A eulogy for OMC

by frog

The phrase ‘cultural milestone’ edges towards cliché, so I use it with caution when speaking of Pauly Fuemana and the Otara Millionaire’s Club.  But it’s appropriate in this instance for two reasons.

First, that sound. It was so distinct.  How Bizarre (the album as well as the song) didn’t just copy hip hop but co-opted it, along with elements of NZ indie rock and a sliding, slapping South Pacific guitar style that was both recognisable and new (at least to mainstream pop).  The result was a particularly, peculiarly, proudly Polynesian pop.  (A nod here to Alan Jansson, the other half of OMC who co-wrote/produced the album.)

Cultural evolution is often a lurching, chaotic and opaque process, but How Bizarre was a discernible moment when something new came to be. 

If a central purpose of culture is to engender confidence – to help us understand how and why we navigate our world – then that’s the other reason OMC was important in New Zealand. Confidence. 

There’s an assured, even brash euphoria suffusing the songs and the lyrics (“…wanna know the rest?  Buy the rights!”).  The music is laid back and sophisticated, reflective and bold.   While it meant a lot to South Auckland communities specifically, for New Zealand more broadly it was a sassy retort to the spectre of cultural cringe. And it grabbed the pop world’s attention.

So thanks for your contribution Pauly Fuemana and rest in peace.