Sendero Group Travel Blog

Meeting Stevie Wonder - and those dreadlocks
The Dominion Post | Thursday, 30 October 2008

All blind Kiwi musician Ese Aumalesula wanted to do when he met Stevie Wonder was to grab hold of those famous dreadlocks.

"It's his trademark, it's a part of him, so I wanted to [touch them] so I could believe that this dream was really true – that it was Stevie, man."

The American megastar, blind since birth, was happy to provide a handful of locks as Aumalesula had some one-on-one time with his idol.

Their conversation sealed a decision for Aumalesula to chase his musical dream, after a string of successful performances on New Zealand's Got Talent with funk band Ease.

"He just told me that I've got my foot in the door now, and just to go for it while it was still fresh. So that's it, there's no doubt in my mind now that I can make a go of it."

Aumalesula was still buzzing from his encounter last night: "It was as if I had jumped off the Sky Tower on a bungy or something. I was all breathless!"

Wonder is in New Zealand for concerts in Auckland tonight and tomorrow. He performed in Christchurch on Tuesday.

Last night he attended a Foundation for the Blind function in Auckland, and joined US software entrepreneur Michael May in launching a GPS system that helps vision-impaired people to get around.

"They give us independence," said Wonder.

"They give us accessibility for the blind. It gives us freedom."