Jokema's Pacific Games song changed at last minute

POPULAR local band Jokema, which was to perform the Pacific Games theme song We Are Heroes at last Saturday’s opening, pulled out at the 11th hour following controversy over the song.

Makoda Productions managing director Tania Nugent, who is organising the opening and closing ceremonies, revealed that yesterday when asked about what happened to the band.

People have been wondering why Jokema did not perform at the opening, with Jagarissar performing a new song Spirit of the Games instead.

“We had discussions about that (Jokema) song being in our opening ceremony, and we were talking about where in the whole show to have that song, when we had an email from Jokema’s management,” Nugent told The National yesterday.

“With less than two weeks, just 10 days before the show, we received an email from Jokema’s management telling us that he didn’t want to participate in the opening or the closing.”

She said Jokema’s song was picked to be the theme song for the Games. Nugent said it was up to the Games Organising Committee and Jokema to explain the withdrawal.

“We had every intention of having that song at the opening or the closing,” she said. The National/ONE PNG