Pauly Fuemana
Pauly Fuemana | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Paul Lawrence Fuemana |
Born | [1] Auckland, New Zealand | 8 February 1969
Origin | Ōtara, New Zealand |
Died | 31 January 2010 North Shore City, New Zealand | (aged 40)
Occupations | Singer, songwriter, musician |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1992–2010 |
Paul Lawrence Fuemana[1] (8 February 1969 – 31 January 2010) was a New Zealand singer, songwriter and musician from Auckland.[2][3] One of the first globally successful pioneers of his country's unique style of hip-hop, Fuemana was one of New Zealand's greatest popular music icons of the 1990s.
Born in
Fuemana was often considered a
Early life
Fuemana was born in Auckland, to parents Takiula Fuemana and Olivia Hohaia.[1] He was of half-Niuean and half-Māori descent.[1] His father, Takiula Fuemana, was originally from Mutalau, Niue, before emigrating to New Zealand, while his mother was Taranaki Māori.[1] Fuemana was the youngest of four children.[1]
Fuemana was raised in Ōtara, a suburb in South Auckland with a large Pacific Islander population.[1]
OMC
Otara Millionaires Club was formed by older brother Phil Fuemana and was passed on to Pauly Fuemana. The name was ironic or tongue in cheek, as the Ōtara neighbourhood was one of Auckland's poorest communities. Pauly later shortened the band's name to OMC, forming a musical partnership with Alan Jansson (as OMC)[5] who co-wrote and produced the How Bizarre album. Signed to Auckland independent label Huh Records by Simon Grigg,[5] OMC reached worldwide fame in 1996 and 1997 with the single "How Bizarre", from their debut album of the same name.[5][9] OMC and Jansson ceased recording in 1998 but recorded again in 2005 to 2007.[5][9] Recording "4 all of us", a single that featured Lucy Lawless, Fuemana's portion of the royalties was donated to the Race Relations Commission.
How Bizarre, which was named Single of the Year at the 1996
Fuemana often spoke about the song: "I put a lot of hidden stories in there so people could read between the lines and sense it for what it is instead of telling them, 'Yeah, we got pulled over by the cops, and my mate got his head smashed in, and we got arrested, and they found some pot on him'," he told Reuters in a 1997 interview.[4]
Fuemana declared bankruptcy in 2006.[1]
How Bizarre is still played worldwide more than 27 years after its release.[11] More than a million copies of the How Bizarre album were sold.[5] It is one of the most successful songs recorded in New Zealand.[12] OMC was voted #34 on the APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time.[13]
Death
Fuemana died at North Shore Hospital on 31 January 2010, aged 40, of respiratory failure following a protracted battle with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.[14][4] His health had been declining for several years,[1] suffering from a neurological condition and also developing pneumonia a few months before his death.[1]
He is survived by his wife, Kirstine Fuemana, a New Zealand woman whom he had met in 1993 and married in 2002,[1] and his six children.
Fuemana's funeral was held on 5 February 2010, at the Pacific Island Presbyterian Church in
References
- ^ Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ Cartwright, Garth (4 April 2010). "Pauly Fuemana obituary, Singer-rapper whose 1996 hit How Bizarre is New Zealand's biggest-selling record". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ^ Obituary London Independent, 6 April 2010.
- ^ ONE News. TVNZ. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g Grigg, Simon (2015). How Bizarre: Pauly Fuemana and the Song That Stormed the World. Awa Press.
- ^ "Pauly Fuemana: The real story". Stuff. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "Otara Millionaire's curse". Stuff. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ "How Bizarre: Kiwi classic goes viral on TikTok". NZ Herald. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Musician Pauly Fuemana dies". Stuff. 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ charts.org.nz – How Bizarre
- ^ "How Bizarre: 25 years on and OMC's legacy is as vibrant as ever". Stuff. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "OMC, 'How bizarre'". Te Ara. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Sergent, Bruce. "APRA Top 100". Article. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- Stuff New Zealand. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Mourners farewell musician Pauly Fuemana". Radio New Zealand. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ Davidson, Isaac (6 February 2010). "Mourners hear of Fuemana's twin joys over song and son". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2010.