‘Independent Music NZ Classic Record’ Award Announced

The Taite Music Prize: Announcing this year’s ‘Independent Music NZ Classic Record’ Award

IMNZ is proud to announce the second award to be presented at this year’s Taite Music Prize 2015 event.

The ceremony is to include the ‘Independent Music NZ Classic Record’, which aims to acknowledge New Zealand’s rich history of making fine albums that continue to inspire us and define who we are.

The panel to determine the recipient of this new award was made up of a broad section of music media / industry specialists, who have given the nod this year to the Herbs’ ‘What’s Be Happen?’

(Warrior Records, July 1981) mini-album as one of NZ’s classic records. The award is scheduled to be presented by Moana Maniapoto and will be accepted by members of the band and label.

When told of the news this week, Dilworth Karaka (Herbs) said: “Thank you, that is much appreciated. It was our first bunch of songs that we’d ever recorded and was a strong indicator for the political material

we would carry on to do – the memory has carried on, and it’s still our most popular record.”

Peter McLennan, author, musician and judging panelist said: “Herbs’ recording debut ‘What's Be Happen?’ holds up as a vital slice of our cultural history and a landmark for Pacific reggae.

Dropping in the dark days of the 1981 Springbok Tour, the mini album showed the band pulling together a strong set of six originals ¬– they knew they were doing something right when people started asking

them about a song off the EP, ‘Dragons And Demons’, wanting to know which Bob Marley album it was from. It's still a crucial recording, to this day.”

L – R: Herbs ‘What’s Be Happen?’ (Warrior Records, July 1981) – the cover image is of police action to clear Bastion Point in May, 1978 / Herbs in Mascot Studios, early 1980’s – Dilworth Karaka, Spencer Fusimalohi, Fred Faleauto, Phil Toms, Toni Fonoti.

Images courtesy of www.audioculture.co.nz

The Taite Music Prize 2015 event is held on Wednesday, 15th April in Auckland and is an invite-only ceremony. Delaney Davidson and Don McGlashan are scheduled to perform live sets for the gathered guests.

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