Covid-19 Alert

NZ moves to the Traffic light system at 11:59pm on Thursday 2 December 2021 with Auckland at RED. The rest of New Zealand level is still to be decided.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020


After 33 days of full lockdown apart from essential services New Zealand droped from Level 4 to level 3 lockdown on Tuesday 28/4/20. As a country we have done incredibly well in the fight against Covid-19 and should feel proud that it looks like we are on the way to eradicating it but we're not out of the woods yet and should still be playing 'Go home - Stay home' unless we must at work. If you can work from home, you must. If you are unsure of what you can and can't do at Level 3, check the official word here, and yes, Groove FM is currently broadcasting from our homes too.
And for those of you who are might be thinking we didn't need to Lock down so hard and should be relaxing the rules more:

  • The reason we're in such a good position is bercause of the government's 'Go hard, go early' approach.
  • There are countries extending their lockdown by a month because they weren't so decisive early on.
  • We may yet have alert level 3 lockdown extended due to people breaching the rules (and that will harm the economy more than if we do it right first time).


The Groove team would like to thank Prime minister Jacinda Adern and her team for the strong, caring leadership that is working so well to get New Zealand through this!


For the full details on the NZ Covid-19 situation, see the government website.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

SUPPORT LOCAL

The Coalition for Books is a collaborative organisation that aims to make a tangible difference in the literary landscape of Aotearoa, by rolling out strategic initiatives that will engage more audiences with a diverse range of New Zealand books and authors. The Coalition for Books will complement the work of existing organisations by identifying gaps in activities and developing initiatives that serve authors, publishers, booksellers and festivals. Through strategic activity and by mobilising the literary sector, we will enhance the visibility, sales and overall opportunities for New Zealand books and their writers.
The Coalition for Books was established in 2019. Its founding members include Booksellers New Zealand, the New Zealand Society of Authors, the Publishers Association of New Zealand, the New Zealand Book Awards Trust, the Michael King Writers Centre, the Academy of New Zealand Literature, and the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa. 
The Coalition for Books is a dynamic, collaborative organisation, tasked with delivering strategic initiatives with the aims of reaching and engaging more audiences with a diverse range of New Zealand books and authors, and enhancing the visibility and sales of New Zealand Books.
The Coalition for Books will complement the work of existing organisations in this field, by taking a strategic approach, identifying gaps in activity, and mobilising the literary sector to take collaborative action on initiatives that serve authors, publishers, booksellers and festivals. 
Together, we can have a significant positive impact on the literary landscape of Aotearoa.
Check out more here: https://www.coalitionforbooks.nz

Friday, April 24, 2020

Check out Audio Culture for ANZAC Day music history


So It's the eve of ANZAC Day, and it will be the first time in 104 years, since the first official ANZAC Day in 1916, without public commemorations. While it's not quite the same as gathering with friends and family, AudioCulture has a collection of ANZAC-related stories which shed some light on the importance of music in both World Wars.

AudioCulture has just published a brand new story on music at Gallipoli Thanks to Chris Bourke and Dr. Aleisha Ward's expertise in these areas.

They also also have Musicians at War: The Kiwi Concert Party in World War II, Invercargill marches on, plus profiles on the legends behind 'Blue Smoke': Ruru Karaitiana and Pixie Williams.

https://www.audioculture.co.nz/


MUSIC FROM THE HOME FRONT - TOMORROW NIGHT


As Australia and New Zealand prepare to commemorate Anzac Day amid the COVID-19 crisis even more artists have joined the lineup for Music From The Home Front.

The televised concert event is being staged as a thank you for those who have served our country and frontline workers.

Hosted by Newshub anchor Mike McRoberts, New Zealanders can watch on Three or stream live on ThreeNow at 9.30pm.

The following artists have been added to the lineup (in alphabetical order); Andrew Farriss (INXS), Archie Roach, Bic Runga, Bliss N Eso, Diesel, Emma Donovan, Guy Sebastian, Jack River, John Schumann & the Vagabond Crew, Jon Stevens, Kings, Lee Kernaghan, Lime Cordiale, Tones And I, Troy Cassar-Daley and Vince Harder.

In what is set to be a show highlight, Marlon Williams has confirmed he will perform iconic New Zealand waiata ‘Pokarekare Ana’.

Composed as a love song by Paraire Henare Tomoana around the time of World War I, Pokarekare Ana was sung by Māori soldiers at the time and continues to be well loved throughout Aotearoa. Michael Gudinski said: “With more announcements to come for tomorrow, Music From The Home Front is just getting bigger and bigger.

This is one gig where we don’t have to worry about the weather!” Just like a normal concert, Music From The Home Front will be selling merch via musicfromthehomefront.com/merch. Profits from sales will go to Support Act (Australia) or MusicHelpsLive (New Zealand).

At this gig, there are no queues, no bag checks, no waiting at the bar or food stands. This concert is 100% contact free home delivered, so get ready to kick back and enjoy a great night of music from some of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest musicians.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Earth Day 2020: NASA celebrates Earth day with timelapse of the planet

April 22 is Earth Day and is an annual celebration of the planet to help demonstrate support for environmental movements.

NASA has got involved to celebrate the planet it spends most time trying to get away from by celebrating its achievements from space. In 1968, the famous 'Earthrise' photo was taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft, the first manned mission to the Moon. The crew entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. That evening, the astronauts held a live broadcast, showing pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft.


A video released by NASA today shows how since that historic mission and subsequent photo, the space agency has made great strides in monitoring and protecting our planet.


In 1968, the famous 'Earthrise' photo was taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft, the first manned mission to the Moon. The crew entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve.

