Press Release
22 August 2013

Free cultural festival brings outstanding entertainment to Auckland’s waterfront

ATAMIRA Maori in the City showcases the best of local and international cultural entertainment.

ATAMIRA Maori in the City brings to The Cloud and Shed 10, over the weekend 6-8 September, a spectacular, free, entertainment line-up that includes both international and national talent.

The ATAMIRA festival team has organised an array of entertainment that ranges from cultural and indigenous groups, to rising R&B artists and contestants from season one of New Zealand’s X Factor.

Jae’O, a rising R&B star, Smokefree Urban Pasifika Beats winners Skabby Jams, MAJIC and Canadian cultural girl group M’Girl, are just some of the performances set to play on the Saturday.

Renae Morriseau from M’Girl says the group cannot wait to perform at ATAMIRA and share their indigenous culture with New Zealand.

“It is a privilege and an honour to be performing at ATAMIRA 2013. Some traditional songs we will be performing required special cultural permission to be sung outside of Canada,” she says.

Maaka Fiso, from New Zealand’s X Factor top 13, will be performing on Sunday along with Unitec’s contemporary dance company Jamoa Jam.

In addition to the entertainment line-up, there are competitions that will allow festival goers to display their own talents and cultural expressions.

GET yr KANI on is a street dance competition that will be held at the festival on Saturday 7 September. This dance contest focuses on modern forms of dance, while celebrating the international success New Zealand has achieved in street dancing.

GET yr KAPA on is a contemporary fusion and traditional kapahaka competition. It is scheduled for the festival’s final day on Sunday 8th, and focuses on the marriage of modern and traditional forms of dance.

Both competitions encapsulate the meaning of ATAMIRA 2013 as a festival celebrating not only Maori heritage but also the blending of contemporary cultures.

The free bi-annual event will also offer cooking demonstrations from MasterChef cult hero Cameron Petley, an interactive Whakairo area where visitors will be able to watch traditional Maori artists, carvers, weavers and ta moko artists at work, a sport and lifestyle expo, a waka symposium and a bustling marketplace.

Keep up with the latest at http://atamira.org.nz/

ENDS

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