Street sounds

Nearly 30 years after its groundbreaking debut, Proud is back, this time on vinyl, writes GRAHAM REID.

- GRAHAM REID

The late Phil Fuemana - producer, mentor and prime mover behind urban Pacific music - once said, "Proud didn't make us, we made Proud," a terse assertion about the 1994 album of South Auckland music, Proud: An Urban-Pacific Streetsoul Compilation.

The album launched the short career of Sisters Underground with their hit In the Neighbourhood and shone the spotlight on MC Slam (Charlie Brown), Semi MCs, Pacifican Descendants and others, notably the sardonically named Õtara Millionaires Club with We R the OMC.

That group was a launchpad for Fuemana's younger brother Pauly, who, as OMC, would take How Bizarre to the world the following year. Ermehn (Herman Loto) and Dei Hamo (Sani Sagala) also emerged from Proud.