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July 31, 2024 32 mins

In our biggest episode to-date, we interview Tongan singer Dinah Jane.

After selling tens of millions of records with Fifth Harmony, she’s now a commanding voice in the Polynesian music space. Dinah’s latest single ‘Road Less Travelled’ speaks to the lane of the industry which she says many expected her to take after being part of a girl group. She has been “crying for” this moment in her career. Mālō e ngāue lahi, Dinah Jane.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's the flavor podcast network.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Island Roots Auckland Ways.

Speaker 3 (00:06):
This one's for the Brown brothers and sisters who want
to be one with themselves, their culture, their identity, their roots.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
This is Island Roots Auckland Ways.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Boom boom shake, shake the room. Boom boom shake, shake
the room. Boom boom, shake shake the room. Tick tick
tick tick boom, Island Roots Auckland Ways. This is probably
our biggest episode ever.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
This is our oh are you kidding me?

Speaker 4 (00:35):
Like, but also not just like in terms of like
the guest, just in terms of what she means to
us and our friendship.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yes, this is next level.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
This is the creme de la creme, Honey, Dinah Jane.
So we don't want to hold you up here as
the podcast right now and joylessly.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Welcome back everyone to another episode of Island Roots Auckland Ways.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Today.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
It is an absolute honor to welcome an absolute princess,
Queen Queen, the dream guest of all dream guests.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
When we tell you, no, no.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
No, it's Dinah Jane.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh my gosh, I love you, guys.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
We love you. We have no idea, well, I mean
you do have an idea because off the mic we
were talking about how obsessed we are with you and
how great we think you are and how talented we
think you are, and also how you are like the
third best friend in this friendship. So it's so exciting
that you could make the time.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
To be here with us.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
We are just we're like so jazzed right now, on
top of the world.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
We are over the moon. Dinah, how are you going, sister.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
I'm feeling amazing, so good. I'm doing thisus. Thank you
so much for having me. I wish we were in
person for this because it's like do for me to
be a new zeale and fine now, but again, thank
you so much for having me. It's such an honor
to be on here with you guys and discuss some
fun topics.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
He yo for the culture, for the coature. Cissy and
you are over do a trip on New Zealand. And
when you come here, girl, let's take you out. Let's
get an airbnb, let's get busy.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
One's a good time to come to New Zealand, Like
one's a good season, like time of the month.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Summer for sure, which is like winter your time. So
I feel like that's nice.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Around Christmas, New Year's this was probably a really good
time to come not noted.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I will keep that in my notes for the end
of this year.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yes, okay, okay, Oh my gosh, you're I am fan
girling right now when I tell you my palms are
sweaty like I'm imm and there right now. Don't play
with me son for so long. Oh, alyssa' is having
a heart attach any Every episode we sre what we

(03:00):
love about home, So where you currently live, where you
were born, where you feel most grounded, What is home
to you? And what do you love about it? Dinah,
Alissa and I will start off first, and Alyssa, what
do you love about home this week? Girl?

Speaker 4 (03:12):
Well, I am not tonguan, but what I love about
home this week is red, white and brass. There was
recently a it was a theater production remake of The
Incredible Movie with our friend JP for Yaki rises role.
And it was just so good and like that straight
my funa, that tongue in energy, it's just different and
it just I don't know, I was like fire out,

(03:33):
I like you, wish I was tongue right now?

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Oh you sure where she were tongue? And huh oh
sure you're friends with JP and Dinah your friends with
JP for Yaki, aren't you girl?

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, She's such a sweetheart and I'm so so proud
of him and everything that he's accomplished and putting our
tongue of people on such a map in honor platform
with what he's pushing. So congratulations to him. New Zealand's
Finest JP teaser.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Tees Gay Tuesday six seven six Baby, Okay, listen, thank
you so much for sharing what you love about home
this week. I love wearing asay and my hair. Okay, girl,
I love a cute flower in the hair. Sometimes it
just brings about that island flair. And whenever you're going whereever,
you're going well for me, whenever I'm going to a
predominantly by Langy event, and I just want to create

(04:31):
a little subtlety that reminds every one of where I
come from and who I represent. Check us a in
the air and then you're done, and then you're done.
Ski's girl with anything, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (04:44):
That's so true.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Actually, I've been collecting a lot of says recently. I
love that you said that. I just came back from
Hawaii not too long ago, and I wore say like
almost everywhere I went, and I was just like, Wow,
this just feels like you don't have to say much.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
It's just people already know like an island girls.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
So that little signature we got to us is something
really special.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Hey Dinah that one. What do you love about Home
this week?

