The widow of Pauly Fuemana, the hit-maker whose song How Bizarre became an international sensation, says the famous tune pops up in her life at the most unusual times and places.
“It’s quite eerie,” tells Kirstine Fuemana (45), who is now raising their six children. “For instance, I’ll be in the supermarket and be growling at one of the children, and the song will play over the speakers. I’m sure it’s Pauly’s way of saying he’s still watching over us.”
The lead singer of the group OMC (Otara Millionaires Club) died almost five years ago aged 40, after an 18-month struggle with a neurological condition similar to multiple sclerosis and a bout of pneumonia.
Pauly and Kirstine met in a nightclub, fell in love, married and had six children.
His rise to fame, from the streets of Otara to sharing the stage with the likes of Cher and the Spice Girls, will be the subject of an upcoming Maori Television documentary. His legacy, says Kirstine, is not only his successful music – which saw How Bizarre sell four million copies worldwide – but his children, Angelo (16), Caesar (15), Eva (14), Salvador (11), Imogen (10) and Santos (4).
“The older children have fond memories of their father. He was a very good parent – strict, honest and fair. How they are now is very much down to his influence.”
Pauly died when Kirstine was three months pregnant, so was never able to hold his youngest son. “Santos won’t have any memories of his father, so we talk very openly about Pauly and make sure he’s a part of our everyday conversations.”
Kirstine, who met Pauly in 1993 and married him soon after, says that the documentary is a raw account of his story and will allow viewers to get to know this very shy man.
Before Lorde was a sensation with Royals, How Bizarre was number one in several countries, including the US. “He had one of the best attitudes about his success and I’m proud of how he handled himself. He was a young Polynesian male with a passion for music but without any formal education, who had to deal with a lot of well-educated, clued-up people. Still, he refused to be anyone’s puppet.”
Kirstine says there were many things about her husband people didn’t know. For instance, that he caught the acting bug after Hollywood director Matthew Modine cast him in his film If… Dog… Rabbit, in which Pauly played a gangster called Mr Scary. He was also friends with Drew Barrymore and the Hollywood actress still sends the Fuemana family Christmas cards.
But the most painful memory that Pauly, whose father was Niuean and mother Maori, kept hidden from the outside world was how critically ill he had become. He didn’t tell anyone about his debilitating illness, eventually losing the ability to walk and becoming blind. Only his wife and children, his main caregivers, watched him deteriorate.
Kirstine believes soulmate Pauly still watches over his beloved family.
“He was very proud. He was in his comfortable little space, in his room, surrounded by his musical equipment. He had us around him too, and he felt safe and protected,” Kirstine recalls with obvious pain. “He had strong ties to his Niuean grandmother, who raised him, and I think he just wanted to be with her. We are so thankful for that precious time we had with him.”
Now Kirstine wants to protect her husband’s legacy. She recently sought compensation from a German car manufacturer, claiming it used one of Pauly’s hit songs in a TV ad. She is also developing a TV movie about her husband’s life, and is working with musician Tiki Taane to produce an album of Pauly’s unreleased songs. “I’m doing this for the children. It’s their legacy. And the proceeds of the music will go to them.”
Moving on with her own life, Kirstine confides there’s a new romance on the horizon, but it’s in its early stages. She says she is focusing on her children, who have all inherited their father’s passion for music. “They are just like their dad. They are good, caring people with big hearts. We have done him proud!”
Kirstine recently dug out one of Pauly’s records and the children have been playing it over and over. “It’s really cool because the kids hadn’t really heard many of the tracks and they really like the music.” Holding Santos close to her, she says, “It’s lovely to hear Paul’s voice in our home again.”
