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PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS 2006 – MULTI AWARD WINNERS

	By Media Release - PMA
	With two awards each, Mt Vaea Band and Dei Hamo are the multiple winners in the Pacific Music Awards 2006 in Association with Manukau City Council. Other winners are Annie Puletiuatoa, Savage and Bill Sevesi who receives a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Pacific Music. Mt Vaea Band receives The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Tui in the Niu FM Best Pacific Music Album category for ‘Mama’. The group also wins the Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group award. Dei Hamo’s accolades come for ‘First Edition’ in the NIU FM Best Pacific Hip Hop Artist and the NZ Music Industry Commission Best Pacific Male Artist categories. Annie Puletiuatoa takes out the Corona Best Pacific Female Artist award for ‘Childhood’ while Savage’s ‘Swing’ earns him and fellow writers Nathan Holmes and Aaron Ngawhika the APRA Best Pacific Song award. The winner of a new award this year, the Phillip Fuemana Most Promising Artist was also announced as Richard Recalde – a solo artist from South Auckland. Pacific Music Awards spokesperson the Rev Mua Strickson Pua says the global music scene awaits the musical Pacific waves of success. “2006 marks the growing confidence of the Pacific Music Awards as part of NZ Music Month and acknowledges the contribution and esteem of Pasifikan musicians. It’s a win-win situation that sends a clear message locally, nationally and internationally that the Aotearoa New Zealand music industry truly celebrates its diversity and musical excellence and is ready to take on the global scene.” The Rev Strickson Pua says the range of Awards and recipients clearly highlights the diversity within the Pasifikan music scene as well as the cultural understanding of connection and development. “From Bill Sevesi through Dei Hamo, Savage and Mt Vaea Band to Annie Puletiuatoa – from traditional Pacific language to the urban Hip Hop – there’s a richness that highlights the cutting edge
			Mt Vaea band members Tila Kalolo, Julie Ta'ale, Sam Cowley-Lupo and Alpha Maiava at this year's Pacific Music Awards. (Photo: PMA)

			Dei Hamo, multi award winner with award at this year's Pacific Music Award. (Photo: PMA)

