Kaha
entertainment
entertainment
Kia ora whanau
This website is about Kaha the band and the story to now. You will get an insight to each member of the band and those who were in the band and the events that have taken them this Far.
However this site is currently under construction and will go through many forms and changes. We will be able to have a blog where you can talk directly to each member of the band or with administration. Downloading and uploading music and videos will become availble.
Keep watching this space for any changes.
Thankyou for your patience.
This website is about Kaha the band and the story to now. You will get an insight to each member of the band and those who were in the band and the events that have taken them this Far.
However this site is currently under construction and will go through many forms and changes. We will be able to have a blog where you can talk directly to each member of the band or with administration. Downloading and uploading music and videos will become availble.
Keep watching this space for any changes.
Thankyou for your patience.
Email Arama: Kaha1@live.com
Administration: ruteneter@hotmail.com
Website: www.kaha.webstarts.com
Administration: ruteneter@hotmail.com
Website: www.kaha.webstarts.com
Kaha the name
After 6 years of performing in Europe ( as cultural Ambassadors), New Zealand and Queensland, The Hunt Brothers and cousin Haimona Simon Peeti (who is no longer with Kaha) relocated to Adelaide, South Australia.
In 1998 their first gig was busking in Rundell mall, a place synonomous for starting out. By chance 'Vinx' of the American band "Jungle Funk" heard the brothers singing somgs which reminded him of home. He invited them to sing with him that evening at his concert. The drummer for "Jungle Funk", Will Cahun (also with "Living Colour) in order to introduce them, asked the Brothers what their bands name was. Thinking on their feet one quickly replied "the Kaha Brothers" that name gave birth to both the name and band Kaha. At the concert the Adelaide crowd loved them and from here they progressed in quantum leaps.
After 6 years of performing in Europe ( as cultural Ambassadors), New Zealand and Queensland, The Hunt Brothers and cousin Haimona Simon Peeti (who is no longer with Kaha) relocated to Adelaide, South Australia.
In 1998 their first gig was busking in Rundell mall, a place synonomous for starting out. By chance 'Vinx' of the American band "Jungle Funk" heard the brothers singing somgs which reminded him of home. He invited them to sing with him that evening at his concert. The drummer for "Jungle Funk", Will Cahun (also with "Living Colour) in order to introduce them, asked the Brothers what their bands name was. Thinking on their feet one quickly replied "the Kaha Brothers" that name gave birth to both the name and band Kaha. At the concert the Adelaide crowd loved them and from here they progressed in quantum leaps.
Kaha's performance fuses the musical styles of reggae, R'n'B, funk, rock, soul, hip hop with a powerful flavour of the Bands Maori roots.
Kaha has performed concerts for children which incorporates Maori dance and use of traditional Maori Weapons - Tewha Tewha, Ti Rakau, Patu and Haka Taparahi providing a cultural contemporary misical experience for 8 years - 12 years at the same time promoting there music.
Kaha has performed concerts for children which incorporates Maori dance and use of traditional Maori Weapons - Tewha Tewha, Ti Rakau, Patu and Haka Taparahi providing a cultural contemporary misical experience for 8 years - 12 years at the same time promoting there music.
Having impressed the crowds at the '98 Melborne Fringe' and walking away with the"Best New Talent award" KAHA has since performed at 'The 1998 South Australian Music Industry Awards',Womadelaide '99, Womad NZ '99, SA Greatday, opened the Australian season of 'The Speigletent' opened the 'Adelaide Fringe Festival 2000' performed at 'The Festival 2000 Club' went on tour to 'The Pitjatjatjara Lands' and 'TheTjibaou Ciltural Center' in Noumea Cultural Centre'
Picture above shows Kaha busking at Kaiti Mall,October 2010..how convenient right next to the fish n chips shop.
Their debut "Na Matou" earned KAHA a nomination for best local release as well as four other industry nominations at the 1998 South Australian Music awards.
Kaha in maori means strength, an apt name for this band who fuse contemporary music with powerful maori culture
Double Bro-team bring it on home . . .
Thursday, October 28, 2010 Gisborne Herald
• Kristine Walsh
WHEN the five Hunt brothers used to live in Ayton Street, Gisborne, they could all squeeze into the tiny Cake Kitchen bakery around the corner from their home to put in their orders for a piping hot pie.
