I also wanted to mention, as a former Mormon missionary myself in Samoa — just a little younger than the Eldares, but all of our times there overlapped a little — that their music was immensely popular, especially “Masi Samoa.” That song played repeatedly on 2AP, “le si’ufofoga o Samoa i Sisifo,” or the national radio station of then-Western Samoa (now just Samoa). They also used the same tune, but changed the lyrics, to create “Peanut, Peanut Butter” — another favorite missionary food, when we could get it.

Interestingly, as a gag somebody brought a serving of the real “masi Samoa” — the “stink stuff” Carl Fonoimoana describes in the article — to a 1966 Christmas party I attended. I can still recall it was potently “mafu” or spoiled smelling.

The popularity of the song “Masi Samoa,” however, did not prevent some “uluvale” young men from occasionally using it derisively: “Hey, Masi Samoa, they would call out,” as we walked by.

I call your attention to a couple of points about the “Eldares then” photo in the article — besides the fact we were all so young in those days:

1) If you look at the background you can see there were still a lot of traditional Samoan “fale” or houses in those days — a little like the ones at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Samoan village but, of course, usually not as nice.

2) President Hanks (far right in the picture) was only about 30 years old himself and could easily pass for one of the young Mormon missionaries. In fact, the very first time I met him at Mapusaga School (now American Samoa Community College) in Tutuila, Elder Billy Tuitama (who has since passed away) fooled me by introducing Elder Randy Broadhead as President Hanks, and vice versa. President Hanks went along with the gag for a minute, or so.

I can also confirm that the late Elder Wayne Willis, who was briefly my temporary missionary companion in Manu’a, was an exceptional ukulele player and a skilled teacher who later went on to a successful career in sales.

Soifua, Mike Foley