Speaker 2 (05:09):
What I love about Home this week?

Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, like I said, I've been traveling a lot lately,
and what home is to me is Island music. Like
no wherever I no matter where I travel to throwing
on a little bit of Fiji and Jaybug Common Kings
here and there.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
It feels like I'm carrying a piece.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
Of Home with me everywhere I go, and that it
keeps me grounded and humble. The type of music I
listen to wherever, whatever room I'm stepping into too as well,
no matter who's in the room, I feel like that
little reminder that music helps me remember who who I
represent and where I come from.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
I love that so much.

Speaker 4 (05:49):
I am a fellow Island music girly, so I've got
it going whenever possible, And I agree, there's just something
about it that's just like so grounding.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Yeah, and you could go far and wide with it,
like Spawn, Breezy, Sammy j Redna Edies Girl Literit. Oh
you mentioned Fiji. There, he is the king, I disputed
king of Polynesian music, don't you think?

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Amen?

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yes, Yeah, I feel like he's the reason why we
kind of branched out and have started this movement to
begin with. So props for the king himself, for Fiji.
Thank you Fiji for everything that you do and everything
that you represent. Yeah, I love Fiji. You can never
go wrong with a little bit of anything you want.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
Why you.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Warrior of Love?

Speaker 1 (06:39):
Hey girl, Hey girl? Yeah, Goveolwauki, Oh my god.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
But honestly, Dinah, I feel the same way about your music,
especially Ocean Song, And I would love if we could
talk a little bit about Ocean Song, because I know
you've described it as like a call to your ancis
and there's something about it to me that is so grounding,
this like sense of like pacificness and like strength and
our identity that I can't really describe, but I feel
like you'll get it, and like you can see it

(07:10):
in the visuals girl, in the music video, it's just
so us. What has been what has it been like
for you to see it? Resonate with so many Pacifica
girls and women out there, because I feel like all
over TikTok, I'm seeing the girls jamming ocean song and
there's something about it I don't know, that's like my
funner to me, like, oh my gosh. Yeah, it just
fills me with so much pride every time I listen

(07:33):
to it.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
What's it?

Speaker 4 (07:33):
What's it been like to see it? Reasoning?

Speaker 3 (07:35):
This song has taken such a journey, like I created
a song first of all, like four years ago in Bali,
and it started off as a love song, and then
you know, throughout the years, losing loved ones and then
still being attached to this song, I felt like I
was fighting for something that had some type of representation

(07:57):
through my music. I've done all the fun stuff I've done,
like Bob, I've ben't heard it all before talking about
all my lovey dove songs, but I just felt like
something was missing, and to kick off this journey with
new music and new era, I think transforming this love
song into an ancestral prayer was so important to me.

(08:18):
Losing my loved ones, my grandparents that are in the
music video, which is my grandpa Almoni and my Grandma.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Jane, my Grandma Sanie. They have been my prayer warriors.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
So to dedicate something to them, I felt like I
could create a prayer for many other Pacific Island girls
who feel who could feel some type of connection to
it of losing a loved one and knowing how hard,
how hard of a prayer war they can be for us,
that we can be one back to them in a sense.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
So visually this also took such a toll. I was
like I was fighting for it, and I was like, please,
I need my thoughts.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
I need a tho Lula in the beginning, I need
like the evolution of a little girl, tonguing girl going
into a womanhood and then representing all these women all
in white was so important to me also as well,
to symbolize the purity of our women, our Polynesian women,
and how in our culture we value the women in

(09:11):
our culture, especially being tongue in. I know the type
of I know the type of responsibility I have as
being the oldest daughter and then also holding the title
of a future bahu. So that and then having tying
in my family into it was so heartwarming and touching
to me that my creative director of the music video

