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The East-West Center is winding up a two-day virtual meeting of leaders from nations and territories across the Pacific, though notably absent was a leader from Samoa. That's because there is a political standoff between Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and long-ruling prime minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi.
Friday, February 5, 2021
Surrounded by books and programs featuring Samoa and his musical accolades, Bob Lewis shares his “Tales of the South Pacific” experiences.
Photo by Miriam Campan
Under the twinkling stars of the Southern Cross, Bob Lewis spent 20 years teaching music in the South Pacific Islands of Samoa. A Fergus High School graduate, Lewis learned his love of music from his father (Clarence Lewis). After earning his degree with a major in music, he accepted teaching positions in Guam, Minnesota, Oregon and on the Arlee Indian Reservation in Montana. In 1977, Lewis with his wife and child set their sails for warmer waters. Little did he know the move to the tropics would be more than his anticipated musical cultural exchange.