Samoa Playlist

South Auckland's Samoan club scene runs on electric sound. The fob club nights there are built on synths and a Roland R-70 drum machine, played through loud speakers. Crowds of all ages arrive after drinks at home, and the night runs on call-and-response chants from a compere, with ballads that get the floor swaying between live covers. Le Fiafia South Nite Club in Papatoetoe and Parataiso Bar in Ōtara are the names to know, and DJ Dave has more than 11 million YouTube views. Most of this lives in Auckland rather than Samoa itself. Samoan-language covers travel online too: Melenau Lino's cover of "A Fuli Mai Lou Tua" has passed a million views.

This month the WorldWidePop playlist added nothing new. Its only video is Jay Shootah's "Tatau Samoa Anthem 2", so the page rests on one track. Jay Shootah is also credited on songs with John Utoaluga and Polyboy Vili, which gives that one name a little more company than the page shows.

The one comment this month came from American Samoa, a separate territory from Samoa itself. Watch 24 October in Auckland, when Brown Wave brings Samoan and Cook Islands artists to Stampede Bar & Grill, the clearest scheduled event in the window. Signature Choir's "Ia Manumalo", released on 6 October, blends contemporary Pacific sounds with the Samoan language and is aimed at younger listeners.