The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
Upper Hutt Posse (UHP) is a musical band in New Zealand. The progenitors of hip hop music in the South Pacific originally formed as a four-piece reggae group in 1985, the Posse emerged at the forefront of the local response to emerging rap culture. Their unique fusion of rap and reggae has been an inspirational injection into the national music scene, and a powerful vehicle for their revolutionary socio-political perspectives. Influenced primarily by socio-politically conscious reggae and rap music, from Bob Marley to Gil Scott-Heron to Public Enemy. The band name is derived from Upper Hutt, the part of Wellington in which they formed.
Recorded Music NZ is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Music NZ is open to any owner of recorded music rights operating in New Zealand, inclusive of major labels, independent labels and self-released artists. Recorded Music NZ has over 2000 rights-holders.
Demetrius C. Savelio, better known by his stage name Savage, is a New Zealand rapper and a former member of hip hop group the Deceptikonz. Savage was the first New Zealand hip hop artist to have a commercial single achieve platinum certification status in the United States. The "International Breakthrough" accolade of the Pacific Music Awards was created in his honour. Savage also has applied his recognisable voice in the electronic dance music space with 5× platinum hit ''Freaks'' with Timmy Trumpet, and 4 times platinum hit ''Swing'' with Joel Fletcher.
Te Vaka is an Oceanic music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by singer and songwriter Opetaia Foaʻi in New Zealand. They have toured the world consistently since 1997 and have won a number of awards including the "Best Pacific Music Album" award from the New Zealand Music Awards for their albums Tutuki (2004) and Olatia (2007) and "Best Pacific Group" in the 2008 Pacific Music Awards According to the BBC, they are "the world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music."
Moana Maree Maniapoto is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and documentary maker. Widely considered one of New Zealand's most successful indigenous acts, her music is described as a fusion of traditional Māori haka, chants and taonga puoro, with contemporary soul, reggae and classical styles. Moana was briefly married to New Zealand politician and radio personality Willie Jackson, during which time she was known as Moana Maniapoto-Jackson; they divorced in 2001. In 2016, Moana was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.
Tutuki is the fourth album, released in 2004, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It features the song Tamahana which won first place in the world music category of the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. and first place in the International category of the Australian Songwriting Association competition. This is the first of Te Vaka's albums to win the Best Pacific Album at the New Zealand Music Awards. Tutuki debuted on the World Music Chart Europe at number 4.
Nukukehe, released in 2002, is the third album by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka.
Ki Mua, released in 1999, is the second album by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. This album contains the hit song "Pate Pate" which was very popular around the world and no.1 in the South Pacific.
Te Vaka, also known as Original Contemporary Pacific Music, is the 1996 self-titled debut album by the Oceanic group Te Vaka. Their music is often described as "South Pacific fusion", making use of contemporary musical styles while mixing in traditional instruments and themes from the South Pacific. This album has seen multiple releases, with some variations to the cover art and track listings due to changes in domestic and international distribution rights since its initial independent release in 1996. In October 2008 the album was made available as a digital download from Amazon.com
Hirini (Sid) Melbourne was a Māori composer, singer, university lecturer, poet and author who was notable for his contribution to the development of Māori music and the revival of Māori culture. He played traditional instruments and his waiata (songs) have preserved traditions and used Māori proverbs. He received the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of his services to Māori music. He was from Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu Māori tribes.
Vince Harder is a New Zealand R&B/pop recording artist and producer. He is most notable for the 2008 song "Everything" with P-Money, which reached number one in New Zealand on the New Zealand Singles Chart in 2008. In May 2010, he released the single "Say This With Me" which peaked at number 39 on the singles chart.
The Pacific Music Awards are an annual New Zealand music award ceremony since 2005 that honours excellence in Pacific music in New Zealand. The awards honour musicians who primarily work in the Pacific Island style of music from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau or Tuvalu, and also in urban and gospel genre categories.
Haoloto, is the sixth studio album, released in 2009, by the Oceanic group, Te Vaka. It won the Best Pacific Album category in the New Zealand Music Awards.
The 2016 New Zealand Music Awards was the 51st holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for musical recording artists based in or originating from New Zealand. It took place in November 2016 at Vector Arena in Auckland and was hosted by comedy duo Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce. The awards show was broadcast live on TV3 and The Edge TV.
Havili is the seventh studio album by the Oceanic group Te Vaka, released in 2011. It won second place in the ISC Awards.
Marumaru Atua is a reconstruction of a vaka moana, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 2009 by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea. In 2014, it was gifted to the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. It is used to teach polynesian navigation.
Te Au o Tonga is a reconstruction of a vaka moana, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 1994 by former Cook Islands Prime Minister Thomas Davis and the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. It was used to teach polynesian navigation.
Maisey Rika is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and composer, performing in both English and Māori. Her five original albums have each reached the Top 40 in the Official New Zealand Music Chart. She was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021, has received awards at the Waiata Māori Music Awards and APRA Awards, including APRA Best Māori Songwriter in 2010 and 2013, and has twice won Best Māori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards.
OliviaFoaʻi is a New Zealand musician of Polynesian descent. She is known for her work with the group Te Vaka, including on the soundtrack of Disney's Moana, as well as her solo career, particularly her efforts to revive songwriting in the Tokelauan language.
