Siva Afi Laumei Faiaga Entertainment has officially opened its doors next to Friendship Park in Apia and is making a comeback after 14 years.

Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa congratulated owners Leota Lene Leota and his wife Clare Leota on the milestone of not only opening the new home for Laumei Faiaga but also commemorating their 21st anniversary. 

The milestone was celebrated on Friday night at the Siva Afi Laumei Faiaga Center behind the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) cultural village and next to the Friendship Park at Matagialalua. 

The opening according to Fiame is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Siva Afi and Lauemi Faiaga and marks what she described as an "extraordinary journey". 

She said that the Government acknowledged that the impact of COVID-19 on key development sectors of Samoa's economy including tourism had been "substantial". 

However, she said the top priority when addressing the socio-economic well-being of the people is they make sure that they develop a national budget that is inclusive, innovative and resilient. 

The importance of supporting the private sector is also important for the Government, with the Prime Minister pointing to small businesses and tourism operators in their attempts to host foreign visitors. 

"We are very pleased with the response we have seen since the opening of our borders. The number of visitors to Samoa continues to grow, as friends, families and tourists visit Samoa," she said. 

Fiame then congratulated Leota and Clare for their endurance, patience, hard work and dedication in keeping one of Samoa's unique cultures alive and added that Siva Afi has journeyed far and wide to arrive where they are now. 

"Fire night dancing is rooted deeply in our culture and traditions, it is part of our Samoan identity and sets us aside from other Pacific cultures. 

"It has promoted Samoa throughout the world and has blessed the many families of talented youths who are given opportunities to work and perform abroad. 

"With your record of achievements, I have no doubt that this venture, between the Government and Siva Afi, will bear positive results for our tourism sector."

Leota, in his speech on Friday night, said he was overwhelmed by the occasion of opening their new entertainment centre and their anniversary celebration.

"I feel fantastic it is a dream come true," he said. It has been 14 years since we let go of the laumei (turtle) back to the show after we vacated our old place in Sogi. 

"But tonight, the laumei is back and the hottest show on the island has finally had a bigger stage and is ready to host our families, friends and visitors. 

"This has been a dream come true for all of us and we just want to thank God and everyone who have made this possible for us. We want to make particular mention to the Government of Samoa for their support. 

"The laumei faiaga finally made its comeback tonight and all I can say is I am grateful to God for all that He has done for us. But I'm grateful to everyone who believed in me and continues to support this development.

"This is my way of helping and serving Samoa. Not only our people by providing employment opportunities but to promote our culture and boost our tourism industry."

While it was a celebration all around for the local entertainment company, Leota admitted that there are still a lot of things they need to work on going forward. 

"The project and what we want this place to be isn't completed yet. But we are starting small and hopefully it will continue to grow. We invite everyone to join and enjoy our shows. We will be open throughout the week. We have our traditional Samoan shows, polynesian show and a little bit of both so come and join us."