Jun 2, 2020 | Culture
Tamiano and Traci have done it again.
Pacific Roots Open Mic #16 went virtual! Amidst the global coronavirus pandemic and attention on the troubling realities for people of color, the month of May was also mental health awareness month. Mental Health was the theme selected for PROM #16, to raise awareness of mental health issues and empower the young adults of American Samoa.
Here’s the link to the virtual PROM that premiered on YouTube on Sunday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Tb98QkidM
Traci and Ano put together a beautifully worded explanation in the YouTube description box, and I highly recommend you read it, watch the video, and listen to what each artist has to share. They were all so incredibly brave and vulnerable.
Here are some photos from the ‘watch party’, counting down to the live premiere of the first virtual PROM.
Thanks to Ano, Traci, Gabby, Ian, Jude, Sam, and Charity for a great night.
Mar 4, 2020 | Culture, Lifestyle
Pacific Roots Open Mic #14
Last month’s open mic night, hosted by Pacific Roots founder Tamiano Gurr, powered by his better half Traci Porotesano, with the support of a creative village Gabby, Tulaga, Ammon, Jacinta and Saia, Toa, Athena, and a whole lot more people who attended and lended support.
These open mic nights are a safe space for individual expression. A need finally being met in American Samoa.
Dec 12, 2017 | Culture, Lifestyle
It’s been a year and some months since the last Pacific Roots Open Mic (a.k.a. “PROM”). A lot of the “usuals” have left the island and if you were worried that there would be less performances, you’d be wrong. Fresh new talents got up and spilled their struggles, their criticisms, their voices out on a borrowed stage.
Between spoken word, original poetry, reenactments, singing, rapping, instrument playing, and excerpts read aloud – that Tuesday night was not short of encouragement from an audience of young adults all different walks of life.
Shout out once again to Tamiano Gurr, owner of Pacific Roots and fellow poet, for inspiring us all and providing a real life/offline social platform.
