* (ROMANTIC, LILTING MUSIC) Nga kupu hauraro na Glenna Casalme www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 (RISING, INSPIRING MUSIC) (BELL TOLLS) (INDIVIDUAL NOTES PLAY) (TUNES UKULELE) (PLAYS LIVELY MUSIC) I've just bought a new ukulele from the Otara markets, and it's really neat. (PLAYS LIVELY MUSIC) I wanna sing a song with someone. Robin. (CHUCKLES) What's a nice Samoan song with three chords, dear, that I can play for you? I have no idea. (CHUCKLES) Ah, yes! (PLAYS 'THE ROIMATA SONG') I met Francis at a Maori teachers training college, and I noticed this Maori... Maori boy just playing this guitar, and he could sing. Oh my goodness, he could sing. # Roimata e topa nei. (CHORTLES) # Roimata teia no te ingaro... At first I thought, 'Is that Howard Morrison?' (LAUGHS) # Have you ever loved a woman # so much you trembled on your way? Francis is an entertainer every day of the week, morning to night. He's an entertainer. He likes putting himself in front, to make himself shine, and we have to be his, you know, entourage. - (BOTH CHEER, LAUGH) - Thank you! I love to put on a show. I mean, if I wasn't funeral director, I would like to be a` a` you know, a showman or, you know, an entertainer. You know, the whole... Just to make people happy and feel good, you know? And so, um, obviously I'm in the total opposite business. Does anybody know any song to sing with me? Oh! (ROBIN LAUGHS) Um, Tupac. Oh, Tupac? No, hardly. (DREAMY, RISING MUSIC) (SIGHS) A family member of mine has just passed away this morning, and his name is Eden Tipene. Had he been mauiui for some time? Yeah, last, um... Last year. I think it was November, he had a little heart attack. My Auntie Billie and Uncle Chris adopted Eden from another family when he was 8 months old. And he's only young? 23. 24 this year. Wow. Mm. Unfortunately, Eden suffered a little bit of family raruraru ` the violence that happened towards him. And so Auntie and Uncle, and the beautiful ngakau that they have, they adopted him. This is my whanaunga. This is Eden, Eden Tipene. I was reading the certificate of causes of death, and it was renal failure, was the main causes of death, e hoa. Eden's health hasn't been good for many years ` both his physical and mental health. I feel like he got a little bit ripped off, with the short life he lived. But after having spoken to Auntie, she did say that he hasn't been sleeping well for a long time. She was grateful that now he can have a good rest. (WISTFUL MUSIC) That place there, that's nice. It is, eh? That's where Robin went to get our bowls. Oh, yeah, the next lot for the chapel? Uh, yeah. I just bought some little candles ` electric candles ` and they float in water. Oh, yeah? Mm! Neat! It is 3 o'clock, and I haven't had breakfast this morning. They've got no on-off switch, but once they touch the water, they turn on. Yeah? Yeah. So I told her to go get a couple of bowls and we'll fill it with water, put it in the chapel,... Yeah. ...and then let them float. Beautiful, eh? 'I am so hungry.' Like, yeah, it's quite painful. Oh, e hoa, mine's just mince. Have you got mince and cheese? Mince and cheese. Oh. Oh, you're just plain mince? Yeah. They must've run out. Ohhh. (PLASTIC WRAPPERS RUSTLE) Pies are so easy. And they fill me up. And if you get the right pie, at the right time, man, life is just ka pai. My wife text me and asked me, do I have, um... have I eaten. So I've said no. So I think she's got something for us to eat back at work. No. (WOMAN SINGS IN SAMOAN) (PEOPLE JOIN IN, HARMONISE) Tonight we have a Samoan family service at the funeral home. (ALL CONTINUE SINGING) Samoans are pretty good in the manner that they don't care about what the costings are. They actually go full bore. This is the last thing they'd do for their parents, so for them, going into debt to pay this massive funeral really isn't a question. GROUP SING: # I want to praise you # endlessly. # I want to be # a child of the Most High. # Mrs Puletua is going to have her final service here tonight. Once the farewell is over and the family has left, then we will start preparing her body for the mausoleum tomorrow. (DREAMY STRING MUSIC) This particular lady, her husband died six years ago, and he is currently waiting for her now at the public mausoleum, where she's gonna be placed in on Saturday. When a body is going to be placed into a mausoleum, there is a different procedure that needs to take place. There is a special zinc-lined metal casket that has to be placed into the casket that the family have selected. For health and hygiene reasons, we need these two caskets. (SPEAKS SAMOAN) Safe travels. (DREAMY MUSIC CONTINUES) * CALLS OUT: Robin? Nona? Today we're practising some songs for a little performance we're gonna put on for some residents up at the local rest home. So it's (IMITATES GUITAR). (PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO) Now I've gotta try and find you. # Haere mai... (PLAYS UPBEAT MUSIC) (HUMS) Yeah. Two... # Haere mai` Are