18 April 2011 - 0 Comments

Roots-jazz-soul musician Ngatapa Black and band – aka Miss Black & the Light – will launch her long-awaited debut album ‘Black Light’ this month (April).

Miss Black (Tuhoe, Tuwharetoa, Te Whanau-a-Apanui) is a fluent speaker of Maori and a bilingual singer-songwriter who has been composing, recording and performing music for more than a decade. An award-winning promotions producer, programme maker, voice-over artist and presenter at Maori Television, the 33-year-old takes her stylistic cues from Erykah Badu, India Arie and Jill Scott to bring a deep sense of soul to her sound.

Her band – ‘the Light’ – is a talented co-operative of all-star musicians plucked from successful groups such as Che Fu and The Crates, Tohu and Ardijah: Shane Taipari (lead guitar, audio engineer, composer, producer); Tala Ofamooni/Dan Harawira (drums); Kaitapu Ryan Monga (bass); Joel Latimer (keyboard); Katera Maihi (guitar, bass, vocals); Rangi Rangitukunoa/Randolph Neuili (percussion); and Amomai Pihama, Cherrilee Fuller and Atarangi Putamaunu (backing vocals). 

Miss Black worked with Shane Taipari to produce ‘Black Light’ under her own record label and company, Black Media (http://www.blackmedia.co.nz/), and the 10 tracks were recorded and mastered at York Street Recording Studios in Auckland. The album will be launched at Auckland’s Juice Bar in Parnell on Thursday April 28.

Miss Black was raised in a musical family and can seamlessly step from Maori to English, from jazz to hip hop, without missing a beat. She credits local female singers such as Betty-Anne Monga, Ladi 6, Brooke Fraser and her mother, Whirimako Black, “who have inspired and pushed me, to write and sing with meaning, so that I too may be able to inspire others.

“I’ve been working on my music for the past 10 years, during which time I’ve discovered my own voice and style while progressively improving and learning with each song sung and written. My music is a mix of reggae, R’n’B, soul, jazz and pop but with a summery feeling.

“I’ve composed some 20 tracks – all as demos – but I made the decision this year to really challenge myself to release some of my original waiata. So I grabbed a few musos, some of whom I met and played with in the Maori reggae, hip hop and R’n’B band Tohu, and started rehearsing my own music.”

The album’s Maori language single, ‘He Maimai Aroha’ – co-written by broadcaster Julian Wilcox with music by Shane Taipari – was a finalist in the contemporary Maori music category, the APRA Maioha Award, of last year’s APRA Silver Scroll Awards. 

As well as ‘Black Light’, Miss Black has produced a collection of Maori songs for German label Sonoton which is available to broadcasters and film companies worldwide.

She will release a Maori language album funded by Te Mangai Paho later this year and is also involved in a special collaboration with young Maori musicians in a musical tribute to the life and work of Maori composer, singer, university lecturer, poet and author Dr Hirini Melbourne.

“I’m just as passionate about developing and promoting Maori artists as I am about doing if for myself – which is probably why it has taken me so long to release my debut album.”

‘Black Light’ is distributed by Ode Records and available in stores and online at http://www.oderecords.co.nz/.

TRACKLIST

Black Light
Lovely Day
I Think I
Don’t Stop
Chillin
Cigarette Paper
Notice Me
So In Love
Hush
He Maimai Aroha

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