He Rangi Paihuarere - New Zealand/Aotearoa

A tribute to Dr. Hirini Melbourne

He Rangi Paihurarere is a collaboration of well known and emerging Maori musicians who have joined together to record their interpretations of waiata produced and composed by the late Dr Hirini
Melbourne.

Dr Hirini Melbourne was a well-known composer of Maori music and was credited with the revival
of taonga puoro. His songs were multi-layered he matched catchy tunes with seemingly simple words and rhythms. His songs reflected a deep knowledge and profound understanding of Maori
language and instruments, and our unique connection to the land we live on and the environment that surrounds us.

Katz – Arekatera Maihi
Arekatera (Katz) grew up with music in his blood and in his home in Orakei Auckland. Major influences for Katz have been his uncles who formed the Maori Hi Marks in the 70’s and his Orakei
whanaunga who were key founding members of Herbs. Katz began his performing career
in 1990 with the Te Kura o Tipene School Band, the Brotherhood Corporation.
Since then Katz has played in a number of bands including CDLIS. Katz has also played bass and guitar for international and national acts and most recently Ms Black and the Light and Tiger Hour.

Majic (Anania) Paora
Majic is a descendant of Te Tai Tokerau, this 16-year-old takes her musical cues from Lauryn Hill, Faith
Evans, Maisey Rika, Bob Marley, Tu Pac, Ardijah, House Of Shem and Katchafire.

Majic has been singing since the tender age of three years, initially on and around her local
Marae. It has only been within the last two years though that she has chosen to sing professionally, and within the last year (2011) that she decided to record her original solo album HomeTown due to be released in March 2012 and will be mixed and mastered in Kingston Jamaica at the legendary
Tuff Gong Studios, where Majic is also scheduled to record two tracks while she
is there as well.

Though only young, Majic has already performed alongside the likes of Ruia Aperehama Maisey Rika,
Young Sid, Upper Hutt Posse, all recognized as leaders in their respective music genres.

Ria Hall
Ria’s music is fuelled by passion, politics, an acute awareness of injustice, and a deep belief in
music’s power to inspire change.

Ria has worked solidly with renowned New Zealand artists such as Ardijah and the pioneers of New Zealand reggae, Herbs. She has also recorded with the late Phil Fuemana; legendary founder of Urban Pacifica Records,

Ria’s vocalist skills are wide ranging and she is constantly in demand by high profile singers across a number of different genres. She was fortunate to accompany New Zealand soul singer Hollie Smith on her massively successful international tour, through France, Switzerland, England, Scotland and Ireland in April 2008.

Her musical style is founded deeply in roots, reggae, hip-hop, funk and soul. She is the co-founder of Wellington based roots unit Hope Road, established in memory of the late Hon. Robert ‘Bob’
Nesta Marley – one of Ria’s primary musical inspirations.

Maitreya
Maitreya began his career as a founding member of live Hip Hop band, Nilstate, which gained a cult-like following around Christchurch, New Zealand. In 2007, Maitreya became the first hip hop artist to raise US$50,000 from Believers on SellaBand.com to record his debut solo album Close To Home. Produced by Maitreya & The Silence (UK) and mastered at Universal Mastering Studios New York by legendary Vlado Meller (Kanye West, Public Enemy and Run DMC)

Maitreya has played along side the likes of King Kapisi, Che Fu, Opshop, DLT, Nesian Mystik & Dane Rumble. The singles Lotaluv and Sin City ft Awa (Nesian Mysitik) were nominated for the Apra Silver Scroll and Maioha Silver Scroll (Maori Song Writing) respectively. Sin City took out the Maioha Silver Scroll 2010, making Maitreya the first Pakeha New Zealander to receive the honour.

Maitreya is also one quarter of electronica outfit The Babysitters Circus with Opshop front man Jason Kerrison, Selwyn Leaf and Tim Skedden (The Feelers). The band has recently released the single Everything's Gonna Be Alright, a top 10 single which went gold in November 2011.

Maitreya has now been recording his second album Aio, supported by the government's Maori language funding body Te Mangai Paho, the album will be released in Te Reo Maori and English in 2012.

Tama Waipara
Maori vocalist/songwriter, Tama Waipara's works are inspired by his native homeland of New Zealand, as well as a wealth of legendary vocalists, song stylists and balladeers; such as George Benson, Jimmy Scott, Kate Bush and Nina Simone. His music infuses cosmic jazz-funk, r&b, classical, and Samba containing a rhythm that is sublime, enchanted and unique resulting in a musical blueprint that knows no boundaries.A graduate of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music with a Master’s degree in music performance, Tama Waipara is a multi-talented singer/songwriter who plays several instruments, including clarinet and guitar. He is also actively involved in theatre and featured in an independent documentary for New Zealand’s TV One called Manhattan Maori (Kiwa Productions, filmed by Rhonda Kite and Libby Hakaraia).

Tama Waipara is “a singer’s singer,” a term that has been applied to several ground breaking and
established artists in the past. “It isn’t surprising to me that music would become my life’s passion,” says the charismatic performer. “Music is an amazingly influential and vibrant element in my cultural
background. The Maori are a naturalistic and genealogically based indigenous culture steeped in the traditions of our ancestors, or ‘iwi.’ Our culture is based on an ancestral oral tradition rich in chanted song and percussive, rhythmic music. I was always surrounded by music in my home as a child, both
traditional and more westernized, like pop, R&B and jazz. I studied the clarinet formally, but I always felt an urgency to sing.”

Mel Davis
With a voice reminiscent of Adele and the coolness of Lauren Hill, Mel Davis aka Soulsista
is the latest pop/funk/soul artist to emerge onto the New Zealand music scene. Soulsista is the newest talent to take NZ by storm... and is currently working on releasing her debut album. Based on Waiheke Island and affiliated with Te Arawa, Ngati Pourou, Kai Tahu & Te Ati Awa she is proud to be apart of this tribute to Hirini Melbourne.