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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Wellington Jazz Festival Artist : Alexander Flood

Alexander Flood at The Lab AJF Credit @ streetvisioner

 "...he creates grooves that accentuate his versatility and virtuosity in playing multiple cosmopolitan rhythms, while allowing the music to breathe and take shape"

 - Downbeat Magazine

A captivating artist, one of Australia’s commanding beat-masters, Alexander Flood is a true virtuoso of the skin-kit.  His 2023 album 'Oscillate' (Jakarta Records) was touted by beatcaffeine.com as “a brilliant cosmic jazz recording primed for the dance floor”.  His music is a combination of upbeat lounge, jungle and D'n'B mixed with traditional and modern jazz elements.  

Listening to his grooves is a cerebral head-clash - on acid.  Fast and furious and utterly intense.  He's a band leader and a soloist on his kit. CoffeeBar Kid jumped on a Zoom call to find out more about his incredible artist.

On a bright spring evening I rushed home and into to 'Groove Cave' at the back of my house in time for a call through to Adelaide where Alexander Flood was preparing for an upcoming tour which includes a whistle stop in our Capital, as part of the upcoming Jazz Festival.  Actually, I could have disturbed him on vacation - he was actually here two weeks ago, on holiday.  But that would have been a bit rude.   He loves hanging out in Aotearoa's countryside, he says.  Good answer.  

Flood has made several trips here.  However, this will be his first time performing on our stages.  He tells me he'll be bringing a four piece, including a flute player to perform tracks from his upcoming album, a follow up from his third album 'Oscillate' (Jakarta Records).  

That album was recorded at JRS in Berlin, along with Horatio Luna (bass), Àbáse (keyboards), Paulo Cedraz (flute & additional percussion), Lewis Moody (additional keys & production) and Joel Prime (additional percussion).  He plays drums and percussion through out, he says, blending nu-jazz, deep house, funk, and even experimental jazz into a new form of dance grooves.  

It was a huge step in his career, Flood tells me, when in 2020 Alex signed with New Jersey based label Stretch Music who released his debut album 'HEARTBEAT' and also followup 'The Space Between' (2022) because of the influence of 6-time Grammy nominee jazz trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (now known as Chief Adjuah), of whom he calls a mentor.  Adjuah released two of Flood's albums on his Stretch Music Apps label (which was was originally set up as an imprint of Ropeadope Records for Adjuah himself).  Flood even toured Europe with his band and in turn Adjuah played on his albums. 

Flood tells me that his preference for jazz came early in his life when a teacher gave him a flash drive of about 100 songs, most instrumental, mostly 70's and 80's jazz, mixed with funk and soul and experimental elements.  That may have included Miles Davis' 'Tutu' album and others of that era.

Being from Adelaide, initial home of Aussie greats like Paul Kelly, meant a mixed exposure to music and culture.  On the one hand there is the Arts Festival and Womadelaide (of which Flood has been a regular concert-goer for years) but then when it comes to the big tours, the city has been, he admits,  a bit shy, especially in the regular jazz scene.

But maybe it was the Womad scene or something that drew him to cultural exploration.  Flood's work often borders on ethnomusicology at times, exploring beats from different cultural reference points.  I ask him about 'Circadian Taal', a track from 'HEARTBEAT' which pitches Indian  rhythms or '808 Defibliration' which transforms African drums into beats created by the legendary drum machine.  "Yeah," he says "It's interesting that you can programme a drum machine to crate something so raw an visceral like a human-created beat on a primitive animal skin, and those machines were once so clinical but the way you can switch between the mechanical and the human fascinates me, as a music maker." 

His latest album features drumming which is almost heavy metal, almost metronomic but not clinical.  How does he maintain such precision?  "Practice.  You loose yourself in it, really that's all I can say." 

I ask him about how he goes about making music.  Originally, he says, it was all individually recorded, with elements of digital recordings, samples and so on added in after.  Sometimes there were segments recorded in a studio in one country and another part somewhere else in the world, patched together.  "But lately, I've been getting the band together and recording more live, adding drum machines and other digital samples on top of that.  It makes it more natural, I guess".  

I'm intrigued how the band will work together on stage.  How does he lead a band when he's using both arms and both feet at the same time?  "Initially a nod, maybe.  A wink.  What we play isn't just what's on the page, there's some improvisation."  "Controlling the flow?  I ask.  "Yes I like that."  That's more or less it.  Now we use mics to talk to each other to keep in touch, so there's room for small tangents and changes. Listening back, what happens on stage, I can chose what's sounding good and maybe keep some of it for the next performance. It keeps the music alive." 

And what will the music be? I ask.  New material from an upcoming album.  Which will be exciting.  "I can't reveal all of it yet.  It'll be a surprise."  

