Riffing on Pacific festivals and the notion of 'Pacific music’

What is it about?

In this Riff article, Jared Mackley-Crump speaks to three prominent New Zealand musicians with various Pacific ancestries: King Kapisi (real name Bill Urale) of Sāmoan descent, Ryan Monga (of the band Ardijah) of Māori/Cook Island/Tahitian descent, and Te Awanui Reeder (of the group Nesian Mystik) of Māori descent. The interview sets out to explore their experiences performing in Pacific festival spaces and their perceptions about the importance of these spaces. It provides first-person perspectives on how they view their music performances as situated within spaces where the politics of cultural representation are heightened. In doing so, they touch on the ongoing debate about ‘Pacific music’ and what constitutes this label.

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