Purapurawhetū – Shining Stars features Ariana Tikao, Sharn Te Pou, Sonny
Southon, Hongi Slicker, Mara TK, Iva Lamkum, The Maori Side Steps, Brannigan
Kaa and MC Mere Boynton. Plus a massive Matariki visual projection by
The Nomad showcasing some of Aotearoa’s leading contemporary artists.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, who
also chairs the Wellington Amenities Fund, says, “Wellington City Council is a
proud supporter of our Māori culture and tangata whenua. I invite all
Wellingtonians to join in Aotearoa’s Māori New Year, winter is the perfect time
to wrap-up, get out, and join in the many festivities we have going on.”
After
their debut performance on Waitangi Day in Wellington, the Maori Side Steps are
building their repertoire of funny songs and playful skits to entertain the
masses for Matariki. Cohen Holloway, Jamie McCaskill, Rob
Mokaraka, Jerome Leota, and Errol Anderson
bring you a combination of beautiful harmonies and laugh-out-loud jokes.
Named one
of the 13 top global divas by MTV Iggy (US), Iva Lamkum has enjoyed critical
support here and abroad. Along the way she’s received nominations for the
prestigious APRA Silver Scroll, the Vodafone NZ Music Awards, and chalked up
considerable time on radio playlists across the country. Iva is currently working on her sophomore album, which she’ll be
releasing later this year.
Acclaimed performer Ariana
Tikao is a vocalist and composer of heartfelt music in te reo Māori and English.
She draws on folk and pop styles with an emphasis on Māori chant. She is
inspired by her ancestry and the dramatic South Island landscape she lives in.
Singer-songwriter Sonny
Southon has sung with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Sir Bob Geldof, Duran Duran and Matt
Bianco. Other acts hitting the Opera House stage are Wellington
singer-songwriter and professional dancer Sharn Te Pou, along with Troy Kingi, Brannigan Kaa and golden-voiced, world-wandering citizen of Aotearoa, Mara
TK.
Council Event Coordinator Suzanne Tamaki says, “this is the 8th annual
Matrariki concert I’ve had the privilege to organise. It’s the perfect time to
showcase Māori awesomeness, and get the whanau to come along and celebrate.”
The Māori New Year kicks off in June – what better way to celebrate than
with Purapurawhetū – Shining Stars, showcasing some of the best talent New Zealand has to
offer – for free.