Tu - Moana Maniapoto & Paddy Free

Tu is the inspired pairing of two powerful New Zealand artists who share a passion for fusing Māori electronic dub music with a politically conscious edge. Prior to Going West 2018, Tu had only been seen by international audiences. Our festival opening night was the first chance to see this remarkable collaboration between Moana Maniapoto and Paddy Free live in Aotearoa. Moana, singer/songwriter and leader of the band Moana & the Tribe, was inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in 2016 and has been internationally acknowledged for her ground-breaking mix of traditional Māori music elements such as haka and poi with dance beats. Electronic dub producer Paddy Free (Pitch Black and Salmonella Dub) is a pioneer of the New Zealand electronic scene, his reputation built on experimenting with taonga puoro (traditional Māori music instruments), beats and global bass. Tu is a unique new collaboration that can only have come from the South Pacific. It slips and slides across genres, rhythmically and sonically compelling, with a message that resonates with the times.