By JARED DENNIS jared.dennis@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
People will be moving to the music and moved by the words of peace at this year's Parihaka International Peace Festival starting on January 5.
That's the message from iconic Kiwi performer Dave Dobbyn, who will join more than 100 artists performing at the South Taranaki event.
On the main stage Dobbyn will be joined by the likes of Che Fu, Kora, Katchafire and Wanganui's House of Shem, with entertainment spanning the entire weekend.
The festival also includes forums and workshops focused on peace, which is something Dobbyn sees as appropriate in such a location.
"I've always been interested in Parihaka for some reason, especially of late," he said.
"The last couple of years it sort of just spiked my interest. I have some friends who are involved down there. "It's the perfect place for a peace concert and the perfect circumstances for a peace concert too, given the history of the community there."
And the legendary New Zealand musician, who celebrates his 50th birthday just days before the festival, knows the history of Tohu and Te Whiti and the anguishes their followers endured at the sacred Maori site.
"It's a great story, a noble story yet to be fulfilled. "I am hoping all the Pakeha maps get there act together and put Parihaka on the map. It deserves to be.
"And I hope over the years the festival develops and it becomes an institution. I think it is the perfect spiritual home for a peace concert."
Like the organisers of the festival, who Dobbyn is friends with and has spent time at the pa site because of, the performer agrees that the event is the perfect vehicle for educating people about the related issues. "There are a lot of lessons about peace you can learn from the history.
"The fact is the people were non-violent in their confrontations with the government troops who so illegally cleared them out and burnt down their town back in 1881. "So to have a message of peace coming out of a place like that is going to resonate around the world."
For Dobbyn the chance to play it is seen as an honour. He said he plans to perform mainly his solo stuff, with a band that he is taking, but there is also the chance of something a bit different.
"I'm hoping I can connect with a couple of other musicians down there, but I wont say what that will be, because I haven't talked to them yet.
"I think in the spirit of what it's about we will have a great time and there will be some great music happening and some great words spoken."
The festival is held at the Parihaka pa site, which is about 45km north-west of Hawera on SH45.
It starts at midday on Friday, January 5, and runs through to late in the evening on Sunday, January 7. For more information check out www.parihaka.com.
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