(09:32):
wanted to go that direction.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
A part of me didn't want to. I was like,
oh no.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
These kids, like they're a little too much, and I
we want you to like show your family, show where
you really come from, how they act, and I didn't
want them to see the true like sister slash Auntie,
I am with my cousins and my little siblings.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
But then I was like, you know what.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
This is the era of where you just have to
be authentically yourself and not be ashamed or afraid.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
To show how you carry yourself at it within your home.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
So thank you to my team for pushing me to
open up a little bit more, stripping back each layer
of just opening up of where.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
I come from and how I was raised.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
I was born and raised here in Orange County, California,
and there's a big Polynesian community down here. And thank
you to Fiana Lufau, who is the woman that you
call to help creatively with movies such as Maana. So
thank you to her for being a part of the production,
being a part of the choreography, helping me just open

(10:33):
up more and be like you said, Mafana with the
creative process. And I was like I really felt like
I was able to share a piece of home with
the world. And the fact that it resonates with so
many people and so many women and little girls really
made me cry a few times because I've seen some
reaction videos and being in Hawaii and traveling lately, I've

(10:55):
been getting so many compliments and that's the first song
they tell me.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
Usually girls come up to me, your people tell.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Me, oh, I lover song, bought it up, but lately
it's been it's been Ocean Song. So for them to
say that really touched my heart, and I was like,
you know what, this is the point. This is the
reason why we do this. And for me, it's not
about you know, the numbers, It's not about you know,
people are telling me, we're pulling me to other directions,
like you need to go for things that are popular

(11:22):
right now, and you can use so much to your
voice and you could do so many other things.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
Why are you going this direction?

Speaker 3 (11:29):
There's a movement here, and why not use my platform
for the younger the next generation, And this is my
gift to them and to let them know like you
can dream big and keep dreaming, but stay humble and
keep your feet grounded no matter where you go, because
you can go further with your village. If you have
that grounded mentality and that home mafauna energy, you can

(11:51):
you can do so much more with that. So this
is again my gift to everyone, and thank you to
everyone for vibing out to my song, Ocean Song. It
means every thing to me, and I'm glad you guys
are loving the visuals. It was a lost fight for it.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
It's your gift for us, like truly, and you're so right,
like no point, like Ocean Song has become this whole
thing of its own, and at no point have you
felt like you've had to sacrifice your tongue in this,
you know, like there, it's so tongue in, it's so pacific,
it's so entrenched, and like.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
I'm so glad to hear that you say that.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
I think I've also heard like an identity crisis without
within my career, a lot of people have been telling
me like, oh, why don't you go this route and
this route? You look, you look African America, you look Mexican.
Why don't you just go there? I just felt like
that's not true to who I am, and why not
stay authentically to myself. So saying it out loud and

(12:45):
bringing it to the forefront of being an island girl,
I want them to know, like, without even saying it,
this is why I'm I'm tongue in island girl and
I represent all of the South Pacific. So it's such
a treat for myself to even do this, you know.
So for me to finally claim it out loud was
like something I've been crying for, yeah, when I'm alone.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
So yeah, finally I can just be myself. Is what
this era feels like?

Speaker 1 (13:12):
Oh that's so special. Hey, Dinah, how long has this
era been coming? Have you been sitting on this for
a while, these feelings of wanting to embrace your identity
as a tongue and as a proud Basufka woman, Because yeah,
I assume that people would have from your many many
years in the music industry would have assumed that Dinah

(13:33):
Jane would have gone through this path and she was
singing with these singers, so she's going to sing this
type of music for the rest of her career. We
can see now that you've kind of established yourself as
a proud Basyfica singer, singing like how ancestors did. Was
this a hard decision to make to embark on this
new heiressis it was?

Speaker 3 (13:54):
I've been itching to like go this for out and
it's just only because it was just for myself, Like
I just felt like the little girl and me like
wanting to wanting that type of representation. I didn't really
have much besides Aradna the queen herself and so being
a brown skin queen an Island girl.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
I was like, what else can I do?

