Classical music meets Pacific Island drums for a new collaborative performance under the direction of young composer David Mason. Video / NZ Herald
Classical European music meets Pacific Island drums for a new collaborative performance under the direction of young composer-in-residence David Mason at the Aotea and Due Drop Centres this week.
The Kiwi Capers Concert, an annual event for primary and intermediate students from across Tamaki Makaurau, will feature the debut performance of ‘Tuki Manava’ (Heartbeat) with the APO, master storyteller Tuaratini from the Pacifica Arts Centre and cook island drummers led by master drummer Jerome Pare from Heimana Drummers and young musicians selected from South Auckland’s Sistema Aotearoa programme.
Tuki Manava brings together Classical European music and Pacific Island drumming. Photo / Carson Buck
This year’s event has been three years in the making.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Thomas Hamill, Director of Connection with the APO adding that Covid had delayed the concert but there was real excitement building around this year’s event.
Tom Hamill says the concert has been a long journey. Photo / Carson Buck
“The reason it came about is through partnership building, friendship building and wanting to tell a pacific island story using the wonderful form of orchestra as part of that process, working with traditional drumming storytelling and seeing what we can build at the creative crossroads of different cultures, heritages and different art forms,” he said.
David Mason says that the experience has been a real voyage of discovery.
Cook Island drummers from the Pacific Arts Centre performing Tuki Manava. Photo / Carson Buck
“Part of this for me is definitely trying to reconnect with my Maori heritage,” he said. “I’ve been kind of disconnected. I had a little bit of connection in high school but I don’t know, as a kid, I was always like, whatever. I didn’t really pay too much attention.
“it’s been nice to actually get a chance to start to reconnect with those stories and work it into my art. There’s this kind of interesting tension between being a classical music composer, but also a Maori person and the idea of trying to unite those two parts of myself is something I’d be really interested to do and, hopefully, build an artistic identity for that.”
David Mason sees the experience as a chance to reconnect with his Māori heritage. Photo / Carson Buck
Mason is happy about working collaboratively saying that he was there to really write out the finished product.
“They had specific ideas for what they wanted for the Cook Islands drumming,” he said.
“There’s the heartbeat throughout the whole piece which is played primarily with the pet (a long drum).
“There are certain parts where the pet has played alongside the narration and then it stops. I have that echo in the orchestra with the timpani and the double bass playing it kind of in response to the pet itself.”
Kiwi Kapers will be presented to 3800 young people at the Aotea Centre on Wednesday 26 and at the Due Drop Centre on Thursday with performances at 11.30am and 1pm.
