VILLETTE is a producer, singer and songwriter based in Auckland. A member of the Red Bull Sound Select program in New Zealand and label Valve Sounds, VILLETTE has crafted a multifaceted and genre fluid style.
With a dark production palette of RnB, Hip Hop, Soul and Electronic offset by smooth and serene vocals, she has received international attention, and has featured on Apple Music and BBC Radio 1. VILLETTE was named in Complex Magazines "Top 10 Women in Music" for 2018 and also Apples Artist of the Week. At home in New Zealand, her debut & following headline performances were sold-out, while playing several major festivals since 2016. From the conception of her debut mixtape, Drip Crimson, VILLETTE has been pushing the envelope with her own production and visual output including a ground-breaking virtual reality video for her single, ‘Money’.
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Raised in the Assembly of God church her whole life, performing and singing amongst mass crowds has become second nature to Katerina better known by her artist name, Tree.
Whie at Auckland Girls Grammar, Tree was part of one of the very first ‘All female’ bands, Vivah, which also featured, R&B singer/songwriter Ria and took part in the national Smokefree Pacifica Beats competition going on to take first place in 2009. As the years went on, the South-Auckland raised singer branched off taking on a solo career as well as being a backing vocalist for many. Her biggest break to date, was being a feature artist on one of the greatest ever reggae songs to come out of NZ, ‘Don’t say Goodbye’ by Sammy J which now sits at 16 million+ views on Youtube. With new music on the way, be prepared to be blown away by the vocal ability of Tree - you’ve never heard anything like it. That’s a promise. TOMORROW PEOPLE have cemented themselves in the commercial music scene after releasing 2 full length albums, 2 EPs, 24 radio singles, 16 music videos and 5 music features with other artists. In 2018 they released the 8-track EP BBQ Reggae. This EP debuted at #1 in the New Zealand Top 40, giving the reggae outfit one of their biggest achievements to date.
Labelled by some as the hardest working band in the country, this is likely due to the fact that Tomorrow People wrote, recorded, produced and mixed all their music themselves. Or it may be because they edit their own videos, design their own artwork, manage their own strategies, devise their own marketing plan and book their own tours, all while holding down full time day jobs. This year they are touring Hawaii, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa, and will be to writing their 5th studio album. SWIDT are SmokeyGotBeatz, SPYCC, INF, JAMAL and BoomerThaGod, the hip hop collective from Onehunga.
They first released tracks on Smokey's SWIDT vs. Everybody compilation album, then in 2016 released No more Parties in Stoneyhunga and grew a cult following with their hit ‘312’. A year later, SWIDT release their debut album STONEYHUNGA, receiving 5-Star reviews and the highest number of nominations at the 2017 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards, where they won; Best Hip Hop Album and Best Group. Six months after their debut, SWIDT release STONEYHUNGA: The bootleg EP, which included their hit "Conquer". Another 6 months pass and they release The Most Electrifying EP. Headed by their street single "Who Run It" and follow up track "Praise", At the 2018 VNZMA the EP won the group another tui, Best Hip Hop Artist. SWIDT have made it clear that are at the top of the game and are planning to stay. Sonatane has just finished his schooling at Manurewa High School where he was headboy. In 2018 Sonatane fronted the bands Mit Eldnar and Mit Eldnar XL and took out both the Smokefreerockquest competition and Smokefree Tagatabeats. In doing so he also became the first person in the competitions 30 year history to win both the solo and band catergories after winning the solo in 2017. Sonatane has also won the Play it Strange Peace song award – so was achieving and succeeding with his original music, at a young age. As well as excelling in music, Sonatane is a talented athlete and rugby player.
