FulaBula Festival returns with new location and beneficiary

North County Times – Escondido,CA,USA
The Oceanside bandleader is hosting his seventh annual FulaBula Fest 2006
in Leucadia this weekend, and all money raised will benefit a local
school orchestra. …

if turkey leftovers and televised football don’t appeal to you this weekend, Semisi Ma’u has an alternative form of entertainment for North County music-lovers. The Oceanside bandleader is hosting his seventh annual FulaBula Fest 2006 in Leucadia this weekend, and all money raised will benefit a local school orchestra.

Ma’u, who was born in Tonga and moved to Oceanside in 1978, taught music for many years at a private Del Mar elementary school. But when his two sons —- Keli (now 24) and Tonga Ross-Ma’u (now 21) —- attended public school, Ma’u learned that arts funding for public schools was limited. Both boys played in the orchestra at Oceanside’s Lincoln Middle School —- Keli played cello, Tonga played viola —- and orchestra director Denise Day told Ma’u that many students who wanted to join the band couldn’t afford instruments. So in 2000, Ma’u asked a group of his fellow North County musicians to lend some time to the first FulaBula fundraiser and a tradition was born. Over the years, the FulaBula Fests have raised money for more than 20 violas, violins and cellos.

The FulaBula Fest has been so successful over the years that Ma’u decided to find a new beneficiary this year, since Lincoln now has a well-supplied orchestra. This year, all proceeds will benefit the music program at Carrillo Elementary School in the San Marcos school district. Ma’u said he chose Carrillo school after he performed a concert on campus and saw how excited the students were about music.

FulaBula Fest is also moving to a new location this year. After six years in Oceanside, the festival will move south to Leucadia’s La Papagayo Restaurant, a Calypso-themed eatery where Ma’u performs frequently. He said he thinks the downtown location will help draw more walk-in traffic.

Besides live music, visitors can make reservations for dinner at Le Papagayo. A portion of restaurant proceeds during the festival will go toward the school. Ma’u will also be offering his band’s CDs for sale, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the school.

Among the artists scheduled to perform, besides Semisi & Fulabula, are his son Keli Ross-Ma’u and his own Caribbean-style band, Palosi Latin Root, Jimmy Patton, Jeff Moore, Jerry McCain, Eric Foster, and Frank Leong & the Moonlight Beach Ukulele Group.