Desperate For Help Finding A Tahitian Song

Hi all. I will be so happy and grateful if someone can help me. I have been to F.P. nine times and am actually right now on Rangiroa. Back in the early 80's, after staying on then unpsoiled Bora Bora, I would stay a few days at the wonderful Hotel Tahara'a on Tahiti. I used to hear a song that I remember was played during the day through the hotels sound system when I was out by the pool. I loved it. It was a solo female voice sung slowly, and accompanied by mimimal instrumentation. When it came on I was usually sunbathing and it would completely and totally mesmerize me. So soothing and relaxing it was. Sung in Tahitian so I don't know words except for the last 30 seconds of the song. The vocalist finished with two or three repeats of Vahine Tahiti. Sung slow and beautifully, Vahine Tah-hiti ended it. Does anyone have a clue? I asked the beautiful Marquesan barmaid Maria and she thought it was Poline, that was apparently wrong. It's not Emma Terangi who sings a song with that title, not close. It's not Mila or Maire either, at least what I can find on streaming services like Spotify. Does anyone know this song? AI service Gemini sent me here. Thanks for anyone's help. Mike

The song might be called Vini-Vini.

Thanks!! I'll look it up and let you know.

I did find a few versions of the song title but no luck. It was a fast paced song, nothing like what I'm looking for. Thanks again and if you have any more ideas please let me know.

[ Edited by Traitor Vic on 2026-05-17 20:39:08 ]

Some questions to help search...

1. Can you tell us what instruments you remember being on the recording? Any percussion, drums, steel guitar, etc.?
2. Any chance you know the earliest year you recall hearing it?
3. Was it a single female voice - any background singers, or duetting voices?

Did a search on Discogs for that song title, and checked 1960s, 1970s, 1980s per your memory. Came up with a pretty big list, but not unmanageable: https://www.discogs.com/search?q=vahine+tahiti&type=all&limit=250&page=1&decade=1960&decade=1970&decade=1980

Thank you Rupe! Solo female voice, an acoustic guitar for sure but if there any other instruments I can't recall but if so itvwas minimaI. I believe it was probably when I was there in 83 and 85 that I would hear it. The Taharaa was closed for a short time during my 84 trip. Like I said it's a slow, mesmerizing, soothing, and relaxing song. I'll look at your list but but if anything else rings a bell I'm here! Thanks

Rupe, no luck yet. Frustrating.

Some questions to help search...

1. Can you tell us what instruments you remember being on the recording? Any percussion, drums, steel guitar, etc.?
2. Any chance you know the earliest year you recall hearing it?
3. Was it a single female voice - any background singers, or duetting voices?

Did a search on Discogs for that song title, and checked 1960s, 1970s, 1980s per your memory. Came up with a pretty big list, but not unmanageable: https://www.discogs.com/search?q=vahine+tahiti&type=all&limit=250&page=1&decade=1960&decade fnf =1970&decade=1980

I checked the same Discogs results and there are still quite a few candidates. Without additional details about the recording, I'm not confident enough to guess which version it might be.

What a lovely memory to have connected to a song! Since you remember hearing it at Hotel Tahara'a in the early 80s, I wonder if it might have been an older local recording that never made it onto the streaming services. Do you remember whether the accompaniment was mostly guitar or ukulele, or perhaps just a very soft instrumental backing? Even that small detail might help someone here narrow sports games down. Hopefully a longtime Tahitian music fan recognizes it!

[ Edited by marktuan on 2026-10-09 08:53:22 ]