Coming to New Zealand for the first time in January 2010 are two of Australia’s finest creators of soulful groove music. The two groups, Kooii and Kingfisha, will be special guests at the Parihaka International Peace Festival from Jan 7 – 11.
Their stay in Aotearoa continues after the festival with the Parihaka Thank You Tour, sharing their music and honouring the ethos of the festival at venues around the country.
Both groups originate from the melting pot of Brisbane. Kooii are a six-piece melding African, jazz and reggae, crafting distinctive original songs with compelling grooves. Lead vocalist and trumpeter, Peter Hunt provides the seeds of the songs, written for and woven by this group of prominent contributors to Australian music culture. Kooii’s Beads on a String album, released in 2005, resonates across the globe.
Kingfisha are a five-piece who have taken Jamaican rhythms and infused them with honest songwriting and strong melodies to create their own Australian reggae sound. The group features the laid-back vocals and songwriting of Anthony Forrest. In 2008 they released their debut EP, Promises.
Kooii and Kingfisha have been significant in carving out a distinctive culture of Australian music that connects with New Zealanders’ strong affinity to dub, reggae and funk.
Culling musicians from both line-ups yields yet two more bands from the Brisbane collective – Kafka and Ruby Blue, who will also perform in New Zealand.
For further information, contact :
Charissa Waerea – 027 250 3144
