Singer wins big at Waiata Ma¯ori Music Awards
A musician determined to make 10 albums of different genres in 10 years, has won big at the Waiata Ma¯ori Music Awards.
With his debut album
Kerikeri actor and musician Troy Kingi scooped the Best Ma¯ori Pop Artist and Best Ma¯ori Male Solo Artist at the 10th annual awards in Hastings earlier this month.
While Kingi says the album title tends to make people think it will be acoustic jams that people can sing to it has more of an ‘‘indie-rocky’’ sound.
He says the awards were the first for his music, ‘‘I went down to have a good night, and it was a bonus to come away with a couple of awards’’.
The album includes snippets of recordings made during the 2015/16 new year, where Kingi recorded himself and his family talking and singing.
Supported by the band he named Electric Haka Boogie (for this album), Kingi says he didn’t want the names to be catchy.
‘‘I wanted them to be long and a little bit stupid.’’
The idea for 10 albums in 10 years came from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who plans to leave a legacy of 10 films.
‘‘He hasn’t made any duds, he didn’t want to get past his use-by date and that’s the same thing with 10 albums, and I want each one to have their own feel.’’
His next album - due for release in November - promises to be ‘‘70’s psychedelic sci-fi soul’’ and will be named
‘‘I’m not quite sure of the band name yet, but maybe Infinite Monster Soul Accountants, but it might change.’’
Kingi, who has also starred in the hit film
came up with the names of the songs before writing them and was helped by his brother as they sat at Tauranga Bay in the summer months look- ing at the stars.
‘‘I’d give him a name and then it would become a story like it was a short film,’’ Kingi says.
‘‘So it’s like a short film in audio form, with a story that weaves through all of the songs.’’
For the third album, Kingi is planning an ‘‘indigenous political early reggae album’’ to be recorded at his new home studio, nicknamed ‘Uncle’s Bach’.
‘‘People still ask me what my style is, but [changing] it keeps it fresh for me.’’