After much anticipation Tama Waipara celebrates the release of his second album Fill Up The Silence set for release 6 September 2013. Fusing traditional, grunty Pacific infused afrobeats with raw vocals and poi rhythms Waipara creates a record which is uniquely his own. Tama describes Fill Up The Silence as “Unashamedly rugged.” Recorded at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn New York, Tama was inspired to capture the sounds of his home - the beautiful, but also vast and rolling East Coast of New Zealand. His time away allowed him to reflect with newfound objectivity and gave the freedom to experiment musically. Whilst Fill Up The Silence is sonically reminiscent of New Zealand, thematically the album explores the universal experience of ‘the hunt for happiness’ through life and love. Produced, engineered and mixed by fellow Kiwi ex-pat and long time friend Aaron Nevezie who has previously worked with international acts such as The Black Keys, Fill Up The Silence evokes the sounds of their collective influences ‘Talking Heads’ and ‘Kate Bush’. As the lyrics of the first single ‘Medicine Man’ declare, Tama Waipara’s love really is in the music. Tama began playing the clarinet at age 10, studied a BMus degree at the University of Auckland, before heading to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he completed his Masters. The second single ‘The Hunter’ is an exploration of the gruntier rhythms of the Pacific flipflopping between playful and manic. To celebrate the album release Tama Waipara is touring four shows with a full band consisting of Dylan Elise, the album producer Aaron Nevezie and Fran Kora. Performing songs from Fill Up The Silence plus tracks from Tama’s 2004 debut album Leaving Paradise, the tour kicks off in Wellington on October 3rd.
