#nzmm

Kia ora!  It’s the final day of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I’ve saved today to celebrate one of the all time greatest songs ever produced in this country.

Poi E was released in 1984 by Pātea Māori Club, as the first single off their album of the same name.  It was the best selling single of the year in Aotearoa, outselling all international artists.  The song was written to promote cultural pride in young Māori by blending traditional singing styles with modern hip hop.  It was popularised by a news story after receiving hardly any commercial play, and shot to number 1 overnight, cementing its place in Aotearoa’s cultural landscape for decades to come.  After being used in an advert in 2009 Poi E returned to the charts, followed by another comeback the year later after featuring in the Taika Waititi film Boy, making it the only song from Aotearoa ever to chart over three decades.  In July 2016, a film about the song, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival.  With nearly four decades of love to its name, it’s hard to think of a song that’s closer to the hearts of the nation.

Kia ora!  The month’s almost over - it’s day 30 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Kia ora e hoa mā, welcome to day 29 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Today’s featured artist is Crowded House.  Where to even start?  Formed in 1985, Crowded House are a band so long-lasting and influential that their membership spans multiple generations of the same family.  Founded by Neil Finn, Paul Hester, and Nick Seymour, later band members included Neil’s brother Tim (of Split Enz), and much further down the line his sons Elroy and Liam.  The band were quick to find international success, with their second single reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and number 1 in Canada.  They released four studio albums, toured the world, and won many awards throughout their first run, before going their separate ways in 1996.  After a decade off, a few of the original members got back together and decided to rebuild the band in 2006, producing another two albums before again going on hiatus in 2016.  After Neil Finn spent some time as a replacement for Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac, the group once again reunited in 2019, having since released another album and embarked on international tour.

You’ll like them if you like: Fleetwood Mac, The Rembrandts, Tears For Fears, ‘Til Tuesday

Nau mai haere mai, it’s day 28 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa!

Today’s featured artist is a titan of the Aotearoa music scene, Stan Walker!  Born in Australia but raised in Aotearoa, Stan Walker was able to find healing from a difficult upbringing through the music at his church.  After moving back to Australia as an adult, he competed in the seventh season of Australian Idol, becoming the first New Zealander ever to win.  He has had a broad and successful career since, boasting six studio albums, multiple film and television appearances, judging roles in singing competitions, and many charitable ventures.  In 2018 after concerns were raised about his health, Walker revealed that he had needed to have his stomach removed, after discovering he had inherited a rare stomach cancer causing gene that had killed dozens of members of his family.  He returned to music shortly afterwards, and has continued releasing new singles and albums since.

You’ll like him if you like: Beyoncé, Guy Sebastian, Frank Ocean, H.E.R, John Legend

Kia ora e hoa mā!  It’s day 27 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I wanna take a turn for the indie today.

Lucy Hunter is an independent musician from Ōtepoti who got her start as one third of the post-punk band Opposite Sex.  Having released their first album on a small independent label in 2011, the band has continued playing small tours throughout the company and releasing music without a label, focusing on their own sound and style.  While the band are known for heavier, more demanding music, vocalist Lucy Hunter’s solo work is slower and more thoughtful, asking the listener to sit with it and share the singer’s feelings as they listen.  In addition to her solo work, Hunter has continued to release new music with Opposite Sex, as well as a new project Wet Specimen.

You’ll like her if you like: Phoebe Bridgers, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos, Mitski

Kia ora!  It’s day 26 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and I wanna talk about a song that’s close to every kiwi’s heart.

Kia ora!  It’s day 25 of Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, and we’re running out of time!  (Running out of time!)

In all seriousness, today I want to talk about Elemeno P, one of Aotearoa’s best known rock bands, absolute titans of The Emo Years.  Getting their start as flatmates, the two founding members recorded a selection of demos and shopped them around different labels, with no representation or backing behind them.  They were picked up quickly by Universal and after filling out their numbers the band were quickly thrust into the limelight, playing alongside groups like Sum 41 and Good Charlotte before even releasing their debut album.  Their 3 studio albums charted at 1, 2, and 3 respectively, and after several years together the band parted ways in 2012 to pursue individual musical ventures, though they have reunited to perform together on occasion.

You’ll like them if you like: Sum 41, Good Charlotte, Alkaline Trio, Blink 182, Paramore