Nathan Lopa

Chatting with 2016 Deputy Head Boy, Nathan Lopa, is a lesson in humility. As much as we asked him about himself, he spent three times as long talking up the merits of others and making sure we knew about each of their connections back to St Patrick’s College.

The last few years have been supercharged for Nathan as he has juggled performing himself and being director of the Te Kiwa Nui Festival. He is proudly a member of the Signature Choir, a dynamic ensemble of singers representing stories from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau through song. Signature Choir has just finished a season performing with the NZSO in Auckland and Wellington and two sold out shows with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Nathan was very quick to tell us that Signature features seven Old Boys* and is co-directed by Fepulea’i Helen Tupa’i (married to Old Boy Tana Tupa’i) and brother-in-law Jadrah Tupa’i, St Patrick’s College 2009 Head Boy.

A recent performance highlight for Nathan was singing with his band, This is Our Home, onstage with Coldplay in Auckland. The band was formed by a group of Pasifika performers to convey their take on climate justice. They came to the attention of industry heavy weight and environmental activist Brian Eno, who has produced for Coldplay. One thing led to another, one minute some of the band were having dinner at Brian’s UK home, three days later they were singing with Coldplay in Lyon, France. As if that wasn’t mind-blowing enough, not too many months later the boys found themselves playing three huge nights in Aotearoa with the global superstar band. What a whirlwind. ‘Those Eden Park concerts were next level. We had such an amazing time’, said Nathan.

Back down on earth, Nathan reflected on how his expansive community, of which St Patrick’s was a big part, has shaped his life. ‘Anything I have achieved is because of my community and those who have supported me over the years. I loved my time as a Watters boy at St Pat’s.’ Nathan was quick to mention former science teacher and Pasifika co-ordinator Ainslie Sauvao as well as Roger Powdrell as significant influences during his time at school. He remembers former Rector, Father Paul Martin, as greeting every student by name. ‘Those things stick with you.’

Nathan’s fondest memories centre around the school bus rides to and from Porirua each day. ‘We had that bus rocking. Every day, the guitars would be pulled out and the boys would sing. Some boys didn’t even live in P’town but they caught the bus for the sounds. They really were the best days.’

While at school Nathan developed a love of MCing and honed this in his final years, often MCing school events, which has led to a career for him. After finishing school, Nathan returned to St Patrick’s for four years to support boys in their learning as a teacher aide. ‘St Pat’s is definitely in my blood’, Nathan said in finishing.

* Old Boys joining Nathan and Jadrah in the Signature choir are: Elama Elama, Julian Tupa’i, Jesse Antonio, Warren Asi and John Meli.