Certainly listeners will be in for a surprising evening of flash and funk, tight drumming, deep bass, lush keys and soaring  lute melodies.  It promises to be a boundary-defying live sound.

Alexander Flood and his band will play San Fran, Pōneke, 17 October 9PM 

For more Jazz Festival events head to: www.jazzfestival.nz




Wednesday, October 09, 2024

Anna Coddington takes out this year’s AAPRA awards

Photo: NZ Music Commission

The AAPRA's, our most prestigious songwriting awards were held on last night (Tuesday 8 October) held at the St James Theatre in Wellington , with two waiata scoring top prizes.

Anna Coddington won the Silver Scroll Award for 'Kātuarehe'  


Jordyn with aWhy took the APRA Maioha Award (which celerebrates contemporary Māori music and songwriters telling Te Ao Māori stories) for her waiata 'He Rei Niho'.

The song was performed on the nigh by Mā.  


Winners were chosen by New Zealand APRA members (who are also songwriters, producers and performers).

Groove regular playlist king and absolute Jazz legend Mike Nock was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

Humbly, he told media that despite his many awards, this recognition would be top of the list for him.

Tuesday, October 01, 2024

Introducing Independent Music Venues Aotearoa: IMVA unites grassroots music venues to preserve and celebrate Aotearoa’s live music culture


Just launched is Independent Music Venues Aotearoa (IMVA) - a not-for-profit incorporated society owned and run by its member venues, IMVA is an evolution of the esteemed Save Our Venues initiative. 

IMVA offers a collective voice to advocate for live music venues, and amplify support for them. As we launch, IMVA has 26 member venues spanning the country. We are working to further expand this member base — and strongly encourage venues who regularly host original live music to apply for membership and join the cause.

Save Our Venues initially formed to help grassroots music venues survive the immense financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective threw itself into various activities over the next four years: major fundraising drives, research, advocacy campaigns, community events, and engagement with central and local government as well as the wider music sector.

However, the work is far from over. Recognising the need to look to the future, IMVA carries on the work of Save Our Venues and further expands it, advocating for regulatory reform and policies that nurture and sustain live music venues. 

As well as evidence-based policy changes and strategy development to support the sustainable operation of music venues, IMVA also addresses ongoing threats posed by noise/sound enforcement, alongside a focus on liquor licensing and urban/regional planning.

IMVA Chair Lucy Macrae says: "We have spent the last four years building a strong network of venues and partners, pushing for real change and initiatives that support and sustain live music venues. To now publicly launch IMVA — a not-for-profit society whose future lie in the hands of its member venues — feels truly amazing."

IMVA will continue working to celebrate and sustain the diverse array of music venues around Aotearoa — each a unique and vital piece of our cultural infrastructure. 

Our nationwide collective of members is a testament to the rich tapestry of live music in this exceptional country and the dedicated legends working tirelessly in Aotearoa’s venues.

These intimate spaces are homes for our music whānau. They serve as incubators for local talent to take their music to the world and create jobs in the music sector and associated industries. And they are where New Zealanders share in the experience of live music — week in, week out.

Today, we are calling on all independent music venues from Cape Reinga to Rakiura. We want to hear from you, to connect, collaborate, and share our collective experience. growing stronger together as Independent Music Venues Aotearoa.

United, we give ourselves the best opportunity to preserve and celebrate live music culture for now and for future generations.

For more information CLICK HERE


Thursday, September 26, 2024

The Countdown is ON! 3 weeks until the Wellington Jazz Festival


From BIG BANDS to LATE-NIGHT VENTURES, we're bringing the full spectrum of sound to Te Whanganui-a-Tara this year.  Have you grabbed your tickets to the First Release shows yet? Tickets are going fast, especially for international artists Marcus Miller (USA) and esperanza spalding (USA). Grab your dancing shoes for Alexander Flood (AUS) as he'll be bringing the energy and vibes all night long.  


Plus, Fly My Pretties have recently announced their star-studded cast that will be joining them at The Great Hall. The Rodger Fox Big Band have been cooking up a special show to honour their great band leader, while commissioned artists 
Louisa Williamson brings her work The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other to San Fran. Don't miss the Pōneke debut of ORO MĀIA bringing soulful frequencies in a te reo Māori tribute to the words of Dr. Maya Angelou. This is shaping up to be quite the Festival! Make planning easier by shortlisting your must-see events on their website. 

BIG BANDS, BIG SOUNDS

The Jazz Police at Southern Cross!

The Jazz Police are a jazz orchestra comprised of the newest generations of jazz musicians from all around Wellington. Putting a large emphasis on playing charts from modern arrangers/composers, they boast an incredible, energetic lineup of reeds, brass, strings, and a strong rhythm section. To back that up, the Jazz Police promise an electric show.

