Traditional Māori music focus of Taupō taonga pūoro workshop

Musician Reti Hedley - of IA and Knights of the Dub Table - will share his wealth of knowledge on taonga pūoro.

A free workshop that explores the use of taonga pūoro - traditional Māori instruments - is being held in Taupō this week.

Get Live! 2023 is organised by Creative Communities Taupō, Red Cymbals and Great Lake Drum Co.

This year, musician Reti Hedley will share his wealth of knowledge on taonga pūoro and his process for incorporating the sacred art into modern composition.

Reti is an experienced and established musician, composer and audio producer. He is most recognised as a key member of New Zealand bands IA and Knights of the Dub Table, and both bands have been nominated for Māori Music Awards.

Reti is also a composer for the screen and enjoys working with creative teams to bring visions to life. He is exploring new frontiers with taonga pūoro, creating indigenous soul music with IA.

His compositions blend old with new and feature the voices found with traditional Māori instruments. The pūoro voices are blended with modern instruments, an ancient poetic writing style and modern, soulful melodies.

His composing style is unique, using taonga pūoro as the driving force in his creative process.

The workshop is on July 8 at The Playhouse, Centre Stage, 2 Matai St, Taupō. Entry is free but seats are limited. To secure a seat, email greatlakedrumco@gmail.com.