Leslie Fatai
Leslie Fatai Tavo-Nau.is a singer, songwriter, and pianist. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 7 February 1986. She was born with a deformity from her elbows to her hands. She has only five fingers, two fingers on her right hand, and three on her left.
Music has always been a part of her life, especially in the home. She said, “Singing with my family was something we always did growing up. It kept us close. I try to instill that in my home.” Many people are surprised that she plays piano and are amazed to watch her play. When she first started to play piano, she played by ear, but later took piano lessons to learn how to read music which helped her greatly in her songwriting. She says, “I’ve always loved the piano. I can still remember the first time touching the keys and feeling amazed at what my hands were doing. My favorite thing about the piano is its reflection of my capabilities and not my disability. This is a big part of my testimony. The Lord can do so much more with your life than you could ever do for yourself. Let God show you who you truly are.”
Leslie has been writing songs since she was 10 years old. She shares, “I’ve always felt like I had a song in my heart and I needed to get it out.” At the age of 14, she entered the Tongan Heilala Festival’s singing competition with her original song “Shining Star” and won, being awarded Soloist of the Year.
Leslie’s abilities and capabilities are not defined by her disabilities. She believes that there are no limitations to the things that she can do. She commented, “When I was young, I never thought my hands were different from anyone else. I don’t remember being told I couldn’t do anything. A few years after being told that I would be limited, after many hand massages, I was able to move my two fingers on my right hand. This helped make things easier with carrying and picking up things. I had to learn to do things just like everyone else. Of course, I did things differently but I learned it.”
It is her tenacity and grit that helped her learn how to play the piano:
I first started playing [the piano] just by hitting the keys and putting songs together like ‘Mary had a little lamb.’ My desire to learn moved me to take piano lessons. My parents were very supportive of me. My first piano lesson with my piano teacher was very interesting because the first lesson had to deal with hand positioning. My piano teacher did her best to teach me that, but I had to teach myself. My desire to play was strong enough for me to see past my limitation.
In 2003, she signed with WP Records as a solo artist. There she got a little taste of Hollywood and decided that was not the path that she wanted to follow at the time. In 2006, with the help of friends, she formed One Voice, a young adult church choir. She wrote several songs and different arrangements of LDS Hymns for the choir. Also in 2006, she decided to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In December 2006, her album My Testimony was released. Proceeds were donated to the LDS General Missionary Fund, and also to help pay for her mission.
Leslie Fatai is married to Ofa Nau Jr. They have three beautiful young children. Her favorite foods are fruits and veggies and above all sweets. She enjoys playing Sudoku and something interesting about her is that she loves fixing hair. She is admired because of her talents, loved because of her Christ-like personality and looked up to because of her strength in life.
Follow Leslie Fatai
Recent Posts
Asher Reynolds’ Passionate Rendition of “Remember Me” from the Disney Movie “Coco”
Having to say goodbye to a loved one because of death is never an easy experience. Someone once shared these pearls of wisdom, “Goodbyes are not forever, they are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” And someone has also said, “When someone...
Aretha Franklin – “The Queen of Soul” with Gospel Roots
Latter-day Saint Musicians pauses for a moment this weekend to pay tribute to a true legend of the music world. Aretha Louise Franklin, dubbed “The Queen of Soul” by the end of the 1960s and throughout the remainder of her life, was a phenomenal singer, songwriter,...
Music in the Key of Life – The Influences of Music
Music is the universal language. A person need not understand the language in which a song is sung to appreciate the message that the song intends to convey. Music has played a part in the events of man’s everyday life since his earliest days. At times music has also...
Some Interesting Facts about Some of the Favorite LDS Hymns
Wherever Mormons gather - in a Sacrament meeting, a baptism, a fireside, General Conference, or a devotional – music is guaranteed to be a part of the service. President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of...
Are You Looking for LDS Sheet Music for That Special Song? – Try These Sources
Music is an integral part of Latter-day Saint worship services and can be found wherever Mormons gather – in a Sacrament meeting, a baptism, a fireside, or a devotional. President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “Through music, we raise our voices in powerful praise and...
Isabel Oakeson and Easton Shane Perform an Amazing Medley of Songs from “The Greatest Showman”
The mother, Amy Allred Oakeson, likes musicals. The father, Gary Oakeson, likes bluegrass. Isabel Oakeson, the daughter, loves pop. So, they came up with the idea to combine all three favorites into an amazing music video using songs from the blockbuster film, The...