Te Vaka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Te Vaka | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Genre(s) | World music |
| Years active | 1995-Present |
| Label(s) | Warm Earth Records |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Opetaia Foa'i Melodee Panapa Manase Foa'i Vasa Foai Neil Forrest Jeff Harris Matatia Foa'i Etueni (Edwin) Pita Tremayne Lihou Olivia Foa'i Talaga Sale |
|
Te Vaka is a New Zealand music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music. The group was founded in 1995 by Opetaia Foa'i. They received the "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their 2004 album Tutuki from the New Zealand Music Awards.
Contents |
[edit] History
Te Vaka consists of eleven members from different countries across Oceania. The principal songwriter Opetaia Foa'i was born in Western Samoa to a father from Tokelau and a mother from Tuvalu. The group has created "a truly pan-Pacific sound" from this diverse heritage.[1]
Te Vaka's music is "grounded in the rhythms of the Pacific by the use of pate (single and double log drums) and Pa'u (indigenous goat skin conga and bass drums)."[1] Most of their songs are written in the Tokelauan language, with some also written in Samoan and Tuvaluan languages.
In 2004, they received the "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their album Tutuki from the New Zealand Music Awards.[2] They have also been acclaimed by the BBC as "the world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music."[1]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- 1997 Te Vaka (re-released in 2000 as South Seas: Te Vaka with an bonus track)
- 1999 Ki Mua
- 2002 Nukukehe
- 2004 Tutuki
- 2007 Olatia
[edit] Featured appearances
The group have appeared on the following compilations.
- 2000 - Magic Of The South Seas (ARC Music)
- 2001 - Gardens of Eden (Putumayo World Music) - "Tautai e"
- 2001 - Caterpillar Vo.4 (Ala Bianca) - "Pate Pate"
- 2002 - Soundtrack Album "Legend of Johnny Lingo" - "Tamahana," "Ki mua," "Wanatu"
- 2002 - La Compil Choc Vol. 2 (Mangrove Music) - "Pate Pate"
- 2000 - Rough Guide to World Music Vo.ll (World Music Network) - "Pate Pate"
- 2003 - WOMAdelaide Real World Records - "Nukukehe"
- 2003 - BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music (Union Square Music) - "Alamagoto"
- 2004 - South Pacific Islands (Putumayo World Music) - "Iuliana," "Sei Ma Le Losa," "Haloa Olohega" & "Nukikehe"
- 2006 - TFM 2006 (Living Works Trust) - "Pate Pate"
