Australia-Tonga Hip Hop cultural exchange [1]
Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 21:33
Australian Hip Hop dancers, Billy Parker and Credence Blanco, and Tonga's Onion Crew were welcomed at an evening of Hip Hop Dancing hosted by the Australian High Commissioner, HE Adrian Morrison, at the Australian Residence, Ma‘ufanga on Tuesday 11 June.
Tongans ‘Aniselina Nishi and ‘Aiona Prescott, who will represent Tonga at the World Gymnaestrada in Austria in July, also presented a gymnastics display.
The evening encouraged “people-to-people links through indigenous cultural exchange”.
Billy is an Australian of Samoan heritage, and Credence an Australian of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
When they arrived at Fua'amotu Airport on 11 June Credence was missing his didgeridoo, which had not arrived on the plane. However they improvised their traditional sound using a piece of pipe from the PTH hardware shop.
Billy and Credence are part of an Australian Indigenous Hip Hop Dancing Project. Thjey will be in Tonga until 15 June, planning to visit Tonga High School, the Ocean of Light School and meet community youth leaders.