A highlight of the Opera Gala last week at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium,was the Samoa National Orchestra, which began their performance with pounding drums, including the “pate” — one of the many Samoan log drum percussion instruments named after the Samoan word for “beat” or “clap”. They vary in size and sound. The pulsing intro to the orchestra presentation allowed the local audience to get a taste of what we, Samoans, are capable of creating. [photo: JF]