That evening, the astronauts held a live broadcast, showing pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. A video released by NASA today shows how since that historic mission and subsequent photo, the space agency has made great strides in monitoring and protecting our planet.

The video shows how it has brought into the public's eyes issues on the climate, atmosphere and land and ocean. The space agency said: "It’s been five decades since Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders photographed Earth peaking over the Moon’s horizon. "The iconic image, dubbed Earthrise, inspired a new appreciation of the fragility of our place in the universe.



Two years later, Earth Day was born to honor our home planet. "As the world prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA reflects on how the continued growth of its fleet of Earth-observing satellites has sharpened our view of the planet’s climate, atmosphere, land, polar regions and oceans."

Back on Earth, it may seem like there is not much to celebrate this time around with humanity struggling to come to grips with the coronavirus outbreak. Even NASA has been affected, with the space agency having to put a halt to proceedings as the US, the country worst affected by coronavirus, comes to a standstill.



NASA has had to suspend work on its Moon mission in light of the pandemic, after an employee at the Stennis Space Center in New Orleans, where it is testing the SLS rockets which will eventually go to the Moon, came down with coronavirus. NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said: "The change at Stennis was made due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the community around the centre, the number of self-isolation cases within our workforce there, and one confirmed case among our Stennis team. "NASA will temporarily suspend production and testing of Space Launch System and Orion hardware. "The NASA and contractors teams will complete an orderly shutdown that puts all hardware in a safe condition until work can resume."

https://www.earthday.org

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Cuba Dupa says 'Go Home Stay Home'. Event this Saturday

Since that cancellation of CubaDupa, organisers have been thinking about a remedy—a virtual way to celebrate creativity and community in such challenging times. And so, Go Home Stay Home - a live-streamed virtual festival was born!

This Saturday 18 April from 5pm -  settle in for an evening of sweet tunes from fresh local artists alongside well-loved homegrown acts, streaming live on the CubaDupa Facebook page. 

Monday, April 13, 2020

THIS JUST IN: Corona Virus takes One of the Goodies. RIP Tim Brooke-Taylor


Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor has died at the age of 79 with coronavirus, his agent has confirmed to the BBC and UK newspapers.

The entertainer, best known as one third of the popular 1970s show The Goodies, and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, died yesterday (UK - 12/4/2020).

Goodies co-star Bill Oddie called him a "true visual comic and a great friend". The third member of the trio, Graeme Garden, said he was "terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years". "He was a funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with. Audiences found him not only hilarious but also adorable."


Oddie recalled some of the Goodies' sketches in his tribute tweet, adding: "No-one could wear silly costumes or do dangerous stunts like Tim. I know it hurt cos he used to cry a lot. Sorry Timbo."

Brooke-Taylor's career spanned more than six decades and his comedic roots lay in the Cambridge Footlights Club, which he joined in 1960. Membership of the Footlights brought him into contact with both Garden and Oddie as well as future Monty Python stars John Cleese and Graham Chapman.
Cleese paid tribute by saying: "Tim was one of my very oldest friends, and one that I used to love performing with. He did 'frightened' better than anyone...".

Another member of Monty Python, Eric Idle, revealed that his career was started in 1963 when he was auditioned by Brooke-Taylor for an annual comedy revue.

Brooke-Taylor started his own broadcasting career on BBC radio, before forming The Goodies with Garden and Oddie and later becoming a long-standing panelist on Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

One of his biggest contributions to British comedy was co-writing and performing the famous Four Yorkshiremen sketch with John Cleese, Chapman and Marty Feldman, originally for the ITV comedy programme At Last The 1948 Show! The sketch later became a popular fixture of Monty Python's live shows, and was generally performed by Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.


As part of The Goodies, he also enjoyed an unlikely pop career. At a time when novelty comedy songs regularly made the charts, the trio achieved five Top 40 hits, the biggest of them 1975's The Funky Gibbon - which they memorably performed on Top of the Pops.


The trio found international fame with The Goodies, becoming household names in Australia and New Zealand, with shows attracting millions of TV viewers.  The Goodies were definitely one of my favourites.  I even have an annual somewhere.   In 2011, Brooke-Taylor was appointed an OBE for his services to entertainment, joining Oddie and Garden in having the same honour.

Tim will be sadly missed.  He was an original goody!

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

RIP : Bill Withers has died, aged 81


Singer and musician Bill Withers has died, aged 81, in Los Angeles, California on the 30th of March 2020.

His family shared the news, following Withers’ death from heart complications. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other. “As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.” Withers came to fame in the seventies following the release of his 1971 album Just As I Am, with the classic singles ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, Grandma’s Hands and ‘Everybody’s Talkin’. He went on to release eight subsequent LPs, before retiring from the music industry in the late eighties. Withers is survived by his wife and two children.

Friday, April 03, 2020

Hiatus Kaiyote - WOMAD 2020

Photo - McKenzie Jennings-Gruar
Hiatus Kaiyote (/haɪˈeɪtəs kaɪˈjoʊti/) is a future soul quartet formed in Melbourne in 2011.  The members are Naomi "Nai Palm" Saalfield (vocals, guitar), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keyboards) and Perrin Moss (drums, percussion). They have been nominated twice for Grammy Awards. In 2013, they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance for their song "Nakamarra", performed with Q-Tip. The song appears on their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk. The band released their second album, Choose Your Weapon, on 1 May 2015. The review aggregator Metacritic has given the album a normalised rating of 88 out of 100, based on 6 reviews. On 9 May 2015, Choose Your Weapon debuted at number 22 on the Australian albums chart. The song "Breathing Underwater" from Choose Your Weapon was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards.