Aworld-class soul singer
After making her name singing mostly in te reo, it was only recently that Whirimako Black branched out into English.
With her earthy renditions of jazz and blues, she has developed as loyal a following in her newer incarnation as she had in her first. She’ll be bringing both styles to the Nelson School of Music on Saturday night.
Black has performed throughout Europe and Australia during the past 10 years, with six albums under her belt. Born in the Tuhoe area, which takes in Whakatane, the Urewera Forest and the Ruatoki Valley, where she grew up, her voice has been described as encompassing both the sophistication of jazz and the simplicity of waiata. ‘‘Deep, dark and organic, [it] seems to come from the heart of the Earth,’’ as one reviewer said.
She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2006 New Year Honours for services to Maori music, and has won awards including Best Maori Album and Best Jazz Album at the NZ Music Awards, and a coveted Silver Scroll award in songwriting for Best Maori Composition. She is regarded as one of the country’s finest musicians and a singer of international class.
After last playing in Nelson in 2010 with just a guitarist, Black says she’s still getting acquainted with Nelson audiences.
Accompanying her on Saturday night will be guitarist Ian Harrison, bassist Richard Pickard, pianist Darren Pickering, drummer Riki Gooch, and Justin Hohua on taonga puoro and backing vocals.
Black says that although she has a ‘‘wonderful’’ Auckland band, she wanted Christchurch musicians to accompany her for the school of music concert.
‘‘There can’t be too much work around with the rebuilding of Christchurch,’’ she says. ‘‘I thought it would be really nice to have them come and play for me.’’
There will also be a special appearance by Nelson taonga puoro expert Richard Nunns, with whom Black recently recorded an album, Te More.
‘‘It’ll be a treat for me to have the both of them.’’