Music makers: M ori Television’s new talent show.
Award-winning musician Pere Wihongi talks about M ori Television’s talent show 5 Minutes Of Fame. Sarah Nealon reports.
Performing in front of strangers is familiar territory for Pere Wihongi. As one of two judges on M ori Television’s talent show 5 Minutes Of Fame, he is sympathetic to how contestants might be feeling when it comes to singing on stage.
“It is such a nerve-racking experience,” says Wihongi (Te Rarawa/Ng Puhi/Ng ti Kuri/ Ng ti Wai), who shares judging duties with singer Bella Kalolo.
In the show, contestants hope to wow the judges with their vocals to progress through the competition.
Wihongi, who goes by the stage name ‘Pere’, is an experienced performer who manages and is part of the M ori pop band Maimoa.
The group was an opening act for the Six60 concert at Eden Park and the subject of the reality series Waiata Nation.
Wihongi was born in Kaitaia and he lived in the Far North town of Herekino before his family moved to Auckland when he was 10. Music has always been
a big part of his life. His grandparents played in bands and an uncle was a country singer. His father is a self-taught guitarist.
Another important aspect of Wihongi’s life is te reo M ori.
“I was lucky enough to be brought up in the K hanga Reo movement, so te reo M ori was actually my first language,” he says. “From the day I was born right through to the end of my schooling, I was brought up in a full immersion te reo M ori world.”
At tertiary level, Wihongi studied film and television. He went on to become a reporter on Te Karere and Marae.
These days, when he is not performing or being a talent-show judge, he lends his expertise to other television shows which have a strong te reo component.
“My grandparents were caned, were physically abused, for even speaking the language,” he says.
“Now the flip side is all of my work now involves te reo M ori.”