2 Apr 2012

Concerns in Samoa that younger generation ignoring cultural perfomance

10:28 am on 2 April 2012

The president of the Samoa Hotel Association fears that traditional entertainment groups are dying off and believes technology is to blame.

Tuala Oli Ah Him says there is a big demand from tourists to hear authentic Samoan songs and see cultural dancing but says hotels and resorts are finding the performers hard to come by.

Tuala says the younger generation are so busy playing with i-pods, cellphones, and social networking sites, that they are missing out on learning about their culture through song and dance.

"This new generation you're looking at, especially the 21-year-old nowadays would not even know the old songs, the traditional songs that tells the history, or tells the events happening in Samoa and if we don't do something about it, these songs will be lost."

Tuala Oli Ah Him says he would like to see a component of the tourism programme at the national university, dedicated to cultural performance.