KEY POINTS:
Rawiri Paratene, the narrator of Tuwhare, put it deftly: "Hone Tuwhare is a weaver of words." Of this there can be little doubt _ Tuwhare has walked the road of the poet for years, garnering great public and critical acclaim along the way.
Still, honouring a poet with a tribute album, and concert, is a rare occurrence. Charlotte Yates, director and producer of Tuwhare, has so far honoured two. Her first, Baxter, was a compilation of James K. Baxter's poems set to music.
Tuwhare, first performed at the International Arts Festival in Wellington last year, came next. The question, apart from who is next on her list, is what kind of result can you expect when the weaver's words are woven into songs?
Rock, reggae, dub and electronica and the performers must have felt some added pressure, as the man himself was there to hear the works for the first time. Paratene pointed out that poetry is a road fraught with financial uncertainty, yet Tuwhare's world is rich in language, humour, goodwill and respect. On Monday night at the Civic, respect for Tuwhare came from the performers, and the audience.
My favourite songs were those that gave Tuwhare's words room to breathe. Hinemoana Baker, accompanied by Waiting for Donald, provided a lively interpretation of Where Shall I Wander, which was made all the more interesting by precise acoustic lead, simple percussion and mandolin.
Whirimako Black's vocal for Spring Song soared against Jonathan Besser's piano. However, it was Graham Brazier, the man with the well lived-in voice, who was my pick of the night. His poignant guitar and harmonica version of Friend resonated with the essence of a statement once made about Tuwhare: "It's as if you are in church and the pub at the same time."
Hone Hurihanganui was also a one-man band, with a neatly simple rendition of Papa-tu-a-nuku, while Don McGlashan's vocals and euphonium (looks like a tuba) and David Guerin's piano provided music that effectively conveyed the powerful imagery of Rain.
Other arrangements were more complex. On a theme by Hone Taiapa, by WAI, was a display of poi dexterity and harmonious vocals to an electronic beat. The initial wave of sound of Dallas Tamaira's We, Who Live In Darkness had an almost Tom Waits feel, before ebbing into dub reggae. Te Kupu, Dean Hapeta from Upper Hut Posse, with Speak To Me, Brother sauntered with an air of rebelliousness and humour. He also had a special message for the United States.
Covetous, composed by Paul Casserly and Fiona McDonald, left me slightly flat, although singer Mahinarangi Tocker and cellist Ashley Brown accounted themselves admirably. Earlier, Brown's cello imitation of a sea bird's call, on A Northland Heartscape, which also featured Tocker, Yates and the NZ Trio, recalled wonderfully the atmosphere of the Far North.
Yates and Goldenhorse provided the two rockiest performances. Yates' Mad had real punch, as did Goldenhorse's O Africa the riffs were great, but the words were somewhat lost and hard to decipher.
Throughout the two-hour show Paratene's humorous narration provided a timeline of Tuwhare's career, and allowed an easy transition between the artists. Backing video footage was at times a little distracting. That said, there was also interesting archival imagery of Tuwhare's life. In all, a memorable night for all concerned.
