Expo & fashion show opens National Waiata Maori Music Awards

September 13, 2012

Expo and fashion show opens music awards

The Maori Music Expo and the Te Koanga Fashion Show will open this year’s National Waiata Maori Music Awards event today.

The expo, to be held today and tomorrow, begins with the Primary Schools National Te Reo Kori Hand Games competition, which includes the traditional Maori hand games of Whakaropiropi Ai, Whai and Hei Tama Tu Tama.

There will be a ukulele workshop today, for those looking to learn more about the history and elements of the instrument famous across the Pacific.

Kaipara singer Majic Paora will preview her debut album, Hometown, which she recorded in Jamaica last summer.

There will also be artists and music professionals available to speak about what it takes to make it in the industry, how they turned their love for music into a career and business opportunities.

Majic Paora will also feature later this evening as one of the guest artists to perform at the Te Koanga Fashion Show. Te Koanga recognizes the new spring season and celebrates new beginnings.

Auckland dancer Justin Haiu, US-based Maori singer Jess Harlen and singer Te Huaki Puanaki will also perform at the show, which aims to mix Maori music with Maori fashion.

The designers showing garments include Auckland labels Dmonic Intent, Tawhiao, Jeanine Clarkin as well as Wellington’s Louise Stichbury and Hawke’s Bay’s Deb Bell.

There will be 11, Year 2, Fashion Apparel Certificate course students from Hawke’s Bay EIT showing garments at this year’s Te Koanga Fashion Show.

The models that will feature at tonight’s show are being brought together from three different sectors. Firstly, last year’s model co-ordinator Heather Te Au returns to present a group of young men and women she’s been training for the past two months.

Secondly, the six contestants of this year’s Miss Aotearoa event, also being held in Hawke’s Bay this week, will appear as guest models at Te Koanga, as part of their work towards the pageant contest.

Also involved for the first time is Wellington-based event organizer Chantelle Avery. She has eight models from the capital and they have all appeared at New Zealand Fashion Week, Miromoda and other major national shows in the past, now making their debut at Te Koanga this evening.

“I’m looking forward to the chance to showcase the fashion talent we have in New Zealand, especially the Maori designers,” Avery says.

“Having designers like Dmonic Intent and Shona Tawhiao as part of the show is great, they are my designer idols and I’m looking forward to working with them again.

“It’s also going to be a great opportunity for the younger designers and models, it’ll be a great confidence builder for them.”

ENDS

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