A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
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by Ariana Tikao
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ABOUT
Ariana is a unique performer and composer of heartfelt music in both Te Reo Māori and English. She draws on folk and pop styles with a strong emphasis on Māori chant. Although now living in Wellington, her music is inspired and influenced by her Māori ancestry and the dramatic landscape of Te Waipounamu – The South Island of New Zealand.
Ariana was a featured vocalist on John Psathas’s recent international extravaganza No Man’s Land alongside world music luminaries such as Meeta Pandit and Serj Tankian. She also featured as a vocalist and taonga puoro player for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 2015 for Kenneth Young’s In Paradisum. Last year she performed in the first concerto for taonga puoro, Ko te tātai whetū, that Ariana co-composed with Philip Brownlee and premiered with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
On February 22nd, 2012, she touched the nation with her rendition of Whakaaria Mai for the Christchurch Earthquake Memorial event in Hagley Park, televised live and broadcast internationally.
Ariana was a featured artist on the Ihimaera album with some of the country’s top recording artists. She also played the song live at the Auckland Arts Festival for the Ihimaera Show.
She also completed a nationwide tour in November 2011 with Kāi Tahu musicians Mahina-ina Kaui and Christine White as Voices of Our Ancestors, under the umbrella of Arts on Tour NZ.
In 2010, Ariana completed a tour of New Zealand to rave reviews with singer-songwriter Hannah Howes for the “Wahine Toa” tour. That year she performed her Ohaki (multi-media) show, featuring Richard Nunns, to standing ovations in Christchurch and Nelson.
In March-April 2008, Ariana was Musician in Residence at the Centre for New Zealand Studies, at the University of London, Birkbeck, after being awarded a $10,000 Creative New Zealand grant.
That same year she was a featured soloist in the WOW Wearable Arts Awards in Wellington, and also performed in the prestigious Pao Pao Pao event in the Wellington Town Hall. At this event, Ariana was presented with an achievement award from Toi Maori.
Since beginning her music career in Christchurch with folk duo Pounamu in 1993, to launching her solo career and releasing her debut solo album Whaea in 2002, Ariana has consistently produced beautiful and moving music that contributes to the growing corpus of contemporary Māori music.
Ariana was a featured vocalist on John Psathas’s recent international extravaganza No Man’s Land alongside world music luminaries such as Meeta Pandit and Serj Tankian. She also featured as a vocalist and taonga puoro player for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 2015 for Kenneth Young’s In Paradisum. Last year she performed in the first concerto for taonga puoro, Ko te tātai whetū, that Ariana co-composed with Philip Brownlee and premiered with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
On February 22nd, 2012, she touched the nation with her rendition of Whakaaria Mai for the Christchurch Earthquake Memorial event in Hagley Park, televised live and broadcast internationally.
Ariana was a featured artist on the Ihimaera album with some of the country’s top recording artists. She also played the song live at the Auckland Arts Festival for the Ihimaera Show.
She also completed a nationwide tour in November 2011 with Kāi Tahu musicians Mahina-ina Kaui and Christine White as Voices of Our Ancestors, under the umbrella of Arts on Tour NZ.
In 2010, Ariana completed a tour of New Zealand to rave reviews with singer-songwriter Hannah Howes for the “Wahine Toa” tour. That year she performed her Ohaki (multi-media) show, featuring Richard Nunns, to standing ovations in Christchurch and Nelson.
In March-April 2008, Ariana was Musician in Residence at the Centre for New Zealand Studies, at the University of London, Birkbeck, after being awarded a $10,000 Creative New Zealand grant.
That same year she was a featured soloist in the WOW Wearable Arts Awards in Wellington, and also performed in the prestigious Pao Pao Pao event in the Wellington Town Hall. At this event, Ariana was presented with an achievement award from Toi Maori.
Since beginning her music career in Christchurch with folk duo Pounamu in 1993, to launching her solo career and releasing her debut solo album Whaea in 2002, Ariana has consistently produced beautiful and moving music that contributes to the growing corpus of contemporary Māori music.
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