Te Urewera from TKKM o Huiarau in Ruatahuna. Photo/Supplied
Te Urewera from TKKM o Huiarau in Ruatahuna. Photo/Supplied
Four Rotorua acts have made it to the Bay of Plenty final of Smokefreerockquest after the regional heats in Tauranga on Sunday.
Anastasia, Twitch, and The Harmonics from Western Heights High School and Rotorua Boys' High School group B.I.A (Brothers In Arms) made the Bay of Plenty final at the Totara St Performing Arts Centre on June 30.
In The Resource Room from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College and Made Alive from Whakatane and Trident High Schools also made the cut.
Rotorua Boys High School band B.I.A (Brothers In Arms). Photo/Supplied
The winners of Smokefree Pacifica Beats were Te Urewera from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Huiarau in Ruatahuna and they will also make the trip to Tauranga on June 30.
The reggae-soul band is made of Puhikura Teka on vocals, Rangiwhaitiri Edwards on bass, Kirihou Teka on vocals, Rangiataahua Tawhara-Mita on keyboard, and Manaaki Ahuriri on drums.
Puhikura said they formed only two weeks ago but have all been in bands before and had a strong message they delivered in te reo.
"Our song was based on our land - where we live in Te Urewera - and was to encourage our youth from our hometown to be who they are and to know where they're from."
Te Urewera now put 15 minutes of their best material together to submit for selection as Smokefree Pacifica Beats national finalists.
Western Heights High School band Anastasia with music teacher Adam Hague. Photo/Supplied
Western Heights High School music teacher Adam Hague said he was "stoked" with how his students performed.
"The quality of music was very high and there were great bands from all over the Bay. So to have three of our groups selected in the top 12 to go through to the regional finals was pretty amazing," he said.
"The students are very excited and have been working hard to write new material for the regional final ... I am confident that they will all do Heights and Rotorua proud."
A song inspired by a girl on a bus won the solo-duo title for 16-year-old Fletcher Oxford.
Fletcher won with his vocals and guitar, but also played piano and sax.
"I've been playing music since I was about 3 and wrote my first song when I was 7 - my family is quite curious as to where it [the musical talent] came from," he said.
Fletcher described his music as honest and dictated by melody and lyrics.
"It's all about the lyrics to me - when people can relate to the lyrics it makes the song more memorable."
Fletcher's winning song was called Down the Line and the Tauranga Boys' College student is "absolutely certain" about making his career out of music.
Samantha McCutchan from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College placed second and Paras (Paraskevi Spiropoulos) from Bethlehem College was third. These three solo-duos now put 15 minutes of their best material together to submit for selection as national finalists.
The regional events for both Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica Beats run from May 12 until July 7, with the top regional bands and solo/duos submitting video footage for selection to play off at the Smokefree Pacifica Beats national final on September 1 at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Auckland, followed by the Smokefreerockquest national final on September 2.
Smokefreerockquest has national winners' prize packages for bands and solo/duo winners that include $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $16,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package a Decent Exposure campaign on The Edge TV, and a photo shoot and branding package from Imaginary Friends.
There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) Scholarship for Outstanding Musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, Smokefree Vocals Award, and the People's Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the Smokefreerockquest national final.
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 28-year history include Broods, Leroy Clampitt, Kimbra, Aaradhna, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Joel Little, Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Kora, Thomston, Midnight Youth, Steriogram, Phoenix Foundation, Devilskin, The Black Seeds, Bic Runga, and The Naked and Famous.
Smokefree Pacifica Beats standout successes include Nesian Mystik, the only New Zealand band to have 10 singles all certified gold or platinum.
The 12 bands selected to go on to the Bay of Plenty final are:
3 Quarters Late - Bethlehem College Jovi - Bethlehem College The Good Stuff - Bethlehem College Bare Knuckled - Katikati and Rutherford colleges B.I.A (Brothers In Arms) - Rotorua Boys' High School The Harmonics - Western Heights High School Twitch - Western Heights High School French Doors - Otumoetai College In The Resource Room - Taupo-nui-a-Tia College Made Alive - Whakatane and Trident high schools Anastasia - Western Heights High School Te Urewera - TKKM o Huiarau
