Maori soul singer, performer and actress, Whirimako Black (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) is on tour and has just played the West Coast.
One of the surprising things about many of the small settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand is the vitality and creativity of their art scenes. Barrytown, a very small township that sits between ocean and mountain on the Coast Road, one of the top 10 scenic routes in the world according to Lonely Planet, is one of those. With a population of fewer than 200 people in the immediate area, it is easy to think of this as a backwater but it is also home to the Barrytown Settlers’ Hall.
Since 1972 the venue, built in 1929, has been hosting music events and has had some famous names through its doors. This week it was the Whirimako Black Trio who offered the packed hall a wonderful evening of entertainment, singing songs and standards in Maori and English along with accompaniment from traditional instruments and guitar. It was a great evening’s entertainment from this talented and worldwide-respected musician.
To hear more of Whirimako Black’s singing head on over to this Spotify link or listen to the YouTube clip below.
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