Gafataitua Fa’alogo (Nafa to most) unexpectedly passed away February 4, 2017. Nafa was born in Newport Beach, California and proudly being of Samoan heritage, he was granted the Chief Name of Fa’alogo Connelly Fa’alogo. After moving to Tampa with his parents in 1981, he worked at the Lowry Park Zoo for several years before taking a job at the University of South Florida Library that lasted nearly two decades. His ridiculously wide-ranging musical tastes manifested in irony-free enthusiasm for everything from the Icelandic post-rock of Sigur Rós to the New Romantic camp of Adam Ant to the classic pop smithery of ABBA. This grab bag eclecticism was similarly reflected in the variety of his many music projects which included most notably Midnight Bowlers League, Twisty Chris and the Pudding’ Packs, and The Ladies Of Death Row Swimsuit Calendar.
Possessing in equal measure an engaging warmth, a twisted sense of humor, and a razor-keen intellect, Nafa was truly a joy to be around in person as well as a reliable source of mirth via social media channels. The cliché “nobody every had a bad word to say about him” holds especially true in Nafa’s case. A stalwart friend, reliable collaborator, and a beloved son, Nafa enriched the lives of all with the good fortune of knowing him.
This show features performance by a number of his musical cohorts and coconspirators and will undoubtably be the occasion for many tears, laughs, shouts of joy, and cries of anguish. It will be unforgettable, much like the duder whose memory it seeks to honor. Net proceeds from this event will be donated to Nafa’s family with the goal of establishing a scholarship at USF in Nafa’s name