Wed 16 Oct, 5pm | Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant - FREE

The Cinematic Light Orchestra

Cinematic Light Orchestra is a culmination of all that Callum perceives to be important in music. Lush sweeping melodies and rich harmony that pulls at your heart strings akin to what you might experience in a film score. Daring and exciting improvisation that captures the interactive nature of the music; the core of what jazz is. The union of these elements lead to one word — emotion.

Wed 16 Oct, 8pm | Rogue & Vagabond - Tickets $15-$30

Hoot'n'Annies

Let the Hoot’n’Annies take you on a musical adventure through trad New Orleans Brass to funk to our own brass/jazz versions of pop tunes. Back for the 3rd year at Waitoa “just like being back in New Orleans, the perfect combination of venue and music!”

Fri 18 Oct, 7.30pm | Waitoa Victoria Street - Tickets $15-$20

Other Futures Big Band

OFBB is a new and ongoing project by Daniel Hayles that looks to honour the big band tradition while platforming music and artists both native to and unexplored within the style. This episode features Tyaan Singh (alto saxophone) and Jonathan Crayford (piano), premiering special new arrangements of their own compositions.

Sat 19 Oct, 3pm | Meow Nui - Tickets $20-$30

Seth Boy Orchestra

The Seth Boy Orchestra plays original compositions and thoughtful arrangements for large format jazz ensemble. Including plenty of improvisation and musical freedom, Seth Boy Orchestra's sound is also heavily influenced by Seth Boy's Filipino upbringing.

Sat 19 Oct, 7pm | Meow - Tickets $20-$30

Richter City Rebels: Sounds of the Street

The Richter City Rebels have a sound that blends R'n'B, soul, hip-hop, jazz and funk with the heart and soul of New Orleans brass band music. Rammed with their signature explosive beats and good-feel vibe, the Rebels are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the debut studio album We Do It Like That.

Sat 19 Oct, 7pm | Rogue & Vagabond - Tickets $15-$20

Capital City Big Band

Your Saturday night out in the suburbs is sorted. Capital City Big Band, together with vocalists Ruthanne Kennedy and Stephanie Bishop, will be entertaining you with an exciting selection of tunes from classic swing to funk rock. Led by trombone Maestro Clark (USA) Bring your dancing shoes and get ready for a memorable evening.

Sat 19 Oct, 7.30pm | Seatoun Bowling Club -Tickets $20

Crash Bandihoot

Expect a colourful performance with soaring horns and driving rhythms, from the group that have toured Australia twice, stomped unforgettable parades at Cuba Dupa and Newtown Festivals, rocked a 3500 strong crowd at Gardens Magic, and been described by Under the Radar as terrifying.

Sat 19 Oct, 8.30pm | Abandoned Brewery Petone - Tickets $20 

Sun 20 Oct, 2pm | Dirty Little Secret - FREE

The Big Band Bash

The Wellington All Stars Youth Big Band (WAYBB) is an auditioned ensemble of top-level high school students picked from around the Wellington Region. Capital City Big Band are a high level ensemble of professional musicians, teachers, and top community musicians, They will entertain you with a variety of modern and traditional big band tunes.

Sun 20 Oct 2pm | The Realm - FREE

The Wellington City Shake-'Em-On-Downers

Come and enjoy the talents of Oscar Lavën (clarinet), Michael Costeloe (trumpet), Kaito Walley (trombone), Jacob Randall (drums), Louis Thompson-Munn (piano), and Daniel Yeabsley (double bass) as they recreate the swing music of fun-loving Louis Prima. Think of I Wan'na Be Like You from Jungle Book, Sing Sing Sing, and many more. An experience not to be missed.

Sat 19 Oct, 12pm | Capital Blues @ Jack Hackett's 

Tickets $10-$20

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LATE-NIGHT VENTURES

Oscar Lavën’s Rock'n'Roll Sax

Along with other top-class local musicians, he makes a much-requested return for a special gig of hot, honking, rock ‘n’ roll sax licks. Get ready for great 1950s R'n'B and blues grooves from saxophonists like Sam Butera, King Curtis, and Earl Bostic.

Fri 18 Oct, 10.30pm | Capital Blues @ Jack Hackett's - FREE

Battleska Galactica

Battleska Galactica are purveyors of unique high-energy ska music. Expect old-school and new-school ska, with horns, multiple singers and a blazing rhythm section. Battleska Galactica delivers a highly entertaining show every time, taking the audience with them on an up-tempo ride that leaves everyone invigorated—and a little bit puffed.

Sat 19 Oct, 10.30pm | Capital Blues @ Jack Hackett's - FREE

Boogie Wonderland Presents Earth, Wind & Fire

Boogie Wonderland is an 11-piece powerhouse dedicated to bringing the legendary sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire to life. Created by saxophonist Bryn van Vliet and led by Lisa Tomlins and LJ Crichton, this group promises an unforgettable tribute performance. 

