30 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Moana And The Tribe - Moana and The Tribe Newsletter Interview

03 Oct 2014 // An interview by Shade

New Zealand band Moana & the Tribe defy easy definition as their music slips and slides across genre ‘creating dub-ambient-soul-funk from nowhere else but right here, right now.’

Moana & the Tribe stand out as one of the most significant voices in Maori music. Thanks to the band for answering the following questions:

Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?

Off Rima, I’m most proud of Water People because Paddy and I threw everything at it – moteatea, karakia, haka, bagpipes, marching drums – the works. I wrote this for the Boomerang Project, a big collaboration of musicians from Scotland, NZ and Australia – 21 of us onstage at the Sydney Opera House, WOMAD NZ and at Glasgow 2014. Songman Djakapurra performs vocals on V2. So when I hear it, I see the dancers in my head and the fiddle, bagpipes. It’s an emotional moment for me when the haka comes in because our father died while we were touring Scotland so I also feel all the aroha my band and the others gave to us. The lyrics are about indigenous peoples coming together – and we did.

What is the one thing you want NZ to know about Moana & The Tribe?

Our band can’t be categorized into a particular genre but we’ve slotted easily into big reggae, rock, jazz and world music festivals around the world and gone down really well. Looking forward to the day when NZ promoters finally click.

How would you describe Moana & The Tribe's music in one sentence?

Kaupapa-driven haka-dub-funk NZ roots music with soul.

What sets you apart from other bands?

We are an 8-piece band playing songs proudly and defiantly inspired by our cultural identity, with lyrics that reflect what my passions as an indigenous person, a mother, NZer. We mix up musical genre, haka, taonga puoro etc into a set that has taken us onto big stages at reggae, rock, jazz and world music festivals. That’s what makes us different from every other NZ band. That’s what makes us a band with a difference offshore. 

What rumour would you like to start about Moana & The Tribe?

Did you hear the one about Pharrell approaching us to do a remix of Whole Worlds Watching?

 

About Moana And The Tribe

New Zealand band Moana & the Tribe defy easy definition as their music slips and slides across genre ‘creating dub-ambient-soul-funk from nowhere else but right here, right now.’

One of the most distinctive, articulate and significant voices and long acknowledged for having consistently pushed the boundaries of Māori music in both her recordings and live performances, singer/songwriter Moana Maniapoto (Ngati Tuwharetoa /Tuhourangi /Ngati Pikiaao) who - first with Moana and the Moahunters and latterly as Moana & the Tribe - has taken her often politically conscious music to festivals across the world.

She paid her way through law school by singing in covers bands, took her version of the feminist soul song Black Pearl with her band Moana & the Moahunters onto the charts in 1990. Moana has articulated a Maori perspective of colonisation in memorable songs (not the least in the powerful song Treaty) and has effectively incorporated taonga puoro (traditional instruments) into music which refers to rock, soul, classical and reggae - but always sounds solely like Moana-music.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Moana And The Tribe

Releases

Rima
Year: 2014
Type: Album
The Best Of Moana and The Tribe
Year: 2012
Type: Album
Acoustic
Year: 2010
Type: Album
Wha
Year: 2008
Type: Album
Toru
Year: 2003
Type: Album
Live And Proud
Year: 2003
Type: DVD
Rua
Year: 1998
Type: Album
Tahi
Year: 1993
Type: Album

Other Interviews By Shade

Pull Down The Sun Newsletter Interview
01 Dec 2022 // by Shade
Boasting an international standard of modern metal, New Zealand's Pull Down The Sun have set many an audience alight with their glorious imagery that holds true to sheer riff obedience, making motions from heavy and erratic to dark and moody, through to light and uplifting with minimal effort. We spoke to frontman Koert, and he had this to say:How did you become involved in music?
Read More...
Coridian Newsletter Interview
27 Nov 2022 // by Shade
Coridian are one of New Zealand's leading rock acts, and they have an exciting 2023 in the works. In recent months the release of singles Rakshasa (with Michael Murphy from Written by Wolves) and State of Mind have further cemented their status in NZ music.
Read More...
1 Drop Nation Newsletter Interview
19 Nov 2022 // by Shade
Otautahi six-piece 1 Drop Nation will be dropping their exciting self-titled debut album on 1 December, and it’s guaranteed to set Aotearoa music fans up for a great summer! They answered the following questions for Muzic.
Read More...
Interview: 2Fly Ty
17 Oct 2022 // by Shade
Despite currently residing in Brisbane, 2Fly Ty still identifies as a Kiwi at heart, as he looks to make a name for himself in the music scene of his homeland, Aotearoa. He answered the following questions for Muzic.
Read More...
Dead Beat Boys Newsletter Interview
29 Sep 2022 // by Shade
Auckland Rockers Dead Beat Boys fuse punk intensity with classic-rock riffs, all strung together in a show uncontainable by the stage. On the 1st of October they released their first and last album, be sure to check it out here.
Read More...
Frau Knotz Newsletter Interview
28 Sep 2022 // by Shade
The original songs of singer, pianist, producer and composer Lauren Nottingham have touched down on Earth under the moniker Frau Knotz. With avant-pop tracks which simulate echoes of an extra-terrestrial yet power-packed video game soundtrack, Frau Knotz toggles between whimsical fantasies and dark truths, switches propulsive rhythms and expansive balladry and tunes glamor with gameplay to concoct elixirs of dance.
Read More...
Forty Bucks Till Tuesday Newsletter Interview
28 Sep 2022 // by Shade
Forty Bucks Till Tuesday is an openly trans-genre metal band from the distinguished suburbs of south and west Auckland. Currently on the hunt for a new vocalist to complement their existing sound, Muzic.
Read More...
The Snake Behaviour Newsletter Interview
03 Sep 2022 // by Shade
Showing no signs of slowing down, Christchurch Rockers The Snake Behaviour are heading into their 20th year of creating hard-hitting music and delivering incredible live performances. They recently shared all their future plans and a whole lot more with Muzic.
Read More...
View All Articles By Shade

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem