Kirsten Te Rito's Māreikura - commissioned by the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival - was inspired by Māori goddesses and cosmology.
Kirsten Te Rito performing at the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival Photo: 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival, Nick George
Te Rito is a respected singer and songwriter from Te-Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, who describes her work Māreikura as a journey through her perspectives, relationships, and feelings around four Atua Wāhine Māori goddesses. Hine-tītama: the dawn, the first woman, who changed into Hine-Nui-Te-Pō, the goddess of death, when she discovered that her husband Tane was also her father; Hine Raukatauri, the goddess of all flute music and the pūtōrino; and Mahuika, goddess of fire.
Māreikura is an exciting new work that blends jazz and Te Reo Māori, and draws extensively on Te Ao Māori.
Kirsten was joined on stage by her husband, keyboardist and co-composer James Illingworth, and her frequent collaborators, vocalist Lisa Tomlins, guitarist Tyna Keelan, bass player Johnny Lawrence, drummer Darren Matthiassen, percussionist Cory Champion, and taonga pūoro player Ruby Solly.
Ruby Solly on taongo pūoro at the 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival Photo: 2023 Wellington Jazz Festival, Nick George
Produced and engineered by Darryl Stack and mixed by Marc Chesterman for RNZ Concert
Recorded at Meow, Wellington on 29 October 2023
Videos by SOUNZ with audio by RNZ Concert
