Ariana Tikao Photo: supplied / Augusto
Ariana Tikao is a composer and performer of Kāi Tahu descent whose waiata bring to life ancestral stories.
She is a passionate exponent of the indigenous musical instruments of Aotearoa and is committed to the ongoing project of celebrating and playing taonga pūoro.
taonga pūoro: Ipu kōrero, pūtōrino, kōauau, pahū pounamu, porotiti and pūtātara Photo: supplied / Ariana Tikao
Ariana Tikao is following in the footsteps of Hirini Melbourne, and two of her mentors, Richard Nunns and Brian Flintoff.
She began performing in 1993 with the folk group Pounamu, and branched out on her solo music career in the early 2000s.
Tikao has just been announced as one of seven 2020 Arts Foundation Laureates for 2020.
She joined Julian Wilcox in the studio, to share some of the voices of her taonga pūoro, and perform a waiata 'Amokura' with Al Fraser.
Ariana and Al are releasing an album Nau mai e kā hua in November.
