Pōneke

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Tēnā Koe,

Thankyou for picking up Pōneke. It’s lovely to meet you and to have the chance to korero about this place that we get to call home in te ao hurihuri.

For me this project weaves together a lot of pou that I depend on in my life; whakapapa, te taiao, taonga puoro, and the use of our instruments as extensions of our voices, and all of the voices that live and sing within us. Whakapapa is a beautiful thing. It allows us to know ourselves through our ancestors, and it helps us to weave connections between all the people we come across on our journeys. The more we know our whakapapa, the better we can connect to all the people, things, events, and places we come across within our lives.

Pōneke is a love letter to not only our city, but to all those who have lived here, have shaped this place, and have been kaitiaki of all the facets and layered histories of Wellington herself.

In te ao Māori, I see time pulled around us like a korowai. We are layered in it, kept warm by the triumphs and resilience of our pasts and the hope of our futures. We are living in the present, past, and future all at once, and move between them. These recordings and paintings show how this looks from within me.

Te taiao, ngā atua Māori and their children are active players in these piece. You will hear us all playing together. It’s a privilege to be able to add to the music that is already around us all the time in this place.

I hope this offering helps you to see this place with fresh eyes.

Till we meet again,

Ruby
credits
released June 5, 2020
published May 6, 2020 (publish_date)
modified June 7, 2020 (mod_date)

Ngā mihi nui to all those who have mentored and supported me with my journey into ngā taonga puoro. Specifically to Al Fraser, Ariana Tikao, Sam Palmer, Rob Thorne and Tamihana Kātene, with extra thanks to Al who also mixed these recordings. Thanks to Lee Prebble for mastering skills and to my test listeners, readers, and viewers. Ngā mihi nui to all who have supported me with time, advice, instruments, and much much more. Ngā mihi to Daniela Butterfield, my partner and the biggest supporter of my work as well as an avid enthusiast of history be it good or bad. She is also made the beautiful map of Pōneke. Thanks to Loz Wooton for her managing and media expertise and to Sebastian Lowe for his amazing films that accompany the project. And a resounding thank you to the mana whenua of Pōneke, and to all the iwi of this beautiful place; past, present, and future.