Maori Quartet hits Palmerston North
Palmerston North’s Regent theatre will be billowing with music and laughter as the Modern Maori Quartet comes to the city.
The self-proclaimed ‘‘Maori rat pack’’ is on tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and will be in the city on March 9.
Heading to Palmerston North will mean heading down memory lane for quartet member James Tito who studied sport management at Massey University before turning to a fulltime career in music. ‘‘I was doing the classic rugby thing – dreaming of being an All Black.’’
Once changing his tune by opting for a music career, Tito studied at Toi Whakaari, in Wellington, along with the rest of the quartet – Maaka Pohatu, Francis Kora and Matariki Whatarau. ‘‘I thought I’d take my music and myself seriously.’’
After travelling the world with the quartet Tito was thrilled to finally be performing with the NZSO. It had been a goal for several years and when the opportunity finally came the Maori rat pack couldn’t turn it down, he said. ‘‘The show’s 70 to 80 per cent of our original material. We wanted to do something a bit different. We created a story.’’
The quartet introduces four characters by setting up a scene of people at a garage party.
The group drew inspiration from different eras, including the 30s and 40s, to create a theatrical and comical performance, Tito said. ‘‘We are the only Maori showband doing what we are doing at the moment, probably in the world. We bring a nice cultural edge.’’
So far the quartet has performed in Napier, Auckland and Whangerei with the NZSO, and was heading to the South Island before making its way to Palmerston North.