children’s music duo The KaRs, led by Kane Parsons and Regan Taylor. The project was proudly supported through the Creative Communities Scheme, administered by Palmerston North City Council, over both 2025 and 2026.
Building on the success of the 2025 project, the partnership previously released 10 original bilingual Samoan songs and two music videos. One of those videos, I’a Mase’ese’e (Slippery Fish), attracted more than 100k views on YouTube, highlighting the demand for engaging and accessible Samoan language resources for children, families, educators, and communities across Aotearoa and beyond.
The launch took place on Thursday, 4 June 2026 and brought together children, families, educators, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate the richness of the Samoan language and culture.
This year’s Samoa Language Week theme, “‘E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu‘u” – “From the high mountains are the blessings of the village,” acknowledged the collective contributions of families, communities, leaders, and educators who nurture and strengthen future generations. The theme reflected the spirit of this project, which was made possible through collaboration, partnership, and a shared commitment to language revitalisation.
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata Centre Manager, Tiana Fauolo, said the project continued to respond to the growing need for quality Samoan language resources.
“We were delighted to share these new resources with our families and community during Samoa Language Week. We hope these resources encourage families, educators, and communities to use gagana Samoa every day.”
The videos featured the voices and talents of Malamalama Moni tamaiti alongside The KaRs, whose work is widely recognised for creating educational music and resources that inspire children to learn through song and play.
Kane Parsons of The KaRs said the collaboration demonstrated the power of community partnerships in supporting language learning. ‘Music has an incredible way of bringing language, culture, and community together. Seeing tamaiti singing confidently in gagana Samoa through these songs and videos has been incredibly rewarding for all of us involved. This project has always been about creating resources that families can use together at home, in centres, and out in the community. We’re also incredibly proud of the visual storytelling in these videos, captured beautifully by videographer Trent Skeet, a recent UCOL graduate, whose creativity and passion helped bring the songs to life for tamariki and audiences everywhere.’
At the heart of the partnership between Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata and The KaRs is a shared belief in the power of music to inspire learning. Both organisations are passionate about supporting young children during their formative years, when language, culture, identity, and confidence are developing rapidly. Through songs, movement, and storytelling, they have worked together to create resources created for use both in the classroom and at home, the resources support learners of all ages to hear, speak, and enjoy gagana Samoa in meaningful and engaging ways.
The project reflected a simple but powerful belief: language thrives when it is spoken, sung, shared, and celebrated together.
Acknowledgement
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata, The KaRs and Hokozoo Productions gratefully acknowledges the support of the Creative Communities Scheme, administered by Palmerston North City Council. Funding received over the past two years made it possible to develop and produce bilingual Samoan language songs and music videos that promote gagana Samoa and celebrate Pacific culture through music, learning, and community connection.
About Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata
Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata is a bilingual Samoan early childhood education centre based in Palmerston North. Established under the EFKS Church, the centre provides a nurturing environment where children are immersed in gagana Samoa, aganu’u Samoa, Christian values, and a strong sense of identity, belonging, and cultural pride.
About The KaRs
The KaRs are an award-winning children’s music duo consisting of Kane Parsons and Regan Taylor. Through music, books, videos, and live performances, they create educational content that encourages children to learn, explore, and celebrate diversity through creative experiences.