Song about love and loss in the 50s goes viral among Auckland Tongan community: “Just what we need” in time of pandemic says granddaughter

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A song written to commemorate a suitor who drowned at sea more than 60 years ago went viral among the Tongan community in Auckland this week.

The song, Simulata nofo ā or Simulata Noa, was written for Simulata Pope of Tongoleleka, Ha’apai in the 1950s.

The song has re-emerged in the past decade, being played by acoustic bands at kava sessions and recorded by some local electro-pop singers. But they only played and recorded three verses of the composition including the verse which contained Simulata’s name.

It was believed the song originally consisted of six verses.

It went viral in the Tongan community this week after its six verses were sung and livestreamed by Kaniva Tonga Entertainment on Wednesday morning. Since then the clip had been shared more than 1000 times, received 700 reactions and had also received 14,000 views.

Auckland-based documentary maker Simulata Mosimani Pope said it was “pretty buzzy” that people were singing for her grandmother, for whom the song was written.

“Discovering a legacy that derives from true love is just what we need for this pandemic!”  she told Kaniva News.

Despite the song being more than half a century old, and its music and lyrics being simple and straight forward (hualela), a phrase and the name Simulata made it catchy to today’s listeners.

The phrase “inu mai ha ma’anga tahi” or “’ai mai ha ma’anga tahi” – longing to drink a mouthful of seawater, has become compelling.

The song’s popularity has been boosted by so many people staying online during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Men romantically and fondly called their wives or lovers online as Simulata and in return their lovers jokingly responded by saying – it looked like you have been drinking too much seawater.

Mosimani said she first listened to the song in 2013 and has been researching its origins ever since. She asked her father about the song and the mystery began to unravel.

Since then she has travelled to Tonga and other countries where the song was very popular, being played in faikava settings.

“I came to a bit of a standstill in my findings but since the lockdown has happened and the song went viral I decided to open up the search books again,” Mosimani said.

According to the song her grandmother’s suitor died at sea in Ha’apai while he was on a trip to Kao island in the 1950s.  He was in his late teens.

The suitor was one of two twins from Ha’ato’u, Ha’apai but Mosimani has been contacting their family to find out who was the one who courted her grandmother.

Mosimani told Kaniva News her findings appeared to show the composer was Tala-Ki-Ha’amoa, a herald of Lord Tu’ilakepa and whose real name was Sione Tapu’osi Hungalu of Ofu, Vava’u.

A relative told Kaniva News that Hungalu died in 1996.

Simulata Snr died in early 1980s in Ha’apai.

Mosimani said she had found a number of different versions of the original song and collected some promising information from some sources including players who first sang and played the song.

“I would like to acknowledge SiekafaMedia1 retake on the song as it really opened up an online platform,” she said.

“From my one social media post I managed to find all sorts of connections and people to the song.”

She said that during her research people had been able to confirm or correct  information for her and she met a son of one of the musicians who played the original.

Malosi Pictures, which produced the acclaimed For My Father’s Kingdom were helping her make a documentary about her research.

She planned to release a documentary film on her findings soon.

“This quest was never important to anyone as much as it was for me,” she said.

“I never met my namesake and in this time of a crisis I have never felt so close to her.

“From a romance that she had in the 1950s, I have met so many people, reconnected with so many friends and family and being humbled by how life was back in Ha’apai.”

Mosimani said she set out to find the original lyrics which included more verses.

“Now, I’ve found more than the lyrics,” she said.

“Not only did I find the original verses, I’ve had people from the original bands that travelled with the song, I’ve had people who recorded the song on radio in the 60s and I now have leads to the family where Simulata’s lover came from.”

If anyone has any information further about Simulata or Simulata Noa or about the twins Tevita and Samisoni living in Ha’atou in 1955 please email [email protected]

The song:

Some places in the song belong to Ha’ato’u, Ha’apai. These included Molaea, Velata, Tūkunga  and Siale Afuhia. According to Mosimani’s findings, some versions show the first line of the second verse was Simulata Noa while others showed it was Simulata nofo.

Si’i hilinoa he ‘i Molaea
Ko e fua ia ‘o e Tu’ilakepa
‘I he kolotau he ko Velata
Ko e moto ‘o e siale afuhia.

Simulata nofo fai ho loto
Ka e tuku au a au na’e mahino
‘Eku fiema’u ho fo’i sino
Ke ke hoko ko hoku losalio.

Ke u ‘ai mai ha ma’anga tahi
Ke ta vahevahe he ‘i kilisitahi
Mo ta vahe ua ‘a si’eku ‘ofa ni
Ke ke ‘ilo ko e ‘ofa ‘oku lahi.

Peheange mai ko ha mate ‘i ‘uta
Ke u fua koe ki Tukunga
Ke ke huki ai he’eku mātu’a
Ka u tā pata ke tu’umo’unga.

Peheange mai ko ha puke lahi
Ke u hela’i a hao feinga’i
‘Ou milimili si’ao mamahi
Ke ke hoko ko e vaikau’aki.

Ke ke sio mai ‘i hoku sino
Kuo tauanga’a ‘i he tokoto
‘E Tiloau ho to Fakapō
Motukia ‘i he motu ko Kao.

The main points

• A song written to commemorate a suitor who drowned at sea more than 60 years ago went viral among the Tongan community in Auckland this week.
• The song, Simulata Noa, was written for Simulata Pope in the 1950s.