Speaker 3 (14:12):
There's so much more I know I can do without
just being your typical like you know, American pop star.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
And for me to be in this in this.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
Type of space now, I'm grateful for my team for
amplifying this idea into my mind of like just being
authentically yourself and so going this direction with the music,
It's there's so many music.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
There's so much songs.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
In my catalog that I have not yet to share,
but they have been resurfacing and it's just a whole
representation myself and I just want the music to just
tell you what it is and show you make you
feel exactly what type of direction I'm going and who
I've always been.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
So I love it.

Speaker 4 (14:54):
Yeah, you mentioned a bottle up before and I bottled
apps sorry, And I like when I was coming up
with what we could talk about in this episode, I
was thinking back to the start of your solo career
and songs like Bottled Up. It seems so, I mean,
it's not drastically different, but it does seem quite different
to the new music that you're making now, like Ocean Song,
falling in Love with Ja King, and then Road Least Traveled,
which is about to be released.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
What does become becoming Up?

Speaker 3 (15:18):
It will be coming out for you guys a day
early then over here, So I hope you guys like
that one of my babies.

Speaker 4 (15:26):
Yeah, what does this No, No, you're fine, You're fine.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
What does this new era of music?

Speaker 4 (15:31):
You've kind of touched on it before, but what does
it really represent to you?

Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think it's just representing everything that I've listened to,
like everything that I've endured.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
I'm a lover girl, and I feel like I'm just
writing out I'm writing out music that comes from like
my journal. So this song really speaks about a time
where I really was in love and it's at this
certain time a point my life, not right now, but
at the time I was such so in love that
I was willing to go the road that's traveled with
this guy who lived overseas and whatnot. And so yeah,

(16:12):
I just feel like with this new era of music,
I'm just peeling a layer as I go with each
song that I'm releasing. Doing a song with Jay King
with Falling in Love was so special for me as well.
For him to even reach out and be like, hey, sis,
I want to do a song with me. I have
a song coming out was really special to me. And
then Falling in Love kind of also like kicked it
up even more for me, which, by the way, we

(16:34):
have a.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Record coming out as well, another one.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Part two one. But yeah, everything is just me storytelling.
All these songs mean something very special to me and
I can't wait to like unfold it more as we go.

Speaker 2 (16:49):
And and EP is on the way.

Speaker 1 (16:50):
So so you are giving us all the equal D
right now.

Speaker 4 (16:58):
And I was literally going to say road leys traveled
from the snippets I've heard, it's just such a fun
summer love a girl box. So the fact that we're
all love girls on this core right now feels feels
feels right. But can you take us to like I love,
I love, I love love, and they love.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
And when they're out loud with their love their lover.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
But you know, sometimes to be tricky too because you
don't want to be posting them and then they like fumble,
god dang it.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
But you know what, that's part of the journey, that's
part of the story.

Speaker 3 (17:29):
Like whatever l' do you take or whatever real love
you're you're embracing, like at least live in it and
thriving it type of thing.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
Why do I sound like a therapist?

Speaker 1 (17:37):
No, I just.

Speaker 4 (17:42):
Got out of a situation with a tongue in man
and he's broken my heart essentially, so I'm currently on the.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
I'm so sorry.

Speaker 1 (17:52):
There's no way he's related to girl. You uh you uh?
Tem This man was a one. I don't know why.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Red flag? What was the red flag?

Speaker 4 (17:59):
What was Oh my god, there was so many. There
was so many that I just you know, when you're
just in the haze. I was like, we can work
on that later, don't worry about it. And then now
I'm like, wow, I really shouldn't have ignored those things
because I wouldn't be sitting here upset it.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
You know better, you know exactly?

Speaker 3 (18:16):
I feel like sometimes certain people come into your life
to give you that type of They give you a
lesson and then you've learned it, because if you haven't
learned it, the universe is gonna hit you back and
be like, oh well, here's another lesson. Yeah, and they're
gonna place another man in your lap and be like,
oh no, you know so. I think as long as
you acknowledge those things, you'll be able to move forward

(18:36):
and notice those traits and be like, this is meant
for me, this is what not meant for me, and
that's what I'm entertaining.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
This is not what I'm entertaining.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
Bank Sister Love advice from the Queen right now.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
Oh my gosh, I think Diana j needs to host
Love Island Maya Jama. You need to maybe vacate the
premises real quick. Let out girl, Dina come in some
sort of Wow you don't want to get the rose.
Oh no, someone needs to sign Dina girl.

