Ariana Tikao and Lisa Tui: Two Wahine Toa, Two Entertainers

Ariana Tikao is a musician, composer, and writer whose work explores themes relating to her Kāi Tahu identity and mana wahine. She was honoured as an Arts Laureate in 2020 for her contribution to Māori music and leadership in the field of taonga puoro.
Ariana started her songwriting and performance career back at the Christchurch Folk Club thirty years ago with her group Pounamu alongside Jacquie Walters (née Hanham) and the late Leigh Taiwhati. Pounamu quickly earned a loyal following locally and nationally. Leigh left the group after one year, but Jacquie and Ariana continued, often supported by other local musicians including James Wilkinson who produced their album Mihi in 1996.
In the 2000s Ariana launched a solo music career and has three critically acclaimed albums Whaea (2002), Tuia (2008), and From Dust to Light (2012). For her show at the Folk Club Ariana will be accompanied by Harry Harrison on guitar. They played together at last year’s WORD Festival performing a song that Ariana wrote as a tribute to the late Keri Hulme, called Mother, Death, Deity, about the impermanence of the material world.
She has worked on many other collaborative albums, including a duo album with Alistair Fraser Nau Mai e Kā Hua. She is a member of the art music quartet, Tararua, with Ruby Solly, Alistair Fraser, and Phil Boniface. They toured their multi-media show Bird Like Men with Chamber Music New Zealand in 2022.
She has recently been collaborating with screen composer Karl Steven on a number of film and television projects, and her music has regularly featured in dance, theatre, and online media. Ariana is also a published poet and author, and has an MA in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters. Her book Mokorua was published by Auckland University Press last November, and her poetry book Te Rā: The Māori Sail, illustrated by Mat Tait, was published in July by the Christchurch Art Gallery.

Lisa Tui Jonathan (Tainui, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Kahungunu, of the McKenzie and Rose clan) has a background in singing, song writing and musical theatre that spans genres: classical, some jazz, gospel, country, folk, funk, and blues. For Lisa, performance is a quest to share stories and create connection.
A committed teacher, she has taught and facilitated singing for 22 years in many different settings: from delivering workshops in prisons (with Arts Access Aotearoa) to working with music theatre and contemporary vocal students at Te Pūkenga Ōtautahi. Her love for taonga pūoro began while studying New Zealand music at the University of Otago. Lisa has a degree in performing arts (music theatre), a diploma in teaching music in a studio setting, and is a qualified NLP Trainer for Practitioners.
Having just completed undertaking a three month creative residency at Te Matatiki Toi Ora, The Arts Centre of Christchurch, Lisa was exploring improvisation, Taonga Puoro and future projects which culminated in the pilot of her current show format - Aukahatia & Aunty's Yoga.

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You can pre-book your seat for this concert by following the link above.

Doors open 7pm. Performance starts at 7.30pm
VENUE: Irish Society Hall, the hall is situated up the long driveway, directly next to Domain Park, and there is plenty of well-lit off-street parking.
DOOR SALES CASH ONLY: Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake available during the break, also bar facilities for cold refreshments throughout the night, Eftpos available for purchases only, no cash-out facility. Folk Club and Irish Society members please remember to bring your membership card for licensing purposes. Non-members sign in at bar.