Music of the Month | Pan Moana Group
2–3pm
event Details
Celebrate Music of the Month in an unmissable series of free, live music events in our Atrium.
Music of the Month is programmed as part of Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia, a series of upcoming performances which strive to build connections between our neighbouring Indigenous creative cultures.
Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience visual art and soul-stirring music together – book your spot today. Join us as we embark on a journey of cultural exploration, celebration and connection at Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia.
- Date
- Location
- North Atrium
- Cost
- Free
Explore Further
Pan Moana Group
A dynamic reflection of the bubbling wai (waters) underneath the streets of Tāmaki Makaurau, Pan Moana Group draws forth a swirling brew of taonga puoro, (traditional Māori musical instruments) kaleidoscopic modular synthesis, earth-shaking drums and future-poised instrumental combinations and approaches.
This iteration of Pan Moana Group consists of a breathtaking array of local musicians: Abigail Aroha Jensen, Leafa Krause, Eamon Edmundson-Wells, Sione Faletau, Salvador Brown, Parks, Rāhana Tito-Taylor and Navākatoa Tekela-Pule, offering a lively concoction of Tāmaki Makaurau / Pan-Moana sound to resonate with.
Playing to mark the final day of the remarkable Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia exhibition, Pan Moana Group say they are looking forward to speaking to their tuakana (elder siblings) from across the ditch, and the works they have brought to Tāmaki Makaurau for us to ponder.
Tickets are free, but in limited supply. Be sure to book your place without delay!
Image credit: Courtesy of the artist.
TE KAAHU
TE KAAHU is the brainchild of celebrated singer and songwriter Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpā). Known for her bold art-pop songs and her fierce advocation for the revitalisation of te reo Māori, in TE KAAHU Theia seeks to honour the craft and skill of Māori songwriting and storytelling by shining a light on the beauty and vulnerability in waiata Māori.
Their debut album Te Kaahu O Rangi was released to critical acclaim in 2022, winning the 2023 Taite Prize Best Debut award and Best te reo Māori Album in the 2022 Waiata Māori Music Awards. They were also a finalist for Best New Artist at the 2022 Rolling Stone Awards and Best Alternative Artist in the 2022 AMAs.
Exploring themes related to community, colonisation, ancestors, cultural resilience and pride, TE KAAHU’s music will offer poignant kōrero with our current exhibition Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia. Be taken to soaring heights and devastating depths in this soul-stirring, spine-tinglingly intimate performance in the Gallery’s atrium.
MĀ
Our August Music of the Month event features an artist and performer whose work we admire so much we just had to fly her up from Pōneke (Wellington) for the occasion! MĀ (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata) has been making waves with her music since the release of her self-produced 2021 debut album Breakfast With Hades.
MĀ has a day job as a ranger, and she uses this opportunity to discover new sounds from te taiao (the natural environment) and weave them into the sonic backdrop of her music. Her deeply personal, emotionally resonant songs have been awakening ears around Aotearoa, and she was invited last year to be the opening act for Avantdale Bowling Club’s sold-out tour. Her songs have been described as ‘casual in the extreme, downtempo and welcoming. But the more you listen the more they, and she, reveal layers of complexity.’ (Tony Stamp, RNZ)
This is a rare Tāmaki Makaurau appearance from MĀ, and we feel fortunate to have her coming all this way to perform with us as part of the Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia celebrations to continue the artistic kōrero between Aotearoa and Indigenous Australia.
Image credits: Nicola Sandford
Jen Cloher
Join us for an unforgettable Music of the Month in the opening weekend of Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia. Set to be one of our most meaningful and memorable performances yet, we are thrilled to host celebrated Naarm/Melbourne-based songwriter Jen Cloher [they/she] (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu). Reflecting the spirit of cross-Tasman collaboration in the staging of the exhibition here in Aotearoa, Jen Cloher’s gig will be the first in a series of upcoming Music of the Month performances which strive to build connections between our neighbouring Indigenous creative cultures.
Uniquely positioned with a foot of understanding in each country, Jen Cloher’s recently released fifth album, I Am The River, The River Is Me, draws upon their matrilineal wāhine Māori heritage. They have been described as ‘A modern day Patti Smith whose brutally honest, politically charged lyrics mark her out as one of the most interesting and important artists of her day’ (The Independent, United Kingdom).