Speaker 4 (19:13):
We need we need a pacifica quisachel please that would
be Icona.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
I would be too shy, Okay, I'll do yeah the topic.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
Maybe she can go on the Bachelorette after Roadless Travel
is released. So make sure you keep your eye on
that love that.

Speaker 2 (19:30):
New Zealand host one. I would love to be on it.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
There.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
You guys got some cuties you Rick and girl. I
think so well, at least I think, Oh.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
I don't know, I feel like where you are at. No,
that's with a man, that's all another.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
I don't know if like the American streets.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
But oh yes, I'm like a I love my.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Island boys like I'm a big boys. Yeah mm hmm, but.

Speaker 4 (20:01):
Please can we I want to keep ching about road
they traveled? What was this song writing process?

Speaker 1 (20:07):
Like?

Speaker 4 (20:07):
Who are you riding it with? Who was producing? And
then girl, was there someone? Obviously you said there was
someone in mine when you were writing the song. But
I'm I'm assuming that he's not in the picture anymore.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
I always had a picture, no more, like I can't remember.
Some people come into your life for a certain reason.

Speaker 4 (20:23):
He was here to particular listen and then now.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
He's on his merry way. He was here to make
you a bad girls.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
That hard.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
No, but the song played a really big part in
my life in like around twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, And
you know, like that talking pace when you're with someone
and super work on that honeymoon phase, and being that
he lived overseas, like oceans away, taking the road let's travel,

(20:58):
meaning aka something that's uner of like, which like not
a lot of people do dating someone from overseas, the
fact that he was able to like always fly out
to me and like always host me. He's like in
my city and he's like, I'll take care of you.
Let's go do this, Let's go do that. I was
like on cloud nine and I was like, wow, this
is really sweet. I really thought like this was the

(21:19):
one type of thing. But you know, like when you're
in love with someone, that's how you know, like Okay,
it sparked some type of inspirations, so he kind of
inspired this song, this lover Girls song. And in the
second verse, I say something like he sent me flowers
on the weekday when I don't even need them, Pretend
like I don't see them.

Speaker 1 (21:39):
No.

Speaker 3 (21:40):
I say that because I was like playing hard to
get but then not really and I'm not really a
flowers type of girl. But he kept sending flowers to me,
and I think that's probably like made him excited that
I wasn't excited about flowers.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
I don't know. And like I said this song.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
I'm personalizing it a lot, and the fact that he
was willing to put an even more effort like trying
to win my love meant a lot to me. So
if you got a lover out there and he's willing
to go to the road, let's travel with you here,
keep her okay.

Speaker 1 (22:11):
Advice because some of them, may I be seeing, girl,
they be taking the road that everyone travels on, just
like all these are the red flags. Girl.

Speaker 4 (22:26):
But speaking of red flags, yes, the tongue flags.

Speaker 1 (22:29):
Oh yes, girl? Can you take us back.

Speaker 4 (22:31):
To the moment the ticket I'm so good at segways
and I think you know this is.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
Too each question, thank you?

Speaker 4 (22:41):
But the mt when you did the tongue and ash anthem?
How special was it to sing that in front of
such a passionate crowd.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
And meant everything to me? Oh my gosh, I feel
get chills about it. Like almost every time I anyone
brings it up. I remember so vividly my grandfather who
I mentioned in the music video, who's in the music video?

Speaker 2 (23:04):
Amoni? He like made He was like my Simon Cowell.

Speaker 3 (23:06):
So I was nervous before I flew out because he
told me, like, hey, make sure you're you're speaking it correctly,
you're singing it correctly. I thought I was gonna sing
it wrong. He realized my rendition and he was like, Okay,
I think you're ready to go. I get out there,
and then I see like all the people just like
roaring while I'm singing, and I'm like getting nervous because

(23:29):
I'm like, okay, am I gonna land this? Because when
you get to that ending of the song, you know,
you just don't know how people are going to react.
So it was just amazing to see people's reaction and
seeing the player's reaction. I felt like I was able
to represent not only my family back here in the States,
but also all the people that were in that stadium
and those that were out in the islands as well.

