Thought Plantation Podcast

Today on the podcast I am joined by Music artist, singer/song writer, educator and stay at home dad all the way from the Gold Coast. Joseph talks about his upbringing growing up in a typical Tongan household and his journey to France to play rugby. We then get into his career as a teacher and what he believes would benefit children in the long run. We finally step into his world of music and discuss the meaning behind his music and the first release of his single "Half as Much".   Malo Aupito

Today on the podcast, I have Taufa Lavemaau, an amateur boxer with dreams of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. He talks about his introduction to the sport and how he is working towards his goal. We talk shop about his inspirations in the sport, his style of boxing and his favorite move to use during his exhibitions. Taufa discusses his preparation for New Zealand Golden Gloves and the decision to represent New Zealand instead of Tonga for the Olympics. An amazing talanoa with an amazing youth looking to put Tongan's and Pasifika people on the map for the sport of boxing!  Malo Aupito.

Today, we talk to Ema Tavola, an independent artist and curator for her art gallery located in Papatoetoe, "Vunilagi Vou". Ema talks about her journey from Fiji to Aotearoa at the age of 19 and the challenges she faced living in two worlds. She passionately talks about the starting of Vunilagi Vou and meaning behind the name and establishment of her gallery. A very interesting look into the current Art scene in Auckland and work Ema has been doing in her community.  Malo Aupito.

Today on the podcast, I am privileged to host a young aspiring politician currently running for the Manurewa MP seat for 2020. Being on 18 years old, Lourdes talks about her journey becoming a climate change activist and evolving into running for the Green Party of New Zealand. She talks about the inequalities she has noticed in her community and her aspirations to help lessen that gap. A very interesting and thought provoking conversation introducing us to what it means to be a Green Party member.

Where do you sit on the Cannabis debate? Today on the podcast, I have the privilege to host Ronji Tanielu. Ronji discusses his personal opinions on the upcoming cannabis referendum and the impacts it may have on our NZ society. He shares his experience working as a Social Analyst for the Salvation Army, his journey to finding God and opinions on our current society. An enjoyable and respectful conversation. 

Today on the episode, I am joined by my cousin Alice Lolohea, who has worked in New Zealand media for 5+ years. She shares her journey from Pacific Media Works to her current job in Tagata Pasifika and her experiences as a Pasifika Woman finding her space in the media stream. She talks about her passion for film and future projects she hopes to undertake. So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

A long overdue episode where my wife and I encapsulate our experiences and thoughts about New Zealand's nation wide lockdown. We discuss life during lockdown, touch on caring for children while also being in uni or being an essential worker. So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

Welcome back to the Thought Plantation Podcast. Today on the show, I catch up with a good friend of mine that I have literally not seen in years. He talks about his experience stepping between the Tongan and Palangi spaces, his journey in becoming a Tongan contemporary artist and finally becoming a teacher.  So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

3, 2, 1, DJ spin that shit! Welcome back to another installment of the Thought Plantation Podcast. On this episode, I have the pleasure of having on an inspiring and up and coming Tongan Music Artist Yowee. We discuss his upbringing and his journey of 4 years trying to find his sound while honing his craft. We also touch on his connection to producer D.Love and making music in Aotearoa. An interesting podcast about the what it is like to start from scratch and making the right moves to break into the Music Industry. As a bonus, I have a snippet of Yowee's recent single "We On" at the end of this episode. So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

Welcome back to the Thought Plantation Podcast.  Today I am humbled to host a good friend of mine L.J. La Grange who shares with us his experiences moving from South Africa and settling into New Zealand.  In this episode we discuss what growing up in South Africa was like for him; adapting to the New Zealand culture; nursing school; and our thoughts about mass migration in a New Zealand context.  I think we can all learn something from seeing New Zealand through an immigrant's eyes. So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

Welcome to the Thought Plantation Podcast. On this episode, I am again blessed to have my wife on and we pick up where we left off on the previous episode. We talk about our experiences growing up in Tonga and New Zealand and touch on some possibly controversial topics and opinions. If we sound disorganized, its because we are! So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito

Welcome to the premiere episode of the Thought Plantation Podcast. This episode I am joined by my wife Hone where we talk about starting this podcasting adventure and what this show will be covering in future episodes. We also get into some early topics such as parenting in New Zealand VS in Tonga, Mental Health, Schooling/University life and our journey living in New Zealand. So grab a spade, chuck on your gum boots and join us on the Thought Plantation Podcast! Malo Aupito