SEUMANUTAFA: CELEBRATING ROSITA (aka ROSITTA) IONA LEVI's 80th Birthday

Sunday, January 17, 2010

CELEBRATING ROSITA (aka ROSITTA) IONA LEVI's 80th Birthday

(Image from Ana Patricia Levi - Wedding of Rosita Seumanutafa Loligi and Reverend Iona Levi)

Born in 1930 at Apia Western Samoa, it was on a hot day in summer on the 16th January 2010 that Rosita Iona Levi celebrated her 80th birthday with her immediate and extended family and friends. Held at the Providence Church in Mangere where her son the Reverend Misiuaita Levi currently pastors, it was a day with a lot of laughter, some old stories of Rosita's youth and many items performed by her children, grand children and great grand children. Master of Ceremonies for the day was Iona Levi Jnr who did an excellent job of keeping the mood vibrant and festive. Highly entertaining was the comedic Pacific rumble of traditional dancing by Fepulea'i Tautia & his wife Fa'amau who delighted guests with some unfamiliar but extraordinary dance moves. It was a wonderful day for many family members to rekindle links and to celebrate a milestone in a life well lived and loved by so many. A particularly nostalgic mood was conjured up for many in the room of the late Niko "Nikotemo Levi" (Rosita's son) when a rendition of "My Grandfather's Clock" led by the musically talented Bruce Levi and young male members of the Levi clan was performed. That song was one often sung by Niko at many family gatherings with some of his cousins from the Loligi branch.

Images from Kirita Avei. (Nikotemo Levi 20 Feb 1954 - 3 Sep 2009)

Also present were Rosita's two older sisters Tofuinu'u Hughes and Faifuaina Aiono, sister in law Puava (wife of Leiataua Lesa Fa'atoafe Sinave) and the Aati cousins Pisi, Faitasia, Amelia & Nora (wife of the late Pe'i Aati) and one of the leading family songsters and cousin Tofilau Tavita. Below are photographs taken by Vinepa Aiono and from Kirita Avei of some of the people and events that occurred on the day. Click on images to enlarge.