(23:51):
It just meant everything to me that I could be
something so special in that time, and I think even
after that, I don't think there's been another time to.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Top that game, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
No offense to anyone else, but I feel like that
was like my favorite MMT game ever, not because I
performed there, but because of the passion the people had
there watching them perform hymns. While I was at the game,
while they're about to score. Like, that's something you don't
see in everyday games. So shout out to the tonguins,
drop your teas, shout out to the Red Sea. Especially

(24:23):
out in New Zealand. That was such a fun experience.
And that was the last time I was actually in
New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
We need to change that.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
We need to change that.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
Girl.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
You know, me and Alyssa, we're gonna get our coins together.
We're gonna get you flued out. We're gonna put you
in a hotel. Why not, let's just tell the boys
play another rugby game, so el Sis can't come and
sing again.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Okay, yeah, another game, and I'm trying to come out
and jump off that what's that called the Khalifa?

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Is that? Girls, it's called the bungee jumping. Do you
mean the sky shower?

Speaker 1 (24:52):
Oh yeah, the skytower.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
Girl, I.

Speaker 1 (24:57):
Think that's the one in Dubai.

Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah, girl, you think way too jump off of Okay,
but Marina just did a bundee jump off the Auckland
Harbor Bridge, so we've got a pro in the midst.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah. Oh girl, it was forty more.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
We just don't tell my dad. I just don't tell
my dad because my husband sucked me out of it.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
Yeah, your dad is going to be worrying for his princess.
But we'll try to organize a little something something for
when you come back to New Zealand. What's your relationship
like with the culture did you? Alerded alluded to earlier
that there were heaps of islanders out in Orange County
where you were raised, But tell us about how life

(25:38):
was like as a Pacific islander where you were growing
up in Kelly, growing up.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
Here in southern California. I grew up in a very
dominant Mexican Asian culture down here in Santa Anna, California.
So and then also having some of my mom's best
friends they were samone and then we grew up with
this someone family. It's very communicative like down here, so

(26:09):
down here in Orange County, it's been nothing but sweet
and musical. I grew up in a very musical home
here in Orange County. My mom plays a piano, she sings.
She likes to claim that she still sings better than me,
but come back to that later. My sister is singing
my sister's songwriting right now. I don't know if you
guys have heard of her. She just started. Her name's
The Exclusive, that's her stage name right now, and I'm

(26:33):
just so proud of her, you know, thriving into the
music that she wants to do too. I have a
younger sister named Regina. She is a great singer. She
just might tap me. Actually that one that's gonna be
my protege. And then I have siblings. I have brothers
who play sports. So I went to a school down
here in Orange County called the School of Arts Osha,

(26:53):
Orange County School of Arts. I attended there for a while,
and then obviously I went to X Factor or while
I was in school. So I was like always trying
to balance like home, family, being the oldest daughter in
your home as well, and then church and music, going
to the studio, and it was.

Speaker 2 (27:13):
Just like a whole bunch of layers.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
And my mom was trying to tell me, like, girl,
if you want to if you really want this life,
this is what comes with it. This is the hustle,
this is what you have to sacrifice. And if you
really believe in it and you love it, then I'm
all for I will, like stop working, have dad work
two jobs, and then you can go and be this artist.
So very grateful for my mom and my dad for
making these sacrifices for little only to be who I

(27:36):
am today, and especially my grandmother who raised me in
the church. To always remember that God is first no
matter what I do, and to always think Him with
everything that I do.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
Oh, what a blessing to have such a support of family. Sister.
Just to close off out interview before we go into
a little game, Dina, I just want to ask you
for any little girls right now, little brown girls, let's
thing and they want to take up music. What would
your advice be to them? What are your geams of
wisdom that you want to impart upon young Pacifica girls

(28:10):
wanting to dream big?

