Hip hop legend Che Fu turning it up in Horowhenua

Kiwi music legend Che Fu is set to take the stage in Horowhenua this weekend.

Kiwi music legend Che Fu is set to take the stage in Horowhenua this weekend.

Sadie Beckman caught up with the hip-hop, R&B and reggae artist, songwriter and producer ahead of the show to find out about his musical past, new directions and the things that make this musical powerhouse tick.

Che Fu, born Che Ness, grew up in 1970s Auckland, surrounded by music and political activism.

Of Maori and Niuean descent, Fu's father, Tigilau Ness, is known in his own right as a member of reggae band Unity Pacific, and his influence is one of the things Fu credits with his own musical beginnings.

With rare synchronicity, both father and son have received lifetime achievement honours at the Pacific Music Awards, in 2009 and 2014 respectively.

Back then though, it was something as simple and random as a school friend taking up guitar lessons that gave Fu the push he needed.

"My dad would no doubt have influenced me," he said.

"Also, the friends I made when I was a teenager, to my mind had the most profound effect on me. I can pinpoint my beginning to one random moment in time - the day my Rarotongan mate Ned took guitar lessons at our high school. I could've learnt off my dad anytime I wanted to, but hadn't. It wasn't until my friend started gat lessons, and got good, did I feel compelled to play the guitar. He also joined a blues band. I followed him like a sheep. And yep, it was that bluesband."

"That" band is in fact one of the most successful New Zealand musical groups ever, an outfit that started off in early 1990 as The Low-Down Dirty Blues Band, but later changed its name to Supergroove, releasing debut album Traction, which quickly hit number one on the album charts and went platinum.

Creative differences later saw Fu embark on a solo career, quickly releasing hit single Chains, with DJ DLT, which went to number one and put Fu on the map in his own right, as well as bringing hip-hop into the New Zealand mainstream at the time.

His debut solo album 2b S.Pacific came out in 1998, and a host of accolades followed, including a Silver Scroll for his song Misty Frequencies in 2002.

Now though, live shows and collaborations are on the agenda.

"I'm travelling most weekends of the year," he said.

"I am currently writing new material for an upcoming track with local hip-hop artist HAZADUZ for his new album, and I have a song on Ria Hall's new album dropping soon."

In terms of new directions, Fu has also been getting behind some philanthropic causes, using his profile to draw attention to issues that he's passionate about, in this instance handling events and brand management for a Pacific health advocacy group called FIZZ, going into schools, sharing ideas and information about healthy living.

Fu said he was looking forward to tonight's gig at the Manakau Hotel, being organised by local events and promotion company The Paepae Soundsystem.

"They have booked me for a lot of shows in the Horowhenua region, New Zealand-wide and in Australia over the last five years, in which I have worked closely with their marquee musicologist DJ Huta. [Huta Thomas]," he said. "We're turning it all the way up."