Moana & the Tribe’s live show has been described as “delivering a thumping, visually powerful and cleverly calculated implosion of waiata, haka and electronic-flavored soul-funk”. (NZ Herald). Their mission is to get you dancing with their unique blend of dub-ambient-soul-funk. And in their first in a series of tour dates celebrating their latest album RIMA, they are bringing that mission to Waiheke Island.
Long acknowledged for having consistently pushed the boundaries of Māori music in both her recordings and live performances, singer/songwriter Moana Maniapoto is a writer whose lyrics are rooted in the NZ landscape, culture and experience - inspiring her to ‘produce her own blend of traditional and contemporary styles without compromising either.’ (NZ Herald, 2003).
Having released Tahi, Rua, Toru, Wha and the DVD Live & Proud as well as a retrospective album, Moana teamed up with band member Paddy Free (Pitch Black) to produce and co-write RIMA.
‘Free steers much of the album into a new genre of waiata-dub and punchy dance floor directed songs where politics and te reo slip in effortlessly. RIMA is a powerful and important collection. Highly recommended.’ (Graham Reid, NZ Herald)
‘RIMA offers up an enticing blend of waiata, haka, and deeply rhythmic electronica…including Water People, a deliciously dubbed out tune with haka, chants and a deep groove. Then there’s the moody spiritual vibes of Ko Au, and Aotearoa, which sounds like Pitch Black remixing Moana, all bleepy electronica and fizzy tempos. There’s a lot to discover in this record. It is beautifully layered.’ (Peter McLennan, 13th Floor)
Formed in 2002, Moana & the Tribe has played hundreds of stages in Istanbul, Moscow, Florence, Berlin, Warsaw, Toronto, Venice, Shanghai, Seoul, Vienna, Toronto and Taipei. They have taken their unique sound to the Herodus Atticus (Athens), Sydney Opera House (Australia) as well as to the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and Sziget (Budapest). In July, the band played in and around Glasgow 2014 as part of the “Boomerang” collaboration with Scottish and indigenous Australian musicians. The band launched RIMA (Rhythmethod/DRM) at the Galatos on September 28.
‘It was one highlight after another…Warrior Woman was thumping and the moody Ko Au was driven by a hypnotic low hum.’ (Marty Duda, 13th Floor)
‘While staying true to her Maori roots, Moana offers a fresh and contemporary vibe.’
(Linda Bailey, Libel Music)
