01 October 2021 - 0 Comments

TJ Taotua has been working away on more original music and kicks off sharing what he has created, with the release of his new track You and I. The track You and I is a track about your traditional theme of "lost love". The song plays on reflection and reminiscing on what once was.

The simplicity of the arrangement of chords and vocal display to create a simple but sophisticated sound, which is often missing in the New Zealand urban music scene, particularly with the influence of roots and island reggae. The song itself highlights subtle musical influences – Live keys, rhodes, guitar, drums and bass and strong vocals is a typical Poly Soul / Neo Soul approach of TJ Taotua.

“I personally feel a sense of achievement in being able to get this track to the market, especially since it was written almost 12 years ago.”

TJ did not want to go down the typical road of a video of a girl and a guy and the lost love that forced the couple to go their separate ways. They wanted to add a different context and setting to the video, to focus on the journey. The video is pitched within a 1920’s Pacific village type setting. This is further perpetuated by the colour grading and dress code of the actors. The video is set within a 1920’s village setting with 3 brothers. The brother who has lost love, decided to embark on a journey to find his long lost love. It takes the actor through a series of serene and beautiful NZ back drops and the actual direction of the journey, through the beach coast lines, tunnels, a bonfire at night and finally to the destination.

The video also touches on symbolism, that is important to the writers (TJ & Matt Sadgrove of Sons of Zion) – The symbolism of the importance of the Samoan Culture, with the one single “Ula Fala” which is often only worn by High Samoan Chiefs. This is to highlight the importance of culture to the writers. The first scene in the video highlights a traditional European shirt with a traditional ie faitaga, which is specific to the Pacific culture. Again, highlighting the contrast and tension between Pacific culture and colonialism.

TJ Taotua was born in Samoa, raised in Porirua and now resides in Auckland with his family. He grew up in the church which is where he learnt to play instruments and sing. At 19 TJ got into the Wellington covers scene and continues to perform covers and originals today. With influences that range from Boys II Men to The 5 Stars (Samoan band), there are elements in his music that appeal to a wide audience. In 2013 TJ released his first R&B soul single called Foreign Queen, followed up in 2014 by a Gospel EP, which went on to win a number of awards at the 2015 Pacific Music Awards. When it comes to performance, TJ just wants to share his music wherever he can, whether it be weddings or even opening shows for Eric Benet (2017), Musiq Soul Child (2012) and KC and Jojo (2007).

With the release of his new single You and I, he is aiming to connect with more people and show them his own music, with more releases to follow.

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