During their visit this week, however, space was at an absolute premium. Only two Hunts could fit in the shop at a time -- but they did manage to get their orders in and, yes, says second eldest brother Kaine Arama, “we did eat all the pies”.
The Kitchen was not the only place on the brothers’ culinary quest to rediscover the tastes of Gisborne, which they left 17 years ago. There were feijoa lollies from the London Street Dairy. All Sauces Chips from the fish and chip shop in the same street. And back to the Cake Kitchen for a Sally Lunn bun.
“We’ve been pretty much following our stomachs around Gisborne,” laughs Hunt. “Man, it’s good to be home.”
Not that the whanau will be back for long. With their band Kaha — made up of the brothers Jade, Kaine Arama, Aaron, Daniel, Matthew (Mokai) and their cousin Malcolm Ratapu — have just been visiting from Australia where they are now based.
But it’s certainly long enough to play a few gigs. Kaha performed at the Cosmopolitan Club last week. Tomorrow they’re at Sessions Bar then, at the weekend, they’re heading to Whanganui to play a show there.
And it’s a whanau affair in more ways than one. Their mother, country music singer Nancy Hunt who moved to Australia with them, is in the touring party and she is performing at Gisborne’s 2ndNZEF club on Sunday afternoon.
Nancy Hunt — a life member of the Gisborne Country Music Club — husband Albert and most of her sons were living in Manutuke and Gisborne before they moved out of the district. And when they moved, they moved en masse.
All proficient musicians and singers, the oldest (Jade) was 22 and the youngest (Mokai) just 15 when three of the brothers decided to move to Whanganui: “It wasn’t long before the whole lot of us were over there,” Arama Hunt says. “Then in 1995 dad decided that he wanted to go for a cruise and we all ended up in Adelaide with him.”
Their name, Arama Hunt says, came about a dozen years ago when they were busking in Adelaide’s Rundell Mall — a show witnessed by US performer Vinx, who was in town with his new band Jungle Funk (featuring former Living Color musicians Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish).
“He really dug our harmonies and asked if we wanted to go to the Jungle Funk show that night,” Arama Hunt says.
“We had a bit of a jam backstage and when they invited us up to perform during the show, they asked us what our name was. We just shouted out Kaha (Maori for “strength”) and it has stayed with us ever since.”
The brothers have performed together consistently — including the six years they toured Europe as Young Ambassadors (joined by their cousin Haimona Peeti before Malcolm Ratapu came on board).
In recent times Arama Hunt has been working as a session musician in Brisbane while the rest of the Hunt sons have worked mainly in the fishing industry in the coastal New South Wales town of Iluka where, Nancy Hunt says, theirs is one of just three Maori families.
However, the effects of a storm “chased the work away for a year” and now all five are focused on their music.
“We’ve got a really great following . . . Aboriginal, Maori, Aussie — we’ll play a gig an hour away and the whole crew turns up,” Arama Hunt says.
Their sound, he says, is a touch of Tairawhiti given the added grunt of a rockier sound, which Australian audiences enjoy.
“Our harmonies mean we’ve always done a lot of old school songs but they seem to be a bit more popular back home,” he says. “Over in Aus, reggae is finally taking off but even then they’ll want a bit more rock in it.”
They say this month’s trip to Gisborne will mark the first time they have all been home together for 15 years after making lives — including the accumulation of partners and 14 mokopuna for their parents — over the ditch.
And they say it’s all due to the perseverance of their aunt Valerie Lewis who, after visiting them in Aus-tralia, urged them to make the trip.
“They are doing such amazing things over there that I thought it was important that they bring some of that home,” she said. “Basically, they’ve had to cram 15 years into just a couple of weeks.”
They funded the trip through gigs — both theirs and the ones performed by their mother — and say they have loved bringing their sound back to the place where they were inspired by mentors like legendary composer Tommy Taurima.
Then, of course, there is the food.
“After our show in Whanganui we’ll come back to pick up mum and head up to Auckland to fly back to Australia,” Arama Hunt says.
“But naturally we’ll have to go via Matata for a feed of whitebait fritters. Nothing tastes as good as it does here.”