Fri 18 Oct, 11pm | Meow - Tickets $30-$40

Theo Thompson Plays the Music of Santana

Theo Thompson is a nationally acclaimed guitar player described by many as ‘the best in many a generation’. Theo continues his exploration of great guitar players with a homage to legendary guitarist Santana who for more than 50 years, has sold over 100 million records and has performed for three generations of concert fans worldwide

Sat 19 Oct, 11pm | Meow 

Tickets $50-$60

Rogue Late Lounge | Finn Scholes

Finn Scholes and his best friends will jamming late into the night. Who knows what direction it might go? Probably a mix of their favourite combination of latin, krout, jazz, reggae. Or somewhere in-between. Bring along your own hot licks and get amongst.

Fri 18 Oct, 11.59pm | Rogue & Vagabond - FREE

Rogue Late Lounge | Harry Scholes Super Jam

Harrison Scholes brings together a band of some of the capital’s finest musicians for another super jam! Boogies and huge vibes guaranteed.

Join us for a party. You’ve got to be there to be in the know, ya know?!

Sat 19 Oct, 11.59pm | Rogue & Vagabond - FREE

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 A Suite Deal

Heading in from out of town? Our Partners Boulcott Suites are fantastic hosts, and located just minutes away from all the Festival action. Plus, get 20% off their best available online rates by booking your Jazz Festival stay through this link. Offer includes Village Accommodation’s 3, 4 or 5 star properties, including their flagship Boulcott Suites. Offer valid during the 2024 Wellington Jazz Festival (16 - 20 October), subject to availability, T&C’s apply

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Opera House Pass

Plan on seeing three or more of the First Release acts at the Opera House? Get saving with our Opera House Pass* which will get you 10% off your tickets (any reserve), plus you'll save on booking fees. Find out more. 

*Only valid when booking at Ticketmaster box office or via phone. 

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#WELLJAZZFEST

CHECKOUT THE WHOLE LINE UP



Wednesday, September 25, 2024

WOMAD announces first artists for 2025

 

Performing at WOMAD Aotearoa 2025
 -  From Trinidad and Tobago, Queen Omega 

In anticipation of the full 2025 festival line-up, WOMAD Aotearoa is excited to reveal the first artists confirmed for the event and in true WOMAD style, there’s some incredible international names, alongside some outstanding local talent.  From Trinidad and Tobago, Queen Omega will command the stage, bringing one of the most valued voices in the world-reggae scene. Joining the line up will be Nitin Sawhney from the UK, a highly acclaimed musician, composer, and producer celebrated for his eclectic and genre-crossing work. In a special collaboration, The Veils, led by the captivating Finn Andrews, will team up with the talented NZTrio - Amalia Hall, Ashley Brown, and Somi Kim. Also announced for the 2025 festival lineup is Australia's folktronic act Amaru Tribe. 

These unique performers represent a dynamic mix of global talent, promising a diverse and exciting festival experience for attendees.

WOMAD Aotearoa remains committed to ensuring the festival’s continued success in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For the third consecutive year, ticket prices will remain steady, helping to make the festival accessible to all. 

Looking ahead to WOMAD 2025, festival-goers can start getting excited for an incredible lineup of global artists, a diverse array of workshops,  engaging speakers, and a variety of delicious food and retail options. The festival will also continue to offer family-friendly spaces and exciting updates, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for all.

14 - 16 March 2025 WOMAD Aotearoa

Brooklands Park and the Bowl of Brooklands, Ngāmotu (New Plymouth)

Tickets on sale now from www.womad.co.nz 

Stay tuned for further announcements and updates on the full 2025 festival lineup.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Taite Music Prize finalists announced



The finalists for the Taite Music Prize 2024 have been announced by Independent Music NZ (IMNZ) and Recorded Music NZ. 

The award recognises outstanding New Zealand albums released in the past year. 
The awards will be presented on Tuesday, 23 April at the same time as the NZ On Air Outstanding Music Journalism Award, IMNZ Classic Record and the Independent Spirit Award. 

The winner will receive a cash prize of $12,500. The 10 albums in contention for the 2024 Taite Music Prize span genres from hip hop to indie folk to metal. 

