Musicians
WHIRIMAKO BLACK
"Whirimako could be one of the new great singers…She's got the sound and swings and is creative!"
Russ Garcia, 91, jazz legend and arranger to stars like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald
Whirimako Black's distinctive sound, her lyrics in Te Reo Maori, her use of traditional Maori musical forms and her numerous collaborations with artists outside of her own culture make her a unique and powerful voice for Maori music and language.
Whirimako, of Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Ranginui, Kahungunu, Te Whakatohea, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Arawa, and Ngati Awa descent, has performed throughout the country over the past decade, studied towards a Certificate of Musicianship Theory from the Sydney School of Music in Australia and taught music composition at numerous workshops. Her musical achievements include being awarded the NZ ORDER OF MERIT in the NEW YEARS HONOURS list of 2006 for services to Maori music; a TE WAKA TOI AWARD for services to Maori art in 2004; the APRA MAIOHA AWARD for music composition in 2004 and a NZ MUSIC AWARD for her debut album in 2001. She has appeared on several international album releases and has been developing her solo recording career since 2001, with 6 albums released since then, the most recent being "Whirimako Black Sings" with to pianist Kevin Field and band. She has just completed a national tour with Richards Nunns, Salmonella Dub and the NZSO and will be appearing her jazz band at the TAURANGA JAZZ FESTIVAL at Easter and then with the NZSO in Wellington in May.
Whirimako is held in high regard as an extremely fluent native Maori speaker ( it is her 'first language') and she is New Zealand's most acclaimed te reo Maori singer with an impressive reputation for her "voice to die for". She is excited about the opportunity and encouragement to perform waiata (song) in her native language, and has been involved in the collaboration to both create new and choose ancient waiata which will weave into the story being told through the performances.
Check out Whirimako on YouTube