Speaker 2 (28:12):
Do you want a dream big? Your whole heart has
to be in it, Like you have to love it.
You have to love singing so much that you do
it in your sleep. You know.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
I feel like if the passion is there, you will
go further in life. And to also keep your grandparents,
keep your parents with you the whole ride through. Because
its industry can also be a little scary. As pretty
and dreamy as this life may be, you have to
understand that there's a lot of sharks that do exist.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
And if you keep God first and your family surrounded by.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
You the whole way through, you will conquer anything in
any room you step in. So safety first, keep your
parents around you, and keep they will keep you humble.
And love what you do, love music, lovel with your
whole heart, and never be fifty fifty about it. Once
you know fifty fifty about it, you're not really happy,

(29:08):
then pick.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
A pause, Pick a pause until you're ready to come back.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
Well said Dinah, Oh my gosh, I think a lot
of young little girls will resonate with those totally okay,
So we aren't coming to the innoville and TV, which
I'm so sad about. Buck. Before we go downa Jane,
we are going to play a rapid fire Kim, a
rapid fire game with you. So Elsa's going to leave this.

Speaker 4 (29:32):
So we've centered it around the road least traveled, and
for us to SoCal La is the road least traveled.
So we want to know your best spot's in La.
If one day we decide to take the road least traveled,
we'll know where to go catching my drift, Dinah, I.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Get are you talking about food? Are you talking about okay?

Speaker 4 (29:52):
Let us give you some prompts and we'll see what
rapid fire comes off the dome Oay, okay, So if
you you want to take the road list, travel to La.
Where are we going to get somewhere to eat? Mmm?

Speaker 2 (30:07):
To La? It would be.

Speaker 3 (30:11):
So if it's somewhere bougie, you would have to go to.

Speaker 2 (30:16):
Such as a c catch bogie. That's a cute spot.

Speaker 3 (30:21):
But if you want to be like me and a
b bougie, I like to go to other spots too.
I like Korean barbecue. Y, my grandma's calling. Oops, Grandma,
stop calling me. But can you hears hear me? Yes,
we can hear you, girl, Korean barbecue. I like to
go to gens g e n s or kicking Crab.

Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yes. Okay, so we'll go somewhere to eat. But how
about somewhere to go and eat somewhere with some dope
as views? Dina, Where should we go if we want
to catch a view of where you're from that's nice
and beautiful and serene and pretty.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
I would say.

Speaker 3 (30:57):
There's a really beautiful scenic spot down in Laguna Be.
I'll have to take you there because I don't know
the streets. I just know where I'm going when I
drive down there, but somewhere and we're going to beat Okay.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
And girl, where are we going to shop?

Speaker 2 (31:09):
Where are we going to shop?

Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah? Girl, what shop? We're heading up for some maybe
for yeah whatever.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
We would have to go to South Coast Plaza because
that's my local mall down here, South Coast.

Speaker 1 (31:21):
Okay, South Coast Plaza. Hey, guys, my name is Maths.
We're going to South Coast Plaza with our girl, Dina
Jane out in so Cow.

Speaker 4 (31:32):
Please never do that next you belong here.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
Yeah, girl, I live in Calabasas with the Kardashians of carl.

Speaker 4 (31:41):
Nor. Oh my gosh, Dina, it comes to the end
of our chat. But we I mean, in case you
didn't express it enough, we're obsessed with you. We love you,
and we're so so so grateful that you took the
time to chat with us. And we're so excited to
take you around Auckland. You just seen us say, missage,

(32:01):
when you are going to be in town, and we'll
book the hotel, we'll book everything we got here.

Speaker 2 (32:07):
We'll come for a good time. We're here for a
good time. Make memories.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yeah for having me, Dinah Jane Hanson has a special
place in.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
Our hearts and she was so lovely and we ha
one hundred senter taking around next time she's an awkward.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
I'm buzzing out that we actually got her no and
like she loved our energy. She said it felt like
she's known us through it. We made everyone to stop,
but we are like, yeah then everyone at the moment,
so literally you can't touch this.

Speaker 2 (32:40):
Oh my gosh. Okay.

Speaker 4 (32:42):
Videos of the chat will be up on Island Roots,
awkwand Ways, on our Instagram and our TikTok Follow us,
oh my gosh, bye guys,
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