Festival spot for Ruha

Rob Ruha will be headlining this year's Matariki on the Move in Auckland. Photo / Supplied

A Rotorua musician is one of four headlining acts for this year's Matariki on the Move, a signature event of Auckland's Matariki Festival.

Rob Ruha will be performing four shows across Auckland with the Black Quartet between July 1 to 4.

This was not the first time Ruha had performed at the Matariki festival, which runs from June 20 to July 19.

"I was a part of a crew that was doing it last year, I made a guest appearance with Maisey Rika last year so I was approached this year to do the whole tour, he said.

"It's going to be an awesome experience, the one show I was a part of last year was on Waiheke Island and it was really nice, it was relaxed, it was intimate. I am thinking it's going to be a kind of a similar experience this year, a real community-focussed concert."

He said his music spoke from his experiences.

"The music I do is written in te reo or is bilingual, with various different themes, but the theme of the music and the songs we'll be doing for the show will just be around my story and my upbringing and tying that upbringing with the season of matariki.

"So I'll be talking about things like ta moko and traditional practices from my area Tairawhiti on the East Coast, and singing about my love for God as a Christian boy, and then I'll be singing about other things we should be looking forward to like strong leadership in our community."

Ruha, who is the leader of his troupe, said the festival always drew a strong crowd.

"I'll be singing and playing guitar and then the quartet will be playing behind me," he added. Other performers include The Ed Waaka Band, Double Derelicts and Hawaiki Tu Theatre Company.

For more information on this year's Auckland Matariki Festival, visit www.matarikifestival.org.nz