The 2024 Taite Music Prize finalists in alphabetical order are: 

Dick Move - Wet (1:12 Records) 
Ebony Lamb - Ebony Lamb (Slow Time Records) 
Erny Belle - Not Your Cupid (Flying Nun Records) 
Home Brew - Run It Back (Years Gone By) 
Mermaidens - Mermaidens (Independent) 
Shepherd's Reign - Ala Mai (Golden Robot Records) 
Tiny Ruins - Ceremony (Ursa Minor) 
Tom Lark - Brave Star (Winegum Records) 
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - V (Jagjaguwar Records) 
Vera Ellen - Ideal Home Noise (Flying Nun Records)

Monday, March 04, 2024

REVIEW:The Savage Coloniser Show - By Tusiata Avia 29 Feb - 3 Mar 2024 Circa Theatre, Wellington Waterfront (Aotearoa New Zealand Arts Festival)



I came out of this show yesterday utterly stunned.  Tusiata Avia’s writing cuts like the sharpest machete.  No trope stands afterwards.  The blade of her poetry destroys every toxic plant in the weed garden of colonialism.  In this show, wounds will be slashed open, truths will ooze out.  Make no mistake.  This is a bloodletting.  

Combining poetry, dance, action theatre and fa’asamoa director Anapela Polata’ivao has once again delivered a triumphant performance.  Everyone was on their feet by the end.  Everyone.  Even the old 'white people' cowering behind their covid masks.  Including me. 

I’d read several accounts of this show all celebrating the diefiance of the writer.  It's based on Tusiata Avia’s Okham award winning book of poetry ‘The Savage Coloniser Book’ .   

The show is directed by Anapela Polata’ivao who has directed and acted in Avia’s previous ensemble stage play ‘Wild Dogs Under My Skirt’, which made its New York debut in 2018 and was subsequently named winner of Fringe Encore Series at the Soho Playhouse.  

Donna Tusiata Avia MNZM (born 1966) is a poet and children's author, recognised for her work through receiving a 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour.  In 2021 her collection 'The Savage Coloniser Book' won the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.  This show appeared in March last year, as part of the Auckland Arts Festival and it went down exceptionally well.  Much of the cast came from ‘Wild Dogs ...’, joined by Mario Faumui and Iuni-Katalaina Polata’ivao-Saute in her acting debut.  Iuni-Katalaina was not in this season, at Circa, but Mario remains.     

This afternoon’s show is completely sold out.  Word has got out.  The audience is mixed.  Pacific faces, some with flower lei, blend in with the usual predominantly white middle-class theatre-goers.  Everybody is smiling and talking.  

The lights fade.  The pre-set is six chairs, each with a machete sheathed and mounted on the back, as if actor are was preparing to ride their chosen furniture off on some chivalrous task in the name of the Empire.    

There is an atmospheric haze in the red light.  And a gauze, stretched from the lighting bar to the floor across the who space creates a screen for projected images, and a frame of reference for the coming dialogue. The light represents blood, earth, courage, endeavour.  

At times the projected images provide a poignant white frame, a demarcation of a palagi perspective.  The presidium arch is a European concept, where the theatre has been elevated to high art, for the privileged, not the people of every day and every village.  Beginning in pre-colonial times, there is a spiritual element, with the voices of Samoan women whispered, spoken and then shouted by actors Stacey Lellua, Petmai Petelo, Joanna Mika-Toloa, IIaisaane Green and Katalaina Polata’ivao-Saute.  These are words of defiance.  They try to reclaim heritage and identity.  

Mario Faumui voices, with a booming dominance, the words written by colonialists and missionaries - Those who claim the land grabs and the slaughter at Parihaka.  They gleefully take the credit.  Describing this work, Avia has described these poems and subsequent theatre production as "looking really unflinchingly at racism, specifically in Aotearoa, but it’s incredibly universal, and colonisation, 250 years down the line, where we are now and how savaged we’ve been by it. That’s it, in a nutshell. (RNZ)” 

There are some ensemble and individual moments that will blow you away.  Polata’ivao’s direction elevates Avia’s poetry.  The words leap off the page and become like smoke in your nostrils, they enter and dominate you.  They are harsh, confronting, bitter, but true.    

Every actor is flawless, but even more than that – captivating.

Her poems cover a lot of ground: Colonial history and impacts on the Pacific, that’s obvious.  But more modern themes, too. 

There’s the speech by the well-meaning, but colour-blind Remuera housewife – racism aside, of course.  “C’mon you people, the past is in the past. Let it go.” 

Joanna Mika-Toloa tackles the Body Mass Index head on.  Did you know it was invented in 1832 by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian statistician, mathematician, and astronomer, who, inspired by his passion for statistical analysis wanted to establish quantifiable characteristics of the "normal man."  Instead, it became a weaponised measure of credibility.  

In one poem Mika-Toloa debunks the myth and dismisses all the medical professionals who mis-judged her and forced her (or her character at least) into literally selling her body and soul to pay for medical care.    

Katalaina Polata’iva-Saute stands out in a piece that calls all brown creatives, in garages everywhere to ‘stop composing operas, writing theses, inventing and being creative' and join a gang, make a ‘smart’ career choice.  Clearly, it’s an ironic and well-deserved response to white repulsiveness.      

