The first album Rosita Vai Gibbons ever received was a Whitney Huston album. As a child, she was surrounded by music through the church choir which was the start of her musical journey.

Growing up, Ms. Gibbons only spoke in Samoan with her grandmother. As she became older, she battled with her identity of where she grew up in New Zealand and the place she considers home in Samoa. 

As a young Samoan girl living overseas, she struggled with not feeling Samoan enough with the added pressure of wanting to fit into the predominantly white culture of New Zealand. 

“When I came to Samoa, it was overwhelming and I got intimidated,” Ms. Gibbons said, adding that she felt pressured by herself when she couldn’t speak Samoan as fluently as she would have liked. 

Despite this, she always felt like Samoa was her home. Her journey with accepting herself has been positive and she encourages Samoans living abroad to stay in touch with their culture. 

“I’m still learning massively about my language but also about people,” Ms. Gibbons said. 

In 2005, when Ms. Gibbons was 24, she participated in the New Zealand Idol (NZ Idol) and became the first female crowned for the competition. During her time in the NZ Idol, she stayed out of the “bottom three” placings and was the only contestant to do so in the history of the NZ Idol. 

Following her victory, her single "All I Ask" spent two weeks at number one and went platinum and she released an album titled Golden which made the Top 20 NZ Albums chart. 

Since then, she’s had the opportunity to sing as a background singer for stars in New Zealand and even been invited back to Samoa to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pacific Games, held in Apia. 

“That’s one thing I’ve loved about Samoa, they’ve always brought me home,” Ms. Gibbons said. “I come here and I'm welcomed home.” 

She is currently living in Sydney, Australia and has continued writing songs. Most recently, she has been working on a TV series in Australia which is set to be released in November.  

This is the first time Ms. Gibbons has returned to Samoa in 10 years. 

Ms. Gibbons was invited to perform at the 2024 Anofale Cultural Heritage Exhibition, which is the closing ceremony to 2024 Anofale Mentoring and Leadership Programme. The Anofale Mentoring and Leadership Programme is a mentorship program to foster the next generation of young women leaders. 

During her time back in Samoa, she has mentored several girls who have been interested in the music industry. 

“I wish we had something like that back in my day,” Ms. Gibbons. “I would have loved to have that empowerment and encouragement growing up.” 

Her advice for young girls wanting to go into the music industry? 

“Every time there’s an opportunity, don’t be afraid to go for it,” Ms. Gibbons said. “You learn more when you have a go, than saying I wish I would have done that.”