Transcript
Seiuli Tuilagi Allan Alo Vaai had worked hard to set up the Samoa Arts Council when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer last year.
Samoa Arts Council vice president, Saumaiafe Dr Vanya Taule'alo says Samoa is the poorer for his untimely passing, though he lived longer than what doctors had anticipated.
"He had a huge shock and so did everyone else that his time on earth might be quite limited but he was positive and he had a strong belief in God and thought he'd be cured and it was very sad."
She says he was a person so full of vision and so generous with his time spent creating shows for events held in Samoa and in Europe.
Saumaiafe Dr Vanya Taule'alo says as well as working together they were great friends.
She says Seiuli was an advocate for showcasing Samoan culture, traditional and contemporary performance art forms while involving all other art forms and he ignited a passion among youth.
"He was very generous and was very loving and caring to youth that he mentored both in Fiji and Samoa. I think his legacy will be watching them grow develop and some of the Fijiian dancers have developed arts schools of their own for dance and this will be his legacy. "
The director of Pacific Dance New Zealand, Sefa Enari says his contribution to the arts will be remembered.
"I think that the Pacific culture and Pacific modern arts is really in focus with his passing and I think that we have taken it for granted that people are going to be here forever to support the growth of the arts within the Pacific as well as New Zealand. I think he's done a tremendous job for the Samoan people and it is gonna be a huge loss for the Pacific people as well as the Samoan community."
Family member Sam Sefuiva says he was a champion in many ways.
"One to do with faafafine in terms of their plight and their lifestyle and putting it out there about contemporary faafafine in Samoa society. The second is that people saw him as a dancer but he was also a choreographer a producer and a champion of the arts and in particular dance and he really pushed all elements of dance in the Pacific."
Seiuli is from the villages of Falealupo, Vaisala, Asau, Safotu, Fogapoa, Fatausi and Samatau.
He is the youngest child of seven for Alapati Alo Va'ai and Sofaea Tanielu Alo Vaa'i. He was 42 and died the day before his 43rd birthday.
