James Siers

Numerous recording, photography and sleeve note credits on assorted South Pacific releases, many on Hibiscus
Often credited as Jim Siers. In this case, use ANV

(Born Poland 1936 - Died Fiji, December 17, 2013, aged 77) James Siers aka Jim Siers was born Zybigniew Sierpinski in Poland in 1936. He was a film maker, photographer, journalist, author, writer, record producer and adventurer. He owned and ran Millwood Press a publisher. He also owned James Siers Productions, a film production company. He had a fascination with the Pacific and produced, directed and wrote notes for many Pacific Island music releases. In a bid to challenge Thor Heyerdahl's theory of Polynesian settlement, he built a traditional outrigger canoe, and attempted to sail from Kiribati to Fiji. His 1977 book, Taratai: A Pacific adventure ISBN 10: 0908582005ISBN gives an account of this adventure. There is also Taratai II: A Continuing Pacific Adventure ISBN 10: 0908582285ISBN (1978).

He either recorded, wrote notes, provided photographs for a sizable amount of Pacific Island music which was released on the Hibiscus label, with a lesser amount on the Viking label. He took the photo which appears on the Bill Wolfgramm , Hawaiian Sunset (Instrumental Favourites Of The South Seas) album.

Two examples of his film work are, The Samoan Way (1972) a 30 min film described as Fa'a Samoa as seen by the photographer and adventurer Jim Siers, and Turangi: A Town for All Seasons (1975) which he produced and directed.

In book form his published work includes, Samoa in Colour, ISBN 0-589-00455-7 (1970), Polynesia in Colour, ISBN 0-8048-0866-X (1970), Hawaii, ISBN 0-06-013769-X (1973), Taratai II: A Continuing Pacific Adventure, ISBN 0-908582-28-5 (1978), New Zealand: Dramatic landscape, ISBN 0-908582-40-4 (1979), Fiji Islands (Insight Pocket Guides), ISBN 0-395-73397-9 (1995) and many more.