Music

                                                                  

                Making Music In New Zealand
Wassup I'm Tamatoa, Singer, registered Song-writer, Performer, The big question is, What took me so long to release my own work. Well I been working pay the rent, went back to study and took care of my responsibility and now both daughter's grown up, its time to get busy writing my album and plus working behind the seen supporting others in the pass. 

I like to work closely with the Producers and sound engineer's when I can. Their's a lot to learn in this field, when I'm on the road one day, I would like to do my own production and save money. I don't really waste time screwing around cause ( time is money ) Only other's will slow me down. If I been shown the green light, stay out of my way.

Migrating into New Zealand from a low economic factors in the Cook Islands was a bonus we get to achieved our childhood dreams. Others have migrated into other destinations around the world, I believed some Islander's who have passion in life will dream about becoming somebody. I think life is very unpredictable but always gives you and I what we really wanted in life, to chase that dream, I know it's hard to achieved at least were trying cause I don’t have room for baby cries.

I'm known as a hated person in our community I guess some people on different levels and Standard. I grow up in South Auckland Mangere back then life was tuff learning how to stand up on my own two feet. At one point in my life, I met some cool and crazy ass people on the way who take the mickey out of you and I.

What keeps me on the right track is the love of god. If you add him into your life it humbles you down, helps a little to keep you and I out of trouble. Music is one of my Passion It started way back like every other music artist. Singing at school, Church, at home that drawer's me into a part-time work at the Radio station in Rarotonga age around 15, 17 and the owner offer me a full time job, and plus some club dj'ing for teenage rage, from their I tried to get deeper into the entertainment world in New Zealand, by getting behind my roots getting involved into Cook Island culture and live-bands. In 2003 I made a big moved into Main-stream Music, starting up a hip hop group for teenager's called ( Riding On Chromes ) it was a slow process cause we don’t know anyone in this field.

In 2005 our music copy right act registered me as a song writer here in the south pacific. Our group then recorded our first single track called Dirty South at O-mac recording studio in Otara we didn’t have any instrumental, no 
structures to follow and no idea how Music studio works. 

The sound engineer tried to create and instrumental for us but we ran out of time as we only have 3 hours paid studio time, we didn’t have enough money that was wack. 

Lucky I met up with Nesian Mystik’s manager she said their sound engineer David can do what we want to do for one price. The song was written by the boys at the time year 12 and 13 high school students,Papatoetoe, Manurewa and Otahuhu high school just to name a few. 

I just put the finish touch to their lyrics from 7 minutes to around 3 minute and 40 seconds cause radio stations wont play a song that is longer then 7 to 8 minutes. Our first live performance as a group was in Otara South Auckland thanks to Wahine Molosi trust for the hook-ups we had our first pay of $50 dollars the boys was excited. 

I tried to send our demos to other Music Labels and Music industries only two replied. From that experience in 2007 to 2010 I went back to study as the group started to fall apart. So I been off track with the music trail since then and plus I got involved with some activities in our community that keeps me busy.

I just reasonably started writing lyrics again and made a decision to take a step into Reggae music field cause I'm not getting any younger. I think I’m here to stay. I guess it’s a family history 90% on my mum’s side of the family and 10% on my dad.

Now that I’m ready to hit the stage again. My aim is to get my first solo demo tracks for the music industry done so I can hit the road and market myself and share my work and have the microphone as my ride-on and lyric’s that will drive straight right through your heart and soul, amen.

This photo was taken around 2008 at Pasifika Festival New Zealand.  In 2016 I wrote a song called ( Kia Tere ) in the New Zealand Maori language week for our Aut university law student group after exam trip to wellington. The song is about moving forward with life no matter how hard the situation is. You pick yourself up, and try again another day.

Song writing in New Zealand has been accepted as a Level 3 NCEA subject for high school students in 2017. Play It Strange CEO Mike Chunn got the scoop and asked some of New Zealand’s best song writers what they thought about it.

I think it’s a good idea for New Zealand music, dating way back in the early days of music and thanks to the fan’s for buying the artist music and attending their shows. Hope one day the Music Company will like my music and make a difference in other people’s life’s……Boom.

Its now 29/11/2019 coming to the end of the year, this is my new look as 2020 just around the corner. I also went through hell trying to get funding's for some of the projects like Law-Firm and music, got turn down. I'm positive that my music will pay the rent and put food on the table. The government likes people with creative minds, who find their own way to success, I have a few of them in my tool box, all I need is a little boost. Here's some new picture's from 25/04/2020 ANZAC Day memorial 

I manage to write fresh music for my first solo reggae album in English. some crazy ass fat-bitches tried to use the camera and leak out the lyrics while I was writing them to promote them self's. This are Fraudster's Con-artist who lied there way, in and out of our life's. Hope our copy rights act and music industries don't get milked by this wannabi's. Anyway, I even wrote a brand new song called Ihu-matao the Lyrics saying, 

We are the greatest and, we are the voice, of our own people. Meaning, If New Zealand maori people don't  come together, who else gonna stand up for them, Amen

I sang the song in public in October 19 2019 for Papatoetoe Family Fun day. My music is about compassion, its about hope by reaching out to others with open hands. And hope 2020 will bring me luck and get this new tracks recorded before the wannabi's molested them, and share my positive message of hope to the world. 

31/05/2020 Last day of New Zealand Music month, I was rearranging one of my song, my son my daughter, the loud mouths stalking me, started rallying around our community early in the morning. 23/10/2020..The wannabis are still rippen my un-release music and take the mickey out of other people.

              Email us: djmenzie@outlook.com