you gonna, um, echo me? Oh, yeah, OK. Yeah? Yeah. Yeah. We do a little bit of PR now and again at rest homes and hospices ` hospitals, even ` mainly with the staff, and letting them know about the services we can offer. Robin, you come in the middle. Nona? Where are you going again? I just gotta organise your business, yeah (?) Your funeral home (?) OK. What's wrong, Foliki? (SCOTTIE CHORTLES) She's just running away! When Francis takes control of a show, he almost has no plans at first. And so it's like, 'What do you want us to do?' He changes his plans every minute. So people are like, 'OK, over it already.' # Haere mai. # Haere mai. Not` Not repeat everything; just some things. Oh, OK. And then we'll harmonise together. (CHORTLES) Cos I've` (CHORTLES) Oh. (CACKLES) OK! What do you want me` OK, are we gonna, like` (CHORTLES) Gee! OK. Ready. # Haere mai. # Haere mai. # Everything is ka pai. (CHORTLES WHEEZILY) What's going on?! NONA: Everything smells like fish pie. OK, the Samoans are here. Haere mai. So, for the programme, when we go up to the rest home, I would like a Maori song from my wife... and I... or from all of us; a nice common song ` Haere Mai ` a welcome song; so Fiona and Robin to do a Samoan song and maybe a siva. (BOTH SING SAMOAN) The residents at this particular rest home, they're all Asian residents, and we're gonna have language barriers and communication barriers in terms of the words and the meaning of the words. Does anybody know, like, just a sentence in Mandarin or something? Just... But one thing we will all understand is the power and the wairua of the music. # Huri atu, huri mai. KAIORA JOINS: # Tata ea, ea e. (COUGHS) All right, e hoa, you know this song, eh? No, I don't. WHISPERS: Yup. Open it up, e hoa. (POIGNANT PIANO MUSIC) (SIGHS WISTFULLY) Haere mai, e hoa. (WHEELS CLACK) Yup. Mm. My whanaunga, Eden, has just arrived back with us from the embalmers. Oh, you still put the brakes on. You never know what could happen. Aw. - (STAND CLICKS LOUDLY) - (GRUNTS) That's nice, e hoa. Auntie told us that he suffered a major brain injury when he was young. So in his upbringing, he always needed help to make the right decisions, and our auntie was always there, you know, always at his beck and call. She'd do anything for him. (SOLEMN MUSIC) Haere mai. Come in this way. Come into the dressing room. Haere mai. Here's Mum. Here's Mum, Eden. Haere mai. Haere mai. Come in. Just this way. Haere mai, sweetheart. Oh, my boy. Yeah. (SOBS) KAIORA: That's all right, Auntie. No hurry in dressing. (SNIFFLES) (FOCUSED MUSIC) Today we're at the Waikumete Cemetery, and Mrs Puletua is finally going to be reunited with her husband in the public mausoleum. Mausoleums are very popular with our Samoan families. It reminds us how we are buried in Samoa. In Samoa, we either tile or we concrete the sides of the grave. So then the body becomes into` almost like a tomb. # Amazing grace, # how sweet the sound # that saved # a wretch like me. The family will place her into the vault. Two hymns will be sung ` short, one-verse hymns in Samoan ` and then they will be asked to leave so the contractors can come in and seal the vault. (ALL SING, HARMONISE IN SAMOAN) I think it's beautiful. I think it's actually quite classy, and I think it's quite private. Yeah, it's a very nice, peaceful farewell. Mm. (ALL CONTINUE SINGING) (HORN BEEPS) (CURIOUS MUSIC) Francis wants to put a show on at the rest home, and at first I was like, 'Hmm. It's a bit awkward.' (RINGBACK BURRS) She knows we're going, and these people are turning up. Hello? Dear. Hi. Hi. Um, you know we're gonna leave soon, and people are turning up for viewings. Nona doesn't wanna come. (SIGHS HEAVILY) So you know that we've got a performance at 10.30, and you invited these people to come at that time. So in my head, yeah, I don't wanna go, but I know if I don't, he's never gonna stop whingeing. So you're coming? Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. OK. She does this to me all the time. But... that's Fiona. * 'Ni hao' is the word. SCOTTIE: Ni hao? Yeah. KAIORA: Ni hao. Ni hao. She's gonna translate for you. It's show time, and I'm feeling a little bit nervous, just about, you know, everyone. It's not too big of a crowd, and they're all conscious and alert, and they're all alive, so that's good. # Haere mai. # Haere mai. ALL JOIN IN: # Everything is ka pai. # Everything is ka pai. SCOTTIE: Francis' expectation of this particular show, with the Asian rest home ` he wants it to be fun, vibrant. Something that these people are gonna say, 'That's the funeral home for me. 'I'm gonna go there cos they sing well, they entertain well. 'That's what I want. That's what I need.' Yeah (!) (LAUGHS) Come in. Haere mai. Yeah. Heaps more room. Aw! Aw. Ni hao. (LAUGHTER) Ni hao! Dave, how old is the lady? FRANCIS AND KAIORA: Wow! It's amazing. 