The music of New Zealand provides variety in style and ethnicity.
Traditional Music
Maori music consists of waiata, (literally songs), as well as haka, ("war" dances). As the Maori have an oral history, it was only when Sir Apirana Ngata wrote down and recorded waiata and traditional poetry early in the twentieth century that any of this music was preserved or became widely known. The overall traditional musical performance is now known as kapahaka, which often involves actions performed with sticks that are thumped or the poi - a small ball on the end of a string - that are twirled in the hands and slapped to provide rythmic accompaniment. While the guitar has become an almost universal instrument to accompany kapahaka performances today, traditional instruments, which are primarily woodwind, can give hauntingly eerie sounds. Some modern artists have revived the use of these traditional instruments and are writing and performing original insrumental maori music that has a unique sound.
Modern or Popular New Zealand Music
As New Zealand is the largest nation in polynesia, its music has been influenced by the indigenous Maori and immigrants from the Pacific. While the majority musical culture originates from New Zealand's British colonial history, with a high component of music from major European and American sources, local artists have mixed these styles with local influences to create music that is uniquely New Zealand in style.
See for instance:
- Jack Body
- Dave Dobbyn
- Che Fu
- Herbs
- Michael Houston
- Douglas Lilburn
- Richard Mapp
- Christopher Norton
- Shihad
- Split Enz
- The Topp Twins
- Youth and Music Development Trust aka YMDT
A list of New Zealand Music Artists
#
- 3 The Hard Way
- 3Ds
- 8 Foot Sativa
A
- Able Tasmans
- AKA Brown
- Andrew Fagan
- Anika Moa
- Annie Crummer
- Ardijah
- Ape Management
B
- Bailter Space
- Baitercell
- Batrider
- Betchadupa
- Bic Runga http://www.bicrunga.com/
- Black Seeds
- Blam Blam Blam
- Blindspott
- Breathe
- Bressa Creeting Cake
C
- Canvas
- Carly Binding
- Carriage H
- Cassette
- Chants R & B
- Che Fu
- Chris Knox
- Clowndog
- Coalrangers
- Concord Dawn
- Confucius
- Cripple Mr Onion
- Crowded House
D
- Dam Native
- Darcy Clay
- Dark Tower
- Dave Dobbyn http://www.davedobbyn.co.nz/
- David Farquhar
- DD Smash
- dDuB
- Dead Flowers
- Deceptikonz
- Deep Obsession
- degrees.K
- Deluxeboy
- Dimmer
- DLT
- Dragon
- Dragstrip
- D-Super
E
- Edwin Carr
- Elemeno P
- Emma Paki
- Epsilon Blue
- Evermore
- Exponents
- Eye TV
F
- Fat Freddy's Drop
- Fiona McDonald
- Foamy Ed
- Fuce
- Fur Patrol
G
- Garageland
- Goldenhorse
- Goodshirt
- Graeme Downes
- Gramsci
- Greg Churchill
- Greg Johnson
H
- Hayley Westenra
- Hasslehoff Experiment
- Headless Chickens
- Heavy Jones Trio
- Hello Sailor
- Herbs
- Hinewehi Mohi
- Hirini Melbourne
- HLAH (Head Like a Hole)
- House of Downtown
I
- ILL Semantics
- Indicator Dogs
J
- Jan Hellriegal
- Just Like Always http://www.justlikealways.com/
K
- Karen Hunter
- Katchafire
- King Kapisi
- Kiri Te Kanawa
- Kitsch
- K'Lee
L
- Letterbox Lambs
- Loves Ugly Children
- Luke Hurley
M
- Ma V Elle
- Midge Marsden
- Maestro Cooltones
- Margaret Urlich
- Mark de Clive-Lowe
- Mary
- Matty J Ruys
- MC OJ & The Rhythm Slave
- Mestar
- Meterman
- Midge Marsden
- Minuit
- Moana and the Moa Hunters
- Mutton Birds
N
- Neil Finn
- Nesian Mystik
- Netherworld Dancing Toys
O
- OMC
- Orkid
P
- Pacifier
- PanAm
- Paul Ubana Jones
- Phoenix Foundation
- Pine
- Pitch Black
- Pluto
- P-Money
- Pumpkinhead
- Purrr
- Push Push
R
- Ray Columbus & The Invaders
- Rhombus
- Rikki Morris
- Rubicon
S
- Salmonella Dub
- Seven Tongues
- Sheelahroc
- She's Insane
- Shihad
- Shona Laing
- Sisters Underground
- Slim
- Split Enz
- Stellar*
- Steriogram
- Straitjacket Fits
- Strawpeople
- Supergroove
T
- Tadpole
- Tall Dwarfs
- Teremoana Rapley
- Th' Dudes
- The Bats
- The Brunettes
- The Chills
- The Clean
- The D4
- The Datsuns
- The Fan Club
- The Feelers
- The Front Lawn
- The Incisions
- The Knobz
- The Mockers
- The Nomad
- The Peter Stuyvesant Hitlist
- The Relaxomatic Project
- The Stereo Bus
- The Subliminals
- The Verlaines
- The Warratahs
- Tim Finn
- Topp Twins
- TrinityRoots
- True Bliss
U
- Uncle Monkey
- Upper Hutt Posse
V
W
X
Z
References