Owen Hugh, singer-songwriter, is on the bill for La Fiesta!, the big festival that celebrates women. He features at the launch event on Friday. It came about when his wife was talking to Carla Donson, instigator and co-ordinator of La Fiesta!
"It seemed like a challenge for me to be able
to do women's songs or a show regarding women. Some of the songs I write are from a woman's point of view," he says. "Stories that people have told me, kind of thing.
"As a musician, you always want to challenge yourself."
Owen has a vast repertoire of material, but now he found himself thinking more about female artists and their music. To incorporate such songs into his set list would involve changing keys to suit his voice – "a little bit more work".
He will be performing a mix of covers and originals, using material by female songwriters he has a high regard for, and there are many.
"It's been quite interesting, and it's still a work in progress. I've got two sets together and an idea of what I really want to do."
Owen is originally from Scotland and he was a farmer.
"I came to New Zealand to work on a farm in 1986.
"I was there for almost a year and I met all the wrong people at the end of my stay.
"In New Zealand, it's acceptable to have a bus and a van you can tow behind that, and as long as you work hard it can feel like the gypsy lifestyle that's very much accepted. They were house painters and they had a guitar in their bus."
Naturally, he picked up the guitar and played, and they quickly invited him to accompany them to a music festival.
"It was all downhill from there."
He made an impression at the festival then returned to Scotland to "try and be a musician", financing himself with various jobs.
Owen kept coming back to New Zealand and eventually married a Kiwi woman he met in 2000, and he stayed.
"I worked for Music Works for a while, was doing gardening jobs and playing music. We have two daughters, 12 and 15, and we ended up in Whanganui about four years ago."
Owen was working as a diversional therapist in Levin when a job came up at Summerset in Whanganui. The music comes in handy in his profession.
Now that music will be heard at La Fiesta! Owen will be playing music from 1950 onwards, covering artists he respects.
"Sarah McLachlan, Carly Simon, Peggy Lee. When I was a kid my mother had all these records by amazing people like Marlene Dietrich, and she has a live album by Peggy Lee, and that was the first time I heard 'Fever'.
"I'll try and mix it up with some original stories, and people can just come along and have a good time."
