Maori Television Unveils Karaoke Finalists Online

PUBLICITY RELEASE
FRIDAY AUGUST 31 2007

Maori Television Unveils Karaoke Finalists Online

Meet the fantastic finalists in New Zealand's hottest karaoke competition - with the supreme champion crooning their way to the $10,000 grand prize!

Maori Television's live Friday night talent show HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI is counting down to the inaugural grand final on Friday September 14 and is giving fans the chance to review the finalists' performances online via the website www.maoritelevision.com.

Each weekly winner of $1,000 - a total of 19 for this first series - is chosen by the most text votes received from viewers. So check out the wannabe singing stars who have already wooed the world with their wicked warbling - through the Maori Television website.

HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI screens every Friday night at 8.30 PM with the two-and-a-half hour grand final scheduled for an earlier start time of 8.00 PM on Friday September 14.

EDWARD TE MOANA, Whangarei (Episode 1 - May 4 2007): Edward may be just a schoolboy but his musical tastes are definitely old school. The Year 12 student from Whakatane High School says the likes of Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross provide him with musical inspiration and he won the very first heat with a rendition of a Bee Gees classic, 'How Deep Is Your Love'. Edward's foray into HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI was a combination of his friends and whanau in Taneatua giving him both a push and the confidence he needed to enter. Despite a frantic schedule of study, squash and volleyball, he's kept some time aside to keep his vocal chords limbered up in readiness for the grand final.

TONI WALKER, Hamilton (Episode 2 - May 11 2007): This married mother of six children was pushed into entering HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI by her daughters. Toni's time is taken up with her children, her work as the manager of a chicken smoking facility in Hamilton and her new grandson. 'Where the Boys Are' took her through to the grand final and Toni says she has huge support from her whanau and workmates. Phoebe Snow is her favourite singer.

PERE WATENE, West Auckland (Episode 3 - May 18 2007): Pere works in the construction industry as a concrete truck driver. His life is jam-packed with his work and taking time to fish, sing and watch rugby. He and his partner live in the western suburbs in Auckland - they are trying to find the time to get married - and they have two children: a son and a daughter. Pere sang 'Without Love' to secure his place in the grand final and says having an eclectic taste in music helps in a competition like this.

CHERRILEE FULLER, West Auckland (Episode 4 - May 25 2007): Cherrilee is a born performer. What little spare time the Henderson, Auckland, woman does have is spent tutoring and performing in kapa haka groups as well as being a mother to four children - one girl and three boys. Cherrilee's friends pushed her into going along to Maori Television's Newmarket studio to audition for HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI and she says it was something she never normally would have been brave enough to do - but she is thrilled to be in the grand final.

JOANNE RICKITT, Warkworth (Episode 5 - June 1 2007): Joanne's world revolves around her two boys. In fact, it was her oldest (11) who persuaded her to try out for the show. She promised him half of the prize money if she won, and true to her word, he and three of his friends had a fantastic weekend at Rainbows End. Joanne's got a voice like whisky and melted honey which perfectly suited her song choice for her heat, 'Something To Talk About' by Bonnie Raitt. It's not only her boys who are cheering her on for the grand final but also her workmates at the Warkworth trucking firm where she drives a truck and roller. Not surprisingly, Joss Stone is Joanne's favourite contemporary singer.

RAWIRI WAITITI, West Auckland (Episode 6 - June 8 2007): He's creative, he's got a silky smooth voice and sorry ladies, he's engaged. Rawiri won his round of HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI with a Lou Rawls' number but says he can cover most musical genres because his taste ranges from opera to reggae. It was the family who got him to try out but this seasoned West Auckland kapa haka performer is no stranger to the stage. He says he's just going to take things as they come on grand final night and he's keeping his choice of song a secret. Rawiri loves fishing, spending time with whanau and, naturally, kapa haka.

ROBERT RUHA, West Auckland (Episode 7 - June 15 2007): It was 1988 and the big stars had come to town to perform in the Cyclone Bola Relief Concert - and eight-year-old Robert couldn't believe his eyes or ears. The crème de la crème of New Zealand talent such as Dave Dobbyn, When the Cat's Away and Billy T James took to the stage and for the next three hours, Robert was completely awestruck. "I knew that was what I wanted to do - music and performance," he says. Robert now lives in west Auckland and is studying full-time. His fiancée and friends decided it would be a good experience for him to appear on HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI and coaxed him into entering. Memories of that day back in 1988 are clearly still with him - he sang a Dave Dobbyn song to take out his heat - 'Oughta Be In Love'.

LAWRENCE HARRISON, Whangarei (Episode 8 - June 22 2007): Whangarei's Lawrence Harrison is keeping his cards close to his chest. We don't know a great deal about this Northland singing sensation, but we do know he's good!

LAWRENCE MATTHEWS, Avondale, Auckland (Episode 9 - June 29 2007): Lawrence watched the early episodes of HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI and thought he had a good chance of making it through to the grand final. "But I also knew it would be a lot of fun - you could tell from watching it on TV," he says. Lawrence practiced a Ben Harper song, 'Steal My Kisses', then this painter/decorator drove from his Avondale home to Maori Television's Newmarket studio and gave it his all. The television audience agreed with his two boys (who think he's the tops). Stevie Wonder is his favourite all-round artist but he won't be drawn on whether he might attempt one of his songs for the grand final.