Thursday, October 28, 2010 Gisborne Herald
• Kristine Walsh
WHEN the five Hunt brothers used to live in Ayton Street, Gisborne, they could all squeeze into the tiny Cake Kitchen bakery around the corner from their home to put in their orders for a piping hot pie.
During their visit this week, however, space was at an absolute premium. Only two Hunts could fit in the shop at a time -- but they did manage to get their orders in and, yes, says second eldest brother Kaine Arama, “we did eat all the pies”.
The Kitchen was not the only place on the brothers’ culinary quest to rediscover the tastes of Gisborne, which they left 17 years ago. There were feijoa lollies from the London Street Dairy. All Sauces Chips from the fish and chip shop in the same street. And back to the Cake Kitchen for a Sally Lunn bun.
“We’ve been pretty much following our stomachs around Gisborne,” laughs Hunt. “Man, it’s good to be home.”
Not that the whanau will be back for long. With their band Kaha — made up of the brothers Jade, Kaine Arama, Aaron, Daniel, Matthew (Mokai) and their cousin Malcolm Ratapu — have just been visiting from Australia where they are now based.
But it’s certainly long enough to play a few gigs. Kaha performed at the Cosmopolitan Club last week. Tomorrow they’re at Sessions Bar then, at the weekend, they’re heading to Whanganui to play a show there.
And it’s a whanau affair in more ways than one. Their mother, country music singer Nancy Hunt who moved to Australia with them, is in the touring party and she is performing at Gisborne’s 2ndNZEF club on Sunday afternoon.
Nancy Hunt — a life member of the Gisborne Country Music Club — husband Albert and most of her sons were living in Manutuke and Gisborne before they moved out of the district. And when they moved, they moved en masse.
All proficient musicians and singers, the oldest (Jade) was 22 and the youngest (Mokai) just 15 when three of the brothers decided to move to Whanganui: “It wasn’t long before the whole lot of us were over there,” Arama Hunt says. “Then in 1995 dad decided that he wanted to go for a cruise and we all ended up in Adelaide with him.”
Their name, Arama Hunt says, came about a dozen years ago when they were busking in Adelaide’s Rundell Mall — a show witnessed by US performer Vinx, who was in town with his new band Jungle Funk (featuring former Living Color musicians Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish).
“He really dug our harmonies and asked if we wanted to go to the Jungle Funk show that night,” Arama Hunt says.
“We had a bit of a jam backstage and when they invited us up to perform during the show, they asked us what our name was. We just shouted out Kaha (Maori for “strength”) and it has stayed with us ever since.”
The brothers have performed together consistently — including the six years they toured Europe as Young Ambassadors (joined by their cousin Haimona Peeti before Malcolm Ratapu came on board).
In recent times Arama Hunt has been working as a session musician in Brisbane while the rest of the Hunt sons have worked mainly in the fishing industry in the coastal New South Wales town of Iluka where, Nancy Hunt says, theirs is one of just three Maori families.
However, the effects of a storm “chased the work away for a year” and now all five are focused on their music.
“We’ve got a really great following . . . Aboriginal, Maori, Aussie — we’ll play a gig an hour away and the whole crew turns up,” Arama Hunt says.
Their sound, he says, is a touch of Tairawhiti given the added grunt of a rockier sound, which Australian audiences enjoy.
“Our harmonies mean we’ve always done a lot of old school songs but they seem to be a bit more popular back home,” he says. “Over in Aus, reggae is finally taking off but even then they’ll want a bit more rock in it.”
They say this month’s trip to Gisborne will mark the first time they have all been home together for 15 years after making lives — including the accumulation of partners and 14 mokopuna for their parents — over the ditch.
And they say it’s all due to the perseverance of their aunt Valerie Lewis who, after visiting them in Aus-tralia, urged them to make the trip.
“They are doing such amazing things over there that I thought it was important that they bring some of that home,” she said. “Basically, they’ve had to cram 15 years into just a couple of weeks.”
They funded the trip through gigs — both theirs and the ones performed by their mother — and say they have loved bringing their sound back to the place where they were inspired by mentors like legendary composer Tommy Taurima.
Then, of course, there is the food.
“After our show in Whanganui we’ll come back to pick up mum and head up to Auckland to fly back to Australia,” Arama Hunt says.
“But naturally we’ll have to go via Matata for a feed of whitebait fritters. Nothing tastes as good as it does here.”