Rako Pasefika

Congratulations to Emillie Iliganoa Pritchard on becoming the 2026 Women’s World Fireknife Champion 🔥

Emi joined our Rako family in 2024 as our Featured Siva Afi Specialist at the Woodford Folk Festival. It was an absolute honour to have her with us, and witnessing her journey and achievements ever since has been truly inspiring.

All the best Emi, may your flame keep burning e ta’a! We’ll always be cheering you on, wherever you shine.

PC (1 & 2): Polynesian Cultural Centre

Our Rako team worked incredibly hard to deliver an amazing performance last weekend, filling the stage with energy and pride.

We also celebrate our newest members, Harieta, Raymona, Josh, and Moses, whose first time on stage marked the beginning of a beautiful journey with the team.

Also a big faiakse’ea, vinaka and thank you to Aunty Ellen for having us, to our brother Jethro from Mauri Entertainment for joining us, to Leia, Tehillah and Sina for the backstage support and to all our parents and families for all their encouragement and support.

New Rako Pasefika Project Coming Soon!

Today, as you are laid to rest, Aunty Rhoda, we honor you! One of the great champions of Indigenous and Pacific arts, and a woman whose belief in us changed the course of our journey.

As Festival Director of The Dreaming Festival, she booked Rako for our very first international tour in 2007. That opened a doorway that shaped who we are. From there, we travelled to The Dreaming for five consecutive years, then to Boomerang, to Bluesfest three times, and even to the Sydney Opera House where we stood on the Homeground stage three years in a row before presenting our own solo show.

Aunty Rhoda was a Rako patron from day one. She carried us, pushed for us, and used her voice and her platforms to lift Pacific artists into the global light. She was one of the very few who made it her mission to ensure our region’s stories were seen, heard, and celebrated around the world.

We honour her today with gratitude, love, and the knowledge that her legacy lives on in every stage we step onto and every young Pacific artist who rises because she paved the way.

Rest in peace and love, among the ancestors, Aunty Rhoda. You are dearly missed 🤍

To her beautiful family, our love and prayers are with you. Thank you for sharing her with all of us, for allowing her to guide, uplift, and transform our communities. May you find comfort in knowing that her impact lives on in her work, in the artists she championed, and in the countless lives she changed.

Photo credit: Daniel Boud (first photo)

Happy International Women’s Day 💜

From honoring our roots to shaping what comes next, we continue to uplift Pacific women as storytellers, leaders, creators, and change‑makers. Today we celebrate the strength, resilience, and mana of the women who carry our culture forward yesterday, today, and for generations to come.

Highlights from our kids holiday program that wrapped up earlier this week!

Full of learning and creativity ✨

Last year, we were invited by the Haumanu Collective to be part of He Tangi Roreka, a powerful wānanga attended by Iane.

From He Tangi Roreka in Aotearoa to our brothers and sisters in Fiji, we shared what we’ve learnt grounded in sound, story, and connection.

Faiakse’ea and thank you to everyone who joined our session, to OCACPS for the space, and to the Haumanu Collective for creating these meaningful opportunities for our young ones and allowing us to share this forward.

Starting off 2026 with creativity!

Our Kids Holiday Program is officially underway bringing music, dance and art together for an inspiring start to the year.

Special thanks to the Oceania Centre for their support during our residency.

Please refer to the flyer for more details

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/TJMe412d5E?origin=lprLink