Christchurch Arts Festival: Giant of the Sea

Journey away from the present and into the crackle of bonfires, the murmur of conversation and the 'loud-as' generator that kept multi-instrumentalist Mark Vanilau company on his four-year voyage at sea.

Nostalgia and familiarity run effortlessly through Mark's music; tales of tears, laughter and the time his Dad (aka Bob The Builder) decided to construct an illegal lean-to right outside his bedroom window...

As a singer, pianist, writer and producer, Mark has worked with New Zealand’s best, including Dave Dobbyn, Fly My Pretties, Trinity Roots, Hollie Smith, Ladi 6 and Scribe.

His velveteen voice has been described as exuding a calm that would settle even the most restless of souls and his debut EP Giant of the Sea took out Best Song at the 2014 Vodafone Pacific Music Awards.

From the smell of bacon to the sound of the ocean, Mark's musical storytelling is all you need to drift away.