Mika-Toloa also delivers a spinetingling performance of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ and in another character, becomes the coolest, hippest ‘bad bitch’, claiming she and her posse of disgruntled girlfriends are gonna drive around the white suburbs looking for white women to beat up.  Yeah, cos that’s actually gonna happen – maybe after catching three buses home from the three cleaning jobs and making dinner, tidying up their overcrowded home, putting the kids to bed and... oh, never mind!  

‘The City Fathers’ doesn’t appear in the original book but is highly relevant.  It’s focus is the history of racism in Aotearoa, nd how it is still with us.  Celebrate, it states, acknowledge the statues of past colonists and add a new statue, in honour of that wicked Australian who caused the massacre in Christchurch in 2019.  It’s a name I will not write here.  But in the context of naming racists past and present, they do name him in the show.   Add him to the statues, in the city where Avia was born and raised, to prominent leaders of land grabs, a Minister of Native Affairs who ordered the invasion of Parihaka.  It’s a time when Māori were assimilated into western society.  When the reo was beaten out of those that spoke it.  But they were also segregated from Pākehā society.   

We all know that history underpins current thinking and that includes white supremacist thinking.  This is the past subverted and hurled back at the racists like bullshit it really is.  Avia’s writing is totally unapologetic.  

As can be read in the poem ‘250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand’ in which the cast confront the ghost of the man, and others “Hey James,” they shout, “yeah, you/in the white wig/in that big Endeavour/sailing the blue, blue water/like a big arsehole/F… YOU, BITCH!” 

Last year David Seymour sought to make political capital, claiming the Government was "funding hate" by supporting this show and that it was about "murdering James Cook, his descendants and white men like [him] with pig hunting knives". 

"The Government,” he spouted, ignorantly, and provocatively, “through Creative New Zealand, which taxpayers fund and whose board Ministers appoint, is supporting works that incite racially motivated violence." 

Pandering to his outraged blue rinse brigade he read the poem literally, claimed it was violence inciting.  For a man who thought dancing on TV would boost his like-ability, the irony was clearly lost on him. 

Act called on the Government of the day to withdraw $107,280 in ‘taxpayer money’ that supported the show and ‘apologise’ for "giving so much to racism in the first place".  (Newshub ). 

Suffice to say, that never happened.  

“What’s happened, basically, is my poem and my show,” retaliated Avia, “has been reduced down to a platform for the political right, and that is crap. That’s where the hate and the racism comes in. It’s creating more fear and more intolerance in this country, where we don’t need that. It’s pulling on the fears of people who have not been educated to know what colonisation even is.” (RNZ

Avia, in a sneaky last minute re-write adds a couple of lines in retaliation of PM Luxon and sidekick Seymour's latest stupidities.  It shows exactly why shows like this are needed. 

That it’s so easy to sweep racism under the carpet and ignore brown people, make them invisible, continue to celebrate founding fathers and keep history ignorant.   This show reflects ourselves back on ourselves.  

A mirror is used as a prop at times, blended with the transitions and choreography made so fluid by Tupua Tifagua.  

Lights dip and bend between ocean blues, waves and earth tones.  At one point the women transform into the mythical ‘dusky maidens’ of Paul Gaugin’s art and his colonisation of Tahiti (also his spreading of syphilis amongst the population and his paedophilia).  Avia doesn’t hold back cursing him and claiming he had partially destroyed the islands for ever.  

'The Savage Coloniser Show' is possibly the most honest and disruptive performance I’ve seen in a long time.  I found it uncomfortable, yet empowering.  I, as a white person, must own my colonial past and acknowledge what my tupuna did to all brown people, whether intentionally or not.  That will be painful.  But it must be done before we can move on.  

It's work like this that allow us to travel in the same waka through history, and that really helps.     The past isn’t in the past.  It’s with us right now.  This unapologetic piece is a stark reminded.  But it also is a cathartic approach.  This should be compulsory for anyone who smugly claims to know our history.  It’s a book they won’t have read.  And they really should.   

Friday, March 01, 2024

REVIEW:The Soweto Gospel Choir Michael Fowler Centre 27 February 2024 - New Zealand Aotearoa Festival Of The Arts

 


The Soweto Gospel Choir Michael Fowler Centre 27 February 2024 - New Zealand Aotearoa Festival Of The Arts Formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, and producers Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Cliff Hocking in 2002 The Soweto Gospel Choir is 30 strong ensemble. 

They blend elements of African gospel, Negro spirituals, reggae and a selection of material from the American songbook. 

