Moana (singer)

Moana
Birth name	Moana Maniapoto
Born	22 June 1961 (1961-06-22) (age 50)
Origin	New Zealand
Genres	Pop
Labels	Black Pearl /Sony BMG
Website	http://www.moananz.com
Members
Amiria Reriti - Trina Maniapoto - Cadzow Cossar - Richard Murray - Dan Antunovich - Mahuia Bridgman Cooper - Ashley Brown - Randolph Neueli - Scott Morrison - Te Hira Paenga - Aaron Hapuku - Paora Sharples - Eriata Peri - Paraone Taitin - Tiare Tawera - Toby Mills - Stuart Page
Past members
Rangi Rangitukunoa - Reweti Te Mete - Hone Manukau

Moana Maree Maniapoto MNZM (born 22 June 1961) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and documentary maker.^[1]

History

As a performing and recording artist, Moana has pushed the boundaries of Māori music with her unique blend of traditional Maori musical elements and contemporary western grooves.

Both her recorded and stage performances have seen the band, Moana and the Tribe, tour throughout the world, performing over 120 international concerts since their formation in 2002 and cementing their reputation as one of the most successful indigenous bands to emerge from New Zealand.^{[citation needed]}

The band's CD Toru entered the European World Music Charts at 17. The CD was followed up a year later with the DVD Live & Proud (Pirate / Sony Records.). A one hour TV special on Moana & the Tribe outrated Lenny Kravitz and Santana on a rival channel when Bavarian Television screened the band's Chiemsee Summer Festival performance.^{[citation needed]} Moana & the Tribe represented New Zealand at the Cultural Olympiads in both Sydney (1998) and Athens (2003). Moana won the grand prize at the 2003 International Songwriting Competition with her song "Moko".^[2] In 2004, the group included Spain into a European tour for the first time. The band headlined the Etnosur Festival in Jaen to an audience of 5000, where they appeared live on Spanish TV news and received excellent reviews.^{[citation needed]}

Described as ‘brilliant’ by The Beat (USA, 2004)^{[citation needed]}, ‘New Zealand's most exciting music export’ (Marie Claire, 2002)^{[citation needed]}, ‘music of great depth and beauty’ (New Zealand Herald, 2003)^[3] and gaining two rave reviews from a reputedly scathing critic in Germany's largest daily newspaper (Süddeutsche Zeitung 2002, 2004)^{[citation needed]}, Moana has developed her profile.

In the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Moana was appointed Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.^[4]

In 2006, Moana and the Tribe completed a 25 gig tour of Europe and had the distinction of being the first New Zealand band known to have performed in the former Soviet Union - playing at a private party hosted in Moscow's First Club, then at Le Club.^{[citation needed]}

Moana released her fourth album Wha in May 2008.^[1] She toured in 2008 and 2009 Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Turkey, New Zealand and performed at the opening of the Biennale in Venice / Italy in June 2009.^{[citation needed]} In 2010 Moana & the Tribe have performed at the World Expo in Shanghai/China and also in Taiwan.^{[citation needed]}

She is a former pupil of St Joseph's Māori Girls' College in Napier.^[5]

Discography

Albums

• Tahi (1993) - as Moana and the Moahunters
• Rua (1998) - as Moana and the Moahunters
• Toru (2003) - as Moana
• Live & Proud (2003) - as Moana & The Tribe
• Live (2004 - as Moana & The Tribe
• Wha (album) Wha (2008) - as Moana & The Tribe
• Acoustic (album) Acoustic (2010) - as Moana & The Tribe

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Kara, Scott (31 May 2008). "Just wha enough". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10513503&pnum=0. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
2. ^ "ISC IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2003 WINNERS". International Songwriting Competition. http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners2003.htm. Retrieved 2003-12-17. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Reid, Graham (12 September 2003). "Moana: Toru". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3523194. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 
4. ^ 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List
5. ^ Bridgeman, Shelley (4 November 2007). "Singing the same song". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10473865&pnum=0. Retrieved 16 February 2010. 

Persondata
Name	Moana
Alternative names	Moana Maniapoto
Short description	singer
Date of birth	22 June 1961
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death