Sonatane released his debut single 'Birdie' to critical acclaim. The song is about “coping with stress and admiring the freedom that birds have” and has since received over 800,000 streams. He has performed the song at numerous venues including Parliament and an audience with the Prime Minister. Samuelu Faapine Atoa Tuiolosega Aka Sammy Atoa, began recording and doing music in 2017. Music has always been a passion of his, and he started late due to supporting his grandparents and then his kids. Music was put aside to make sure family was looked after first. Now his grandparents are gone and his kids have grown up, Sammy has bit of spare time to share his passion of music.
Sammy feels that “for all Polynesians we are brought into this world with music , daily family prayers , churches , work , etc .. Music is everywhere.” He is making music, as he loves it and enjoys the feedback he is getting from followers, friends and family. He is definitely not here for fame or wealth . Sammy says “if I can touch one person with my music then I am happy.” We Run tingz, tingz not run us! The Runitngz Family are Israel Starr, Lion Rezz, Raggadat Cris, Lomez Brown and Poetik and started out as a NZ tour of reggae and hiphop artists. They have all in their own ways have had success in the music industry as far as winning awards, charting, building a loyal fan base etc, but were wanting to do things their own way. Instead of remaining as opening acts they decided to put together their own show and tour as a collective of independent headliners.
Each of the artists bring their own style of music and personality to the game individually, but as a musical family they have already begun to deliver something fresh that hasnt been seen in the Pacific Realm before, a band of brothers that are honest and real. The first single The Runtingz Anthem has already accumulated over 100k streams on Spotify and charted on NZ itunes downloads, paving their way towards their debut album as a group to be released later in 2019. Revere is a 3 member music group based in Auckland. "Don't fight it" and "Set Apart" were two singles released by Revere in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, they were nominated as a finalist in the gospel category at the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards. Following this, they released "Groove Thing" produced together with their band members whom are also producers and sound engineers from Studio One Seven Six. Early 2018, they released "Summer Life" as their new leading single along with "I Won't Give Up On You" and "Paradise" all from their self-titled album "Revere" released 18,May 2018. Revere hope to travel and tour New Zealand.
Petaia Fata is the the lead vocalist of Rever and he is currently studying at SAE. Seidah Tuaoi has a Honours Degree in Dance from Auckland University and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching. Tatupu Fata is the musician and producer of Revere and completed her Bachelor Degree in Music at Auckland University majoring in Musicology. Revere's own sound is a fusion of their gospel roots and is influenced by RnB/Soul & Hip Hop music. Born and raised in South Auckland, has a growing social media following and began performingin the world of Dance/Hip-hop. Having Music surround her since birth it has strongly influenced her passion for the art of music, song writing and creative wording with her melodies.
With a Bachelors in Creative Arts in tow, the youngest sibling of the “Williams Family” Razé is now taking another route of Hip-hop with music. Razé has released 12 singles and an EP 4Seasons, and was nominated for Best Pacific Female Artist Award at the 2018 Pacific Music Awards. She is the current face of Manukau Institute of Technology’s recruitment campaign ‘Where the Best Makers are Made’, also creating the theme song for the advertising campaign. Razé and her unique, majestic, trap, vocal tone weaving in and out of her underground sound is a rare mix she wishes to share and take to the world representing not only herself but all underground artists, using her as a platform to be heard and acknowledged. Rev Iosefa Lale Peteru formed Punialava’a in 1968. In 1980, he met his wife Vini, who became the lead singer of the band. Lale and Vini have four children. The eldest, Viellani, started singing for the band in the mid 90’s and soon after his younger siblings, Vania and Punialava’a joined the family band. Recently, the youngest member of the family, Miss Melody has joined them.
The sounds of Punialava’a has been established for 50 years so far and are in the peak of their career. They were the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, at the 2018 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards, recognising their contribution to Pacific music and their influence on artists in Samoan, New Zealand and around the world. The tunes and lyrics of Punialava’a are celebrated and appreciated by all age groups with its classical island touch. They are continuing to produce fine music after more than five decades with more new originals. Punialava’a hopes to bring awareness about ourselves, our families, our society and their future. |
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