Moana & the tribe to play to Russia's 'Elite'

Moana & the tribe are minus their bass player Pete Hoera as they fly out to Moscow tonight. The band were invited by a wealthy businessman to play one 40 minute set at an exclusive party in one of Moscow’s high market clubs, First Mansion for 500 of Russia’s elite.

‘We had already scheduled a series of performances into Europe for November and had been negotiating with promoters for performances in Moscow, when out of the blue, we got the call two weeks ago to just pop over for the weekend,’ says Moana. ‘So, the band land there on Thursday, we play on Saturday and fly out for N.Z on the Monday.’

Pete Hoera, one of three musicians that accompany the vocal group, was a victim of Auckland weather yesterday afternoon. A freak gust of wind slammed the car door shut on his hand, breaking two fingers. ‘Poor Pete was pleading with the doctor to sort him out for the weekend but was given a reality check.’

It’s doubtful whether the seasoned funk musician will be able to join the rest of the band when they return to Europe in early November to launch their album TORU and DVD ‘Live & Proud’ into the U.K., and then return to Russia.

‘The U.K market is a challenging one and so having BMG / Sony pushing our album in there is a big plus,’ says band manager Sol de Sully. Before the release (release date: 14 Nov 2005) will be several presentations and performances in the U.K.:

21 Oct - BBC LONDON (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/outlook)

programme: BBC World Service Outlook / Interview with Deiniol Buxton

27 Oct - SAGE GATESHEAD (http://www.womex.com)

WOMEX (worldmusic-festival and expo) / conference speaker: Moana Maniapoto

conference session: “Against the Flow - the role of music in decolonisation “

11 Nov - BRIGHTON (http://www.komedia.co.uk)

Komedia Brighton: LIVE-performance

13 Nov - LONDON (http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/site/cinemas/Greenwich)

Greenwich Picturehouse: LIVE-performance & documentary presentation ('Guarding the Family Silver')

Moana & the Tribe have released their CD and DVD also into Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy to excellent reviews: ´The current crop of over-sanitized, easy listening elevator music masquerading as Polynesian is exposed as all sugar but no substance when stacked up against Moana & the Tribe. If ever world music is to be convincing, then this is it .` (Suddeutsche Zeitung, 2004).

© Scoop Media