Their title hints at being a spiritual group. But they are so much more than just a church group. Their albums ‘Blessed’, ‘African Spirit’ and ‘Freedom’ have won Grammies for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2006, 2007 and 2019, respectively. 

They also feature on the Peter Gabriel/Thomas Newman song "Down to Earth", written for Pixar's 2008 feature film WALL-E, which was nominated for the Golden Globe. And they’ve done work for Peter Gabriel's tenth studio album ‘’i/o’, including the tracks, ‘Road to Joy’ and ‘Live and Let Live’. 

They’ve performed for Nelson Mandela, toured internationally multiple times and racked up over 46664 concerts, to date. But they’ve never played in Aotearoa. Until now. 

Tonight’s sell out concert at the Michael Fowler Centre was years in the making. The Festival has been trying to get the Choir here for many years. But international events, COVID and other challenges have thwarted attempts. 

It was an all-ages capacity crowd. At the beginning of the concert, we were reminded of ‘Soweto’ we learn is an acronym for ‘South-Western Townships’ and South Africa’s largest Black urban complex. 

It adjoins the city of Johannesburg and was created in the 1930’s when the white government started separating Blacks from Whites, creating separate townships. Most of us know about Soweto because of the Springbok Tour protest movement in the 1980’s, the rise of the ANC and international condemnation of apartheid policies in South Africa. 

Not quite the usual 30 strong ensemble, tonight’s performers managed 15 plus a keyboardist and a drummer. But they made up for it in energy and sound. The programme, named ‘Hope’, after the Choir’s latest album, was a 2-part programme. 

The first half featured freedom from the years of struggle under apartheid. There are over 8 ‘official languages’ and each song was different – Zulu, Sotho, Tswana and Xosa - culminating in a final celebratory piece about the life of Mandela. 

Each song had a different soloist, sometimes two or three and some incredible choreography to match. Topics ranged from village life, heroes, religious themes and stories about rising up against oppression. 

The opening song, 'Nonkoneyane Ka Ndaba' by Mbongeni Ngema, is a powerful anthem, inspired by the historical figure Nkonyane Ka Ndaba. It emphasizes his strength and bravery in the face of adversity. It’s a David and Goliath theme. A freedom totem against white oppression. The accompanying dance has a tribal unity to it, yet it’s infectious and we all can’t help clapping along. Voices are both separate and together. The song is repetitive and almost like a fairy-tale rhyme, easy to get into. 

 ‘Mbayi Mbayi’ in uplifting number about the 1976 Soweto uprising. They also do a popular Sotho song ‘Joh Lefihi’, which is riotous and joyful, again with a powerful dance which all the choir are involved in. ‘Umandela Uthi Ayihlome’ (Xhosa struggle song) is about Mandela (who was Xhosa, and can trace his lineage back to the Thembu Chief Nxeko). He is preparing his people for the struggle ahead, to fight for freedom. It utilizes all the voices of the choir in an arch of vocal unity, punctuated with bird calls and clicks (which are common elements of Xhosa music). 

The spiritual ‘Judgement Day’ is completely different from what I expected from a Gospel group. This is not the sounds of Harlem or Chicago. If you’ve ever seen an African group play, you’ll know that the music includes a variety of drums and clicks, bird calls, yelps, claps, stomps and calls. Arms and legs are going full on, and the harmonies are just so perfect. 

The vocalists are spine-tingling, every one of them. From the dark velvet rich bass of the men to the mature ochre of the altos, and the shrillness of the female sopranos and male tenors. They perform their songs with such fluid yet poignant movements. Rhythm just oozes out from every pour. The energy on stage is so vibrant. Such an intense rich rainbow of sound and colour. 

After a break, the second act starts up with tunes more familiar to my ears – ‘Song and Dance’ and ‘Amen’. The men line up, Temptations style, and deliver an absolutely beautiful version of Stevie Wonder’s classic ‘Love’s In Need Of Love Today’. This is one of many goose bump moments. 

They also do a Dylan number, ‘You Gotta Serve Somebody’. 

And because of their longstanding connection to Peter Gabriel, it’s compulsory to do ‘Don’t Give Up’, the duet he did with Kate Bush back in the 1980’s. 

No set of American Soul Freedom songs would be complete without a Staple’s number and this time it was ‘I Take You There’ that got their choir’s special treatment. And with multiple soloists and yet more tingling honey-harmonies this was yet another highlight. 

We finish on a long and jubilant version of Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ which becomes a massive sing-a-long. I think the choir was genuinely moved by our response as we all sung back, stating in ovation towads the end. There were tears of joy in the eyes all around. The was a lot of aroha in the whare tonight. 

This was what festivals are about, celebrating diversity and uniqueness, music and culture, no matter where it’s from. 

Who knew I’d be won over by a choir? But this group really is special. They remain true to their multi-African roots and wear their hearts on their sleeves when performing. It’s hard to capture the absolute joy and abundant energy that flowed from the stage tonight. 

