If you’re not acquainted with Bella Kalolo, then you’ve not experienced New Zealand soul at its finest! This Samoan, Tongan and Maori (Ngati Porou) singer songwriter has been handpicked to work with artists as diverse as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Hollie Smith, Don McGlashan, Dave Dobbyn, Nathan Haines, Aaradhna, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, to name just a few.
Bella's reputation as one of NZ’s most entertaining performers has earned her spots at Glastonbury, the City of London Festival, Diva's in Paradise, and closer to home, the 2014 Sydney Music Festival where she sang with the legendary Chaka Khan. She has also performed at the Parachute Festival and the huge Waitangi Day celebrations at Flatbush, Manukau.
Bella was awarded Best Female Vocalist at the 2012 and 2014 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards.
Growing up around music set Bella on an exciting voyage sharing her talent with the world - from performing with Paraguayan Top 10 band Dos Tribus at the age of 17, to working in television (Dancing with the Stars), movies (Sione's Wedding, Matariki) and theatre (Disney's Lion King and Auckland Theatre Company’s Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hair, and Little Shop of Horrors) through to being invited on stage to sing at Soulfest last year with American soul singer, Angie Stone.
As well as much loved soul classics, Bella will sing her own compositions on this tour, and will be accompanied by two of New Zealand's finest musicians - Andy Mauafua on guitar (Iva Lamkum, Aaradhna, Brooke Fraser, Annie Crummer) and, from 11 March onwards, Darren Mathiassen on drums (Shapeshifter, Iva Lamkum, Hollie Smith).
