The
winners of Smokefree
Tangata Beats 2017, Jubilee,
have today released their bold and empowering song,
Fire.
The soul collective from Aorere
College in Auckland took out the national final of Smokefree Tangata Beatsin last year’s competition; impressing judges Priya Sami from
Trip Pony,
singer-songwriter and musician Seth
Haapu and Hannah
Brewer from NZ
on Air.
“Jubileewere cohesive; they interacted well on stage; they were dynamic, authentic and
had a raw energy,” Says Hannah Brewer.
Jubilee is
made up of six members, including Irene
Folau (vocals). Folauputs their win down to some last minute, intense effort.
“Being in Year 13, as we were then, we had so much on. School had to come
first, then we’re also in a jazz band, so on the last night we just knuckled
down in a really intense practice session”.
As multi-instrumentalists who love expressing themselves through music, the
members of Jubileeset themselves the challenge of writing about current events or pivotal life
experiences. Although they have a vibe that fits within the realms of soul,
they fuse together many styles of music when writing, often deciding on an
obscure genre to explore and make their own.
This can be heard in
Fire - a powerful song of empowerment that slips effortlessly from English into Te
Reo Māori and back, showcasing Malamala’s
powerful vocals and the musicianship of the group.
Malamalaalso won the national MAINZ
Best Musicianship Award in 2017, with tuition fees valued at
over $4000.
Entrants in Smokefree
Tangata Beats competed over winter 2017 in 37 heats and finals
from Invercargill to Whangarei held in conjunction with Smokefreerockquest.
The national finalists were selected from videos sent by the regional winners
and judged by a panel from the NZ music industry. Smokefree Tangata Beats entrants
include an element of Māori or Pasifika culture in their performance.
Smokefree Tagata Beats standout
successes include Nesian
Mystik, the only New Zealand band to ever have 10 singles all
certified gold or platinum; plus Ria
Hall,
Spacifix,
Adeaze,
Strangely Arousing and
Alien Weaponry.
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