Busking outside Trade Aid Napier are (from left) Lydia, Finn and Hugo Clarke.
Busking outside Trade Aid Napier are (from left) Lydia, Finn and Hugo Clarke.
There were chocolate tastings, hot chocolate and even chocolate cake, but the icing on the cake had to be the trio of buskers who performed outside Napier Trade Aid in Hastings St last Saturday to help celebrate World Fair Trade Day.
Siblings Finn, 14, Hugo, 12, and Lydia Clarke, 10, are becoming well known faces on the Napier busking scene, setting up outside shops in Napier’s CBD and performing a diverse mixture of covers and tunes they have written themselves.
Lydia says she loves singing and one day wants to be famous.
“It’s really fun and kind of makes you more confident that you can do anything. I am saving to go to Australia. I’ve booked my tickets.”
Ukulele teacher and mum Rosie says Trade Aid has been amazing.
“They emailed me and asked them to come anytime - they love it,” she says.
Along with husband and Napier Tech Band sax player Matt, Rosie says their daughter Lydia sang before she talked.
“She does the bulk of the singing and started lessons last term. Finn does the harmonies. They started when they were little - they weren’t very sporty. Our kids have surpassed us.”
Finn began playing the piano at 5 years old and is currently studying towards his ATCL Grade 8 and Grade 5 music theory. He also plays drums, cello and ukulele, plus guitar in band Spitfires, which he’ll be performing with at this year’s Smokefreerockquest. Younger brother Hugo is studying Grade 5 music theory and plays drums and trumpet.
“He’s playing the cajon today - it’s transportable which means he can drum the songs,” Rosie says.
But their road to busking freedom has not been without its hiccups.
“We had to fight the council to be able to sing using a microphone. I took videos of the crowds of people watching the kids and invited the council to come down, to watch and see this is good for the town.”
Rosie credits the support of Napier City Business general manager Pip Thompson who advocated for the children after Rosie had the band set themselves up in Hastings where there is no need for a busking license.
“She booked them to play on the green in Emerson St and paid them.”
Rosie says Richie Jackman from Music Machine was also right behind the group and “got all fired up”.
“He said we should start a petition. Richie was so supportive.”
Cotton On also came to the party, giving the musicians presents “because they loved them so much”, Rosie says.
Younger brothers Lennon, 7, and 4-year-old Marlow are also budding musicians, singing and playing ukulele, piano and drums between them, and lining up to join the band.
“The little ones will join - Lennon is already eyeing them up.”
Trade Aid Napier manager Maureen Kennedy says May 13, 2023 was a special day for Trade Aid.
“It was our 50th birthday, which we celebrated along with World Fair Trade Day. Instore we had chocolate sampling and tastings of drinking chocolate and one of our lovely volunteers made a chocolate cake to celebrate the day.
“We also had the three little birds busking outside. We really love having them - it does liven the street up and people appreciate them and their talents.”
Scarlett Vowden and Leif Robertson help out with chocolate tasting for World Fair Trade Day.
She says although Trade Aid was celebrating 50 years since it began in New Zealand, the organisation has been in Napier for 48 of those years this November.
“The first 30 years was run by volunteers. When I started in 2006, we had 120 volunteers - two in the morning and two more in the afternoon, with each volunteer doing one shift per month.”
Nowadays there is a team of 20 volunteers who work either once a week or once a fortnight, including a couple of students from Napier Girls’ High School doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
For more information about Trade Aid or to enquire about becoming a volunteer visit Trade Aid Napier, 127 Hastings St, phone06 835 0877 or email napier@tradeaid.org.nz.