			The Pacific Music Award as part of NZ Music Month and acknowledges the contribution and esteem of Pasifikan musicians. (Photo: PMA)
	developments and a preview to the global success awaiting New Zealand’s unique music.” He says the Pacific Music Award Committee expresses thanks to the artists, producers, record companies, media, industry agencies, council and Government. “But especially we honour our families, communities, and Pacific nations. The 2007 Pacific Music Awards promises even more.” RIANZ is excited Mt Vaea Band has won local acknowledgment with the coveted Tui for the Best Pacific Music Album says President Adam Holt. “Mama is a remarkable album from a legendary Pacific Island group that has won awards overseas. So I’m thrilled Mt Vaea Band has now been given the recognition they deserve here in New Zealand. They are worthy winners and add so much to the rich history of the Pacific Tui. “We also congratulate all the winners of the 2006 Pacific Music Awards and are honoured the Tui is part of this great event.” The full list of winners and finalists for the 2006 Pacific Music Awards is: RADIO 531PI BEST PACIFIC GROUP • Winner: Mt Vaea Band - ‘Mama’ • Finalists: Beatrootz - ‘No DJz’; Cydel - ‘Luv Iz’ CORONA BEST PACIFIC FEMALE ARTIST • Winner: Annie Puletiuatoa - ‘Childhood’ • Finalists: Rosita Vai - ‘Golden’; Sara-Jane Auva’a -‘Rejoice’ NIU FM BEST PACIFIC HIP HOP ARTIST • Winner: Dei Hamo - ‘First Edition’ • Finalists: King Kapisi - ‘Dominant Species’; Savage - ‘Moonshine’ NZ MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMISSION BEST PACIFIC MALE ARTIST • Winner: Dei Hamo - ‘First Edition’ • Finalists: King Kapisi - ‘Dominant Species’; Savage - ‘Moonshine’ APRA BEST PACIFIC SONG • Winner: Savage - ‘Swing’ (written by Demetrius Savelio (Savage), Nathan Holmes and Aaron Ngawhika) • Finalists: Beatrootz -‘No DJz’ (written by; Saipele Nili and David Letoa); Cydel - ‘Luv Iz’ (written by; Jonathan Tupai, Avina Kekekolio, Christopher Collins, Damien Ekenasio, Radley Uili) NIU FM BEST PACIFIC MUSIC ALBUM (RIANZ TUI AWARD) • Winner: Mt Vaea Band - ‘Mama’ • Finalists: JXN & LavaBoyKila - ‘First off the Blane’; Annie Puletiuatoa - ‘Childhood’ PHILLIP FUEMANA MOST PROMISING ARTIST • Winner: Richard Recalde • (There were no finalists in this category.) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD • Winner: Bill Sevesi • (There were no finalists in this category.) PACIFIC MUSIC AWARDS - WINNERS’ SHORT BIOS Mt Vaea Band The Mt Vaea Band originated as the house band for the Mt Vaea Club in the late ‘70s Samoa. ‘Mama’ features "Oe ma'au/ You and I" and three other tracks from the celebrated New Zealand movie Sione's Wedding. The album also won 'Best Polynesian Album' at the 2006 Hawaiian Music Awards in January. ‘Mama’ began from one man's dream of putting a special album together as a dedication to his late father who started it all, his mother and his sister and brother who have all passed on to the next life". Mt Vaea Band band’s ‘Mama’ represents a landmark approach to a complete package, not only preserving the sound that created the feel of Island music, but introducing it to the modern light of its surrounding. With the help of his friends, the Pacific Island Music three-times award winner Kas “Tha Feelstyle” Futialo, Juile Ta’ale from Pacific Soul, Sam Cowley-Lupo (a NZ Idol Top 20 finalist), Christian Brown has created a modern day Samoan masterpiece. With so many talented musicians involved in this album it is surely the blueprint of things to come. (Point of interest: Mt Vaea is a mountain, the burial place of famed Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer Robert Louis Stevens who died in Samoa in December 1894.) Dei Hamo Dei Hamo, considered by many to be one of the hottest talents in New Zealand hip hop, released his self-titled debut album in March 2005. Dei Hamo’s debut single ‘ We Gon Ride’ spent three months in the Top 10 on the New Zealand Top 50 Singles Chart (5 weeks at #1), and the highly acclaimed video clip, shot by leading music video director Chris Graham, won the Tui Award for the best Music video at the 2005 New Zealand Music Awards. The following singles ‘To Tha Floor!’, ’This Is The Life’, and ‘Cry Again’ all enjoyed great radio play, chart time, and were accompanied by ground-breaking videos. From there Dei Hamo worked with a variety of leading New Zealand hip hop projects including Stubborn Purpose, Urban Pacifika and now legendary hip hop undertaking - the 'Proud' tour. Dei Hamo has supported Black Eyed Peas, Busta Rhymes and D12 in New Zealand, as well as touring with 1200 Techniques and D12 throughout Australia. He also performed at all of the ’06 Big Day Out shows in Australia. Annie Puletiuatoa Annie Puletiuatoa released her debut album, Childhood! in November 2005 at 21 years of age. A South Auckland diva of Samoan descent who was first exposed to the public eye at the age of eight. From birth she’s been encouraged to sing gospel music in church under the influence of her parents. Her style is very much Afro-American Gospel. Her music and lyrics are a fine blend of both English and Samoan songs, most of which are composed by her. At 15, Annie won the Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Smokefree Rockquest and won the Mai Time Female artist of the year in 2001 and the Talent search on Sky’s Shine TV in the same year. She has entertained at two NPC rugby games (one a tribute for Michael Jones), performed at both the Auckland and Manukau Christmas in the Parks and alongside some of today’s greats such as Betty Anne Monga, Anthony Ray Parker and Sara Jane Auva’a. Her music is based around Gospel, spreading the word of Christ. Her music and lyrics are a fine blend of both English and Samoan which she has written and composed herself. Savage Savage is the stage name of Demetrius Savelio , a founding member of New Zealand’s premier hip hop group the Deceptikonz who has racked up gold & platinum plaques for his work on classic NZ hip hop releases from both Scribe & Mareko, and the massive “Not Many Remix”. Savage’s ‘Swing’ is from the successful album ‘Moonshine’. Born in South Auckland in 1981, Savage enjoyed hip hop music from a young age. It was in these days that he got his stage name. “Back in the days when I was bustin’ to my friends, one of them said I sounded like a savage. I joked about and laughed, but then I liked the name," he said. Savage joined up with his friends to form a hip-hop group, the Deceptikonz, in 1997. However, success was not instant as the group struggled through endless talent shows and small gigs. Their big break finally came in 1999 when, thanks to a cousin of Savage, they were signed to NZ hip hop label Dawn Raid Entertainment. Bill Sevesi Bill Sevesi was born Wilfred Jeffs in Tonga in 1923. He is a steel-guitar player who helped popularise Hawaiian style music in New Zealand. Bill composed nearly 200 songs, including ‘Bye Bye Baby Goodbye’, which reached number one in New Zealand in 1958. He recorded more than 20 albums, and was the first person to record the Yandall Sisters and well-known vocalist Annie Crummer. (Source: Te Papa) Music legend Bill Sevesi has produced his sweet Hawaiian Steel Guitar sound for more than six decades and has no plans to stop. Well-known for his musical sound, Bill has played all over New Zealand, America and around the Pacific. Now in his early eighties, Bill Sevesi (born Wilfred Jeffs, in Tonga 1923) started playing the Hawaiian Steel Guitar in 1936. “I was living on a farm in Manukau, Auckland where the town centre is now located and was listening to the radio station, IZM when I heard the steel guitar sound for the first time. I fell in love with it.” He says it's the closest sound to the human voice and is so smooth and beautiful. Bill was 14 at the time but it wasn't long after that he learnt how to play the steel guitar, formed his own band and started playing gigs. (Source: www.billsevesi.com) Richard Recalde Richard Recalde is of Samoan and Argentinian descent and performs under the solo artist name of MC Ridlah. He is a former winner of Coke Rhythm Nation with the single ‘Hold Up’ and is a former member of Southern Dynasty. ‘Hold Up’ has been placed in Urban Express in the United and States and Pop Express in Europe which implies broadcast in the US and Europe. Tis song has been the 6th most popular requested song on a radio station in Norway.
	Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd. 2005

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