Ria Hall
Te Whakarewarewa Valley will be alive with the sound of music in November as traditional showband performers and some of New Zealand's latest pop artists come together on one stage in a spectacular showbands-style concert.
Te Puia New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its establishment under parliamentary legislation, with a series of major events in November and December including the Showbands in the Pa concert on Saturday, November 30.
The concert celebrates the musical legacy of Rotorua iwi, Te Arawa, and combines the best of the Maori showbands era with contemporary artists and arrangements.
"The development of Maori showbands during the 1950s and 60s created an important cultural backdrop during a period when Te Puia also became a well-known cultural icon," concert producer Monty Morrison said.
"The concert celebrates the link between the past and present. Made famous by cultural icons such as Billy T James and the Howard Morrison Quartet, it is also about demonstrating that the era of Maori showbands is still alive today."
The two-part programme features everything people remember and love about the traditional Maori showbands, including timeless music, comedy and impersonations, as well as performances from some of New Zealand's up-and-coming young stars such as boy band Titanium and young female artist Ria Hall. Temuera Morrison will MC the event.
The programme features original showbands group, Kairo, and The Trio, led by Howard Morrison Junior, and includes classic songs such as Dean Waretini's The Bridge.
Hall will bring the first session to a close with a performance of the 1970s classic Sweet Inspiration, originally by the Yandall Sisters.
The second act features a 45-minute set from popular boy band Titanium, and will wrap up with all performers returning to the stage for the grand finale.
Te Puia sales and marketing manager Kiri Atkinson-Crean said the concert was a chance to celebrate the 50-year milestone at Te Puia, as well as to recognise the heritage of the valley and acknowledge the visitors who had passed through its gates.
"The Sweet Inspiration concert is a celebration not only of what our people - past and present - have achieved at Te Puia in the last 50 years but of all our manuhiri (visitors) who have passed through our gates and are part of that history too."
The Showbands in the Pa Sweet Inspiration concert is on Saturday, November 30, from 7.30pm till 10pm, with tickets available through Ticketek.
More information about the concert is available on Te Puia's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tepuia.newzealand.