My final recommendation: if Soweto Gospel Choir ever comes to town, make sure you get a ticket. Missing out is not an option. 

1st Act 
Nonkonyane Ka Ndaba 
Bawo Xa Ndilahlekayo 
uMandela uth'aihlome (Xhosa struggle song) 
Judgement Day
Litshonile Li Langa 
Pasopa Verwoerd 
Joh Lefihi
Sechaba 
Mbai Mbai (or Mbayi Mbayi) 
Freedom Medley 

2nd Act
Song and Dance
Amen 
Love’s In Need Of Love Today 
Today You Will Be Moved 
You Gotta Serve Somebody 
Don’t Give Up 
I’ll Take You There 
Stand Up 
Hallelujah

For more Festival events go to https://www.festival.nz/

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Review: 'No Hetero' and 'Exes and Nos' - Circus Bar (Preview 9 February 2024)

Tonight, I got to see the preview of two upcoming shows at this year’s Fringe Festival 



'No Hetero' - Hadley Wilson (Crooked Love Productions) 
Circus Bar - 7PM 16/17 Feb 2024 

They don’t mind being a stereotype as long as she's a gay one. She looks gay right? 

Comedian Hadley Wilson has been a staple at Queer Comedy Nights at the Fringe Bar, in Allen St. She also run’s various other Queer activities like Rock Climbing nights. 

Billed as a ‘stand-up comedy campfire story experience’ and the ‘gayest comedy Ted Talk you always wanted’, ‘No Hetero’ is loosely frames around Wilson’s life and adventures growing up in a profoundly and deeply Christian family and breaking out and coming out over her 30 odd years, looking for her own validation of her queerness and trying to shake off her imposter syndrome. 
 
Divided into ‘eras’ – and no there was no reference to Tay Tay (well, nearly none) – thier ‘slide show’ navigates early life being the ‘best at being good’, attending Bible Camps, girls-only sleepovers, going through her ‘Autumn’ years, making teen heartthrob photo boards of hunky actors with sweeping haircuts, her sorority girl-crush years, puppy love Pinterest boards, a botched engagement and finally realising it was actually women, not men, that they craved all along. 

Their approach is endearing, homely and just a little bit twee as she connects all the dots on this journey, growing up in British Columbia, traveling the world and eventually settling down here in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

I love the friendship bracelets, handed out, that represent ‘every version of Queerness’ and her various samples of poor fashion sense through the eras. At Times the information shared was very personal and I take my hat off to Wilson for opening up like this.  

It's difficut and confronting to make fun of yourself and your own beliefs in the way she did, and that should be acknowledged. ‘No Hetero’ hilariously confronts a unique experience of growing up in an uber-conservative world of a evangelical Christianity community. 

This is, at least for Wilson, a world that maintains a straight whitewashed opinion of sexual identity - . What Wilson calls ‘compulsory heterosexuality’. 

It’s a homespun, a bit dinky and often very funny, slightly anxious and always an adventurous identity search to prove how Queer Hadley Wilson really is. 



‘Exes and Nos’ - Rachel Mercer 
Circus Bar - 8PM 16/17 Feb 2024 & Vogelmorn Bowling Club 7PM 24 Feb 2024 

Since her first hilariously chaperoned date in 2003 Rachel Mercer has been drawing inspiration from her lacklustre lovelife, cringeworthy encounters, and personal anxieties. 

With the help of a few wigs and a boxer's punch dummy called ‘Lori’ turns her love failures into clever, sad, sometimes cutting and witty songs about her darkest moments.  With her trusty ukulele in hand, they announce that this show is really a big opportunity to elicit a date, with anyone, literally.  Because every other attempt to do so has fallen completely flat.  

Its a series of vulnerable confessions, cringing moments, even a spot of intentional politicised protest nudity (#freethenipplemovement, yeah!).  

I love her brash, confronting presence and also candidness - the way she wears her heart on her sleeve about many sensitive issues, such as their Trichotillomania (also called hair-pulling disorder), escape from certain marriage to a man and vices like oversleeping.  

The first half of the show is punchy, Mercer is on point and sharp as a tack.  The second half is a little bit less polished, perhaps a bit under rehearsed.  But as the season comes on that should change.    

I'd recommend seeing both these together, as a complete and varied package about Queer identity.  All in all, expect some two out-of-the-box gigs that come from completely different ends of the rainbow.  

You’ll leave knowing way more than you should about Christian Summer camps, lesbian imposter syndrome, OCD, and Mercer’s nipples. Review - CoffeeBar Kid

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

WOMAD 2024 - 18 new artists added to the Line Up

 More news from our WOMAD Taranaki whānau