98 years old, that lady. She's sitting right there. (KAIORA GASPS) Which one?! (EXCLAIMING, GASPING) Oh wow! I've never met anyone that's a hundred years old or older, so for me to meet that wonderful, wonderful elderly woman, was just amazing. Uh, this lady here, her name's Fiona. This is Robin. But Fiona is very well-known in the Samoan community. But she also has some lovely hips that she swings. So you're gonna get to see them soon. Together, yeah. The hips? The hips. Nona doesn't wanna do a dance. Nona didn't even want to attend our performance. But I tricked her into doing that. Well, I didn't trick her. I pulled it on her at the last minute. So in front of a crowd, who's gonna deny me? (WOMEN SING IN SAMOAN) Wow. Big round of applause! (CHEERS) (SINGING CONTINUES) Yes, Fiona! (WOMEN CONTINUE SINGING) (CHEERS) Everyone's faces light up, you know? Even mine. I was like, 'You are amazing, dear! You`' It's so good, and it was like, 'Ah, look at the people.' I mean, there's something gracious about a big woman and how her hips move, and her body, and then when she stops, her body still moves, and it's so nice. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (APPLAUSE CONTINUES) Am I saved? Thank you. Thank you. The show's finished, and I feel so good. It feels really good. I asked Dave about, you know, the dietary needs and what they eat. What sort of food do you eat here? Well, we cook kind of mixed, but Asian` Green tea. Green tea. Really? Just water. No soft drink, no sweet. You know, very healthy. A lot of green tea. Wow. You know, there's the secret. You could fit into your suit if you drink lots of green tea, eh? And for sweet, like a dessert, what's something they like to... Banana, maybe. Fruit. Oh. Really? Cos he wants to lose weight. No... Yeah. What about ice cream? Ice cream? Um, little ice cream. Little bit, eh? Little. Every now and then, ice cream, but... Not a lot. ...not a lot of sweet. To me, it sounds a bit boring. So I was like, 'Wow.' I mean... I'm not sure if I want to live a long, boring life, or a short, (CHORTLES) happy life! (CACKLES) Sorry! (CHORTLES) (SNORTS, CHORTLES) (SNORTS) That's true. (GLOWING, HEAVENLY MUSIC) (DOWNBEAT MUSIC) I have bought a new Buick. It is a white Buick. It is old. It is big. It is beautiful. And she ` yes, she ` her name is Tangi, but there's a little bit of problem with her idling. Holy hell! Oh, I thought we were running out of gas. Did you see that went down and back up? (CHUCKLES WHEEZILY) I've just bought Tangi, and so I don't wanna feel like I've bought another problem, like the van. And so it'd just give my wife so much more to whine to me about. Look, look, look. (LAUGHS) (SILLY MUSIC) (GUFFAWS) That's not a good sign, is it? No. (LAUGHS) Like, every time I stop, it goes down. Watch. Aue! Oi. (CAUTIOUS MUSIC) These American cars, you have to maintain them. And parts are hard to come by ` they come in from the States. And so it's a bit of work. So even just a minute ago, we turned her on, and she idled and then cut out. Right. I'll just let you have a look. Let me plug it up,... Please. ...and we'll see what's happening. Thank you. (TENSE MUSIC) I am worried about Tangi having an issue. They're very expensive to fix. (ENGINE HUMS) That's better. Oh. Yes, that sounds better. Tangi's fine. I feel relieved. He reset her ` something in the computer ` and it's all good to go. So I'm just, like, so happy. Beautiful. Thank you. OK, well... I'll tell my wife that too. Yes. I've decided to take Eden home on Tangi, cos Tangi is the newest member to the team, to the fleet, and she's pimped out; we just tinted her windows. I hope he'll be happy with that. (PLAYS E CHORD, TUNES GUITAR) Before we take Eden home, we have a karakia together, just like any other family. But this time, I do invite my tamariki. That's him in front there. Yeah. Mummy sit down? Oh t` Uh... You can` Mummy can hold you. This is very normal for our babies. We try and include them as much as we can. That's Eden. That's cousin Eden. Koia ne kua mate. Mm-hm. Kua mate ia. They see Eden, and they see him in his casket and they know that he has passed away. E te tuakana, e runga no rei te karanga o te mate o noho. Ko tuakana koe ki a au, ano ki a tatou katoa i tenei wa. They know it's now time to mourn; it's OK to have a tangi; it's OK to cry, because now Eden has left us. Oh, most gracious, kind, loving, eternal Father in heaven, as we, thy sons and daughters, bow our heads, we thank thee for the opportunity in which we also have to celebrate a life which thou hast gifted Eden. # E whaka wherowhero # i te putahitanga. # Ah. # Tu tonu ra # te mana, te ihi... Mikae loves helping with the keys. Out of all our boys, he is one that's most active in helping... in anything with the funeral home. He loves to wear suits; he loves to sing. He's not shy, our boy. Yes. # ...te ara tika # mo tatou # katoa. # I feel it's important for my children ` but for all children, really ` to see and be a part of the tangihanga process and see the tupapaku. It is part of life ` birth and death... and taxes. Mm-hm. (LILTING MUSIC) Nga kupu hauraro na Glenna Casalme