Music of the Month: 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.

Photo credits: Nicola Sandford