Whanganui River to be showcased in new album

Media Release – FOR IMMEDIATE USE

From Te Aio Productions 28 February 2017

2015 Flood Inspires Unique Musical Project

Whanganui River to be showcased in new album

In 2015 a Taonga Pūoro Wānanga took place in Whanganui. Taonga pūoro is the collective name for traditional Maori musical instruments. This wānanga (workshop) brought together taonga pūoro enthusiasts and practitioners from throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand. That weekend the mighty Whanganui River flooded. The worst flood in 100 years; trapping participants in Whanganui for an extra day. This awe inspiring event resulted in a conversation between practitioners around how wonderful it would be to record and compose pieces in the natural environment using the river as a catalyst for this inspiration and creative journey. The outcome of which would be a series of new compositions and recordings to inspire a new generation of taonga pūoro players and to tell the story of the Whanganui River through music and composition. Highlighting this beautiful locality and its unique status as a legal entity and sacred space for all New Zealanders.

Thanks to generous grants from the Creative New Zealand Creative Communities Scheme and The Douglas Lilburn Trust this exciting new concept is now becoming a reality. Named Te Pari o Auahatanga (the flood of inspiration) after the natural disaster that inspired the concept; a group of outstanding taonga pūoro players, composers and up and coming Maori artists have been drawn to the project including: Ariana Tikao, Alistair Fraser, Te Kahureremoa Taumata, Te Paerata Tichbon and Elise Goodge. They will spend just over a week recording on and beside the Whanganui River in late March and early April, culminating in a free concert to showcase the new compositions at Koriniti Marae on Thursday 6 April.

The recordings created will be produced by local production company Te Aio Productions and will be released as a full length album in July of this year. The project will utilise the latest in portable recording technology in order to capture the unique ambience of the river itself and the ecology of this outstanding natural environment.

By using traditional Maori instruments the group hope to gain an insight into how both wind and percussive instruments resonate in the close river valleys and the impact that water has on these sounds. The iwi and hapu that populate the upper and lower reaches of the Whanganui River are known for their unique percussive history, singing prowess and quintessential rhythmic patterns. The album will weave all of these inspirations and history with contemporary musical forms and instruments to create something modern yet infused with the traditional.

Fundraising efforts continue for the project. If you would like to contribute or learn more visit boosted.org.nz, donors page.

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