Samara Alofa - Multidisciplinary Artist

📸 Nicola Sandford

Samara Alofa grew up in the Pentecostal Church where she experienced music as a form of religious expression. Community and learning also existed within a Christian context until she decided to leave the Church as a young adult. After a short stint as a Church intern, she dared to explore her identity beyond the parameters of faith-based service.

In Samara’s early twenties, she stumbled into spaces that were simultaneously frightening and invigorating. Her perspective became increasingly fluid as fresh people and places challenged her limited understanding of life outside Christianity. By shedding her first skin, Samara allowed herself to collect a kaleidoscope of experiences that were previously prohibited. These uncomfortable introductions contributed to a version of herself that she designed. Through great change, she discovered music in novel forms and surrounded herself with like-minded individuals who shared her newfound interests.

From a girl who peered over the fence, Samara was reborn as an openly queer musician who danced on the other side of it. Her curiosity about music technology was insatiable and it led her to a sort of self-directed study pathway. She pored over YouTube tutorials and attentively observed other creatives. Remarkably, Samara blossomed into a self-taught producer and composer as a result of her tenacity and resourcefulness. With a community of artists in her midst and magical sound waves appearing on her laptop screen, Samara realised she was in the right place.

Over the last few years, Samara honed her artistry and nurtured her ancestral gift of storytelling. Today, she is a freelance singer, producer, composer and musician. Samara carries her Samoan, Tongan and Māori heritage into her music while honouring her experimental, ever-evolving spirit. No longer religious, but still deeply spiritual - she has made peace with past, present and future iterations of herself and her art. Her story is one of unapologetic authenticity, creativity and ongoing learning. Transformation through trial and error is how Samara Alofa - the artist - came to be.