LANCE KIWI, Bay of Plenty (Episode 10 - July 6 2007): As a 12-year-old, Lance got to see the Hues Corporation live in concert in Tauranga and knew instantly what his vocation would be. "I couldn't believe the sound, the atmosphere, the lights, the tight harmonies," he says. "It was an incredible experience." Lance is a full-time musician in the Bay of Plenty and it was his son who persuaded him to come up and audition for HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI. He had no idea how different performing on television would be compared to performing on stage and admits he was terrified. He recovered his poise and carried off a perfect rendition of Al Jarreau's hit, 'We're In This Love Together' to take out the 10th heat.

POLLY ALBERT, Pukekohe (Episode 11 - July 13 2007): She used to think her children were her biggest fans but now Polly knows the rest of the motu love her as well. The Pukekohe mother of four (30, 27, 23 and 18) took out her heat on HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI with the highest number of texts for that night. Polly says she was astonished at the response. "We all think we're pretty good in our own lounges, don't we, but the proof is when you're up there on the stage and the cameras are there. That's why I was so pleased I came through, I was really proud of myself." Polly loves music from the seventies and eighties but chose a contemporary artist and song for her heat, Macy Gray's 'I Try'.

RIKI MURU, Waikato (Episode 12 - July 20 2007): When Riki was a child, he had two great loves - his rugby ball and his music. The Waikato toddler started carrying a football around at the age of 12 months and had a radio by his bassinet from an even earlier age. That early love of music clearly paid off when he took the 12th finalist spot on HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI with a poignant version of Stevie Wonder's 'My Cherie Amour'. His mother says he sang it for his father who passed away in January and Rikki has used some of the prize money to pay for the unveiling. The remainder has been spent on the apple of his eye, his three-year-old daughter. Riki works as a labourer and at one time, was in the Warriors Development Squad. Luckily for Maori Television's audience, he's decided to go with his other love: music.

DANIEL KOHINGA, Putaruru (Episode 13 - July 27 2007): Daniel was tricked into entering HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI but he had the last laugh by winning his heat with an Usher song, 'Nice n Slow'. Not only did he get the surprise of his life when his name was called out on live national television, he had to stay cool during a few technical hitches. But the painter from Putaruru took it all in his stride. "I make a habit of studying live performances," he says. "I play in a band and I think you can learn heaps from seeing how international artists react to unforeseen events on stage." Daniel saw Usher play in Sydney and says he was a phenomenal act to watch. Rugby, touch and rugby league take up most of his time when he's not mellowing out to classic soul acts.

JASMINE TAARE, Hawkes Bay (Episode 14 - August 3 2007): The caregiver with a heart of gold and a voice to match. That's how Jasmine's friends and whanau describe this talented Hawkes Bay singer. And it comes as no surprise to her family that she made it through to the finals of HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI - they've watched her grow up surrounded by nurturing whanau, all of whom have contributed to her sublime singing talent. In fact, the family is so supportive most of them are making the trip to Auckland to see her in the grand final. Jasmine loves music with a little touch of country; the Dixie Chicks are her current favourite act.

HENRY HEPI, Whangarei (Episode 15 - August 10 2007): Henry Hepi is a big man with an even bigger talent for singing. And it was singing that was his road to salvation as a youngster. "I performed my first concert as an 11-year-old when my music teacher pulled me off the street and entered me in a competition at the Wapakauri Tavern," says Henry. "I was paid, I had the audience reacting well and I was hooked." With his partner and her four children, this Whangarei bartender says he has plenty of support for his musical endeavours. "From the time I saw my first and only concert, which was Prince Tui Teka at the tender age of 18, I understood the magic of live performance. Mind you, I had to watch from a hill through the door of the pub, I was only 18 at the time!"

MEL SEREVI, South Auckland (Episode 16 - August 17 2007): He was supposed to hang up his microphone but when his 'baby' begged him to try out for HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI, he couldn't resist her. That 'baby' is Mel's 18-year-old daughter and her instincts about her dad were proven right when he won heat 16 with a soulful rendition of 'Sixteen Candles'. Mel's musical background began in Fiji where he played in a band at the Suva Youth Centre. Now the retired South Auckland security guard takes his place as one of the finalists in the biggest gig of his life - with the chance to win $10,000!

LEONIE MCMAHON, Rotorua (Episode 17 - August 24 2007): Leonie has been singing since she could toddle but it's only been in the past couple of years that she's taken that talent public. The administration worker for Mainfreight in Rotorua says if she wins, she'll do something special for her parents and her children (five and three). Leonie says Celine Dion and Mariah Carey are her favourite current artists but admits to having some classic Supremes CDs in her collection. She is well supported by friends, family and co-workers and isn't giving anything away about her song choices for the grand final.

HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI screens on Maori Television every Friday night at 8.30 PM with the two-and-a-half hour grand final scheduled for an earlier start time of 8.00 PM on Friday September 14.

Viewers can call the helpline on 0800 MA TATOU (0800 628 2868) for advice on how to tune into Maori Television which is available on channel 5 on Freeview; channel 19 on Sky Digital and channel 6 on Sky UHF; and free-to-air on UHF or using a satellite dish and receiver.

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