In Conversation with Tina Cross and Carl Doy

Memories of winning the Pacific Song Contest
Forty years ago on 18 October, Tina Cross, a young singer from South Auckland won the Pacific Song Contest, with ‘Nothing But Dreams’ written by Carl Doy. To celebrate this career-defining moment the pair will perform a concert in Wellington at the National Library on October 18.

At lunchtime on the day of the concert, Tina and Carl will speak with Paul Diamond about their memories of their 1979 win and the impact it had on their careers. There’ll also be an opportunity to see footage from the 1979 contest, and from the 1980 contest, where Tina sang another Carl Doy composition (‘Once Again With You’), a duet with Derek Metzger.

This free session is part of the public programme for the National Library exhibition — Pūkana: moments in Māori performance.

About the speakers
Tina Cross ONZM (Te Aupouri/Ngāti Porou) has been a household name since ‘Nothing But Dreams’ took her into living rooms across the country when the Pacific Song Contest was broadcast live to millions of TV viewers. Turning sixty this year Cross celebrates an incredible 44-year career as a singer and entertainer in the business as one of New Zealand’s timeless leading wāhine as a recording artist, TV darling, musical theatre queen, Lady Killer and anti-domestic violence advocate. Not forgetting also that Cross sang the vocals on the original theme song for our longest running soap — Shortland Street.

Carl Doy ONZM is also an icon in the New Zealand musical scene having recorded over twenty piano albums, starting with Piano by Candlelight in the 1980s, which set records with triple-platinum sales in New Zealand and over one million albums sold in USA. As a producer he has been hugely successful producing double-platinum albums for Yulia, Elizabeth Marvelly, Martin Winch (Espresso Guitar) and Brian Smith (Moonlight Sax). He has also been musical director for such NZ luminaries as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Howard Morrison and Rob Guest.

Paul Diamond (Ngāti Hauā, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi) was appointed as Curator, Māori at the Alexander Turnbull Library in 2011. Together with Ariana Tikao and Vicki-Anne Heikell, he curated Pūkana, an exhibition celebrating Māori performance over time. Tina Cross is one of the artists featured in the Ngā Tāngata Mīharo/Performing Careers section of the exhibition.

Image: L to R: Tina Cross at the Pacific Song Contest, Christchurch, 1979. Photographer unidentified. Private collection. Carl Doy at the Pacific Song Contest, Christchurch, 1979. Photographer unidentified. Private collection.