Maisey Rika is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and composer, performing in both English and Māori. Her five original albums have each reached the Top 40 in the Official New Zealand Music Chart.[3][4] She was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021,[3] has received awards at the Waiata Māori Music Awards and APRA Awards, including APRA Best Māori Songwriter in 2010 and 2013, and has twice won Best Māori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards.
Maisey Rika | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Maisey Rika performing at an event commemorating the 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption in Māngere (2020) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mei Rika[1] |
| Born | 1982 or 1983 (age 40–41)[2] Wellington, New Zealand[1] |
| Origin | Bay of Plenty, New Zealand |
| Genres | [2] |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | https://maiseyrikamusic.com |
Career
editEarly life
editRika was born in Wellington to a Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Te Arawa and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui mother and a Samoan father, and moved to Rotorua at a young age.[1][5] While her mother did not speak Māori, Rika attended a kōhanga reo, a kura kaupapa, and Māori boarding schools, which allowed her to learn the language from a young age.[5]
She began singing professionally at age 13.[1] Rika was the featured soloist on E Hine, a compilation of Māori traditional songs released in 1997, which went double platinum and won Best Maori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards in 1998, as well as earning her a nomination for Best Female Vocalist, aged 15.[3][2]
Rika attended University of Waikato, where she studied psychology, education and Māori language.[5] In 2004, Rika auditioned to compete on New Zealand Idol, but did not proceed past auditions after choosing to sing in Māori.[6]
2008-present
edit.jpg)
Rika self-released a self-titled EP in early 2009 sung in English, which charted at No. 40 in the NZ Top 40[7] and drew the attention of film producer Shae Sterling, who was in the process of founding label Moonlight Sounds.[1] Later that year, she released her debut studio album Tohu, which won her a total of four awards at the 2010 Waiata Māori Music Awards, and she toured internationally with her brother and collaborator JJ.[1]
Rika's following album, Whitiora, was written in collaboration with her family in te reo Māori, and recorded in Rotorua. It included diverse influences such as swing, and she toured with JJ throughout the Pacific.[1]
Rika travelled with a delegation of 100 artists from New Zealand to Guam for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts in May 2016, representing Aotearoa.
In 2016, Rika released a Christmas album, Tira, featuring a mix of reworked Christmas hymns and new compositions.[8]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rika wrote nine songs inspired by the nine stars of Matariki, which she learned about from Māori astronomer Rangi Mātāmua. Working with new producers for the first time, including Tiki Taane, the new songs intended to connect the stars and the gods to contemporary life in Aotearoa.[9] The resulting album, Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea, was released on July 17, 2020.
Rika joined the inaugural Top 10 Te Reo Māori Singles chart released by Recorded Music NZ on June 21, 2021, with her songs "Waitī, Waitā" at number 6 and "Hiwa-i-te-Rangi" at number 8.[10]
Collaborations
editBeginning in 2012, Rika performed alongside Māori singers Merenia and Whirimako Black, Ngaiire from Papua New Guinea, and aboriginal artists Emma Donovan and Ursula Yovich as The Barefoot Divas.[1]
Rika has also performed at Matariki celebrations with Annie Crummer, Ria Hall and Betty-Anne Monga as Kāhui Whetū.[1]
In 2014, Rika was featured on Stan Walker's song "Aotearoa", sung entirely in Māori, which reached number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
In 2019, Rika collaborated with composer Rob Ruha and performers Majic Pāora, Bella Kalolo, Ria Hall, Seth Haapu and Troy Kingi to release "Ka Mānu", a single in support of Māori activists occupying Ihumātao.[11]
Personal life
editRika is married to Bossy Hill, with whom she has three sons.[5][1] She lives in Whakatāne.[5]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [7] | |||||||||||||||
| E Hine: an Anthology of Maori Love Songs (St. Joseph's Maori Girls College Choir Presents Maisey Rika) |
|
— | |||||||||||||
| Tohu |
|
28 | |||||||||||||
| Whitiora |
|
5 | |||||||||||||
| Tira |
|
20 | |||||||||||||
| Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea |
|
10 | |||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||||||||
Extended plays
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| NZ [7] | ||
| Maisey Rika |
|
40 |
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Artist [12] | |||||||
| "Letting Go"[13] | 2009 | — | Maisey Rika | ||||
| "Tangaroa Whakamautai"[14] | 2012 | 9 | Whitiora | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [15] |
NZ Artist [12] | ||||||
| "Aotearoa" (Stan Walker featuring Ria Hall, Troy Kingi and Maisey Rika) |
2014 | 2 | 1 | Non-album single | |||
| "Waiaroha"[17] (Rob Ruha featuring Maisey Rika) |
2015 | — | 15 | Pūmau | |||
| "Get Up, Stand Up"[18] (among Tūtahi) |
2016 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
| "Ka Mānu"[11] (Bella Kalolo, Maisey Rika, Majic Pāora, Ria Hall, Rob Ruha, Seth Haapu, Troy Kingi, The Witch Dr.) |
2019 | —[A] | 20 | ||||
| "East Coast Moon" (Tama Waipara featuring Maisey Rika) |
2020 | — | — | ||||
| "Tūrangawaewae" (Tipene featuring Maisey Rika & Troy Kingi) |
2021 | — | — | Heritage Trail | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | |||||||
Awards
editThe Arts Foundation
editRika was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021. She received the Jillian Friedlander Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa Award, a $25,000 prize that recognizes outstanding Māori and Pasifika artists.[3][20]
NZ Music Awards
editRika has twice been awarded Best Māori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards, in 1998 for her appearance as a soloist on E Hine and in 2013 for her album Whitiora.[21] Her appearance on E Hine also earned her a 1998 nomination for Best Female Vocalist.[22] For the 2017 NZ Music Awards, Rika was nominated as Best Māori Artist, but withdrew ahead of the awards ceremony to avoid elevating herself above other Māori artists, according to her manager.[22][23]
APRA Awards
editRika was nominated for the APRA Maioha Award for her song "Repeat Offender" in 2009. She won the same award in 2013 with Te Kahautu Maxwell, and Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for their song "Ruaimoko".[24]
Rika also won APRA Best Māori Songwriter in both 2010 and 2013.
Her songs "Hiwa-i-te-rangi" and "Turangawaewae" were both named top 20 finalists for the 2021 APRA Silver Scroll.[25][26]
Waiata Māori Music Awards
editThe Waiata Māori Music Awards are judged by members of the Māori music industry.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Maisey Rika | Best Māori Female Solo Artist | Won |
| 2010 | Maisey Rika | Best Māori Female Solo Artist | Won |
| Best Māori Songwriter | Won | ||
| Tohu | Best Māori Pop Album | Won | |
| "Nia" | Best Māori Song | Won | |
| 2013 | Maisey Rika | Best Māori Songwriter | Won |
| Best Māori Female Solo Artist | Won | ||
| "Tangaroa Whakamautai" | Best Music Video by a Māori Artist | Won | |
| Best Māori Song | Won | ||
| Whitiora | Best Māori Traditional Album (Te Reo) | Won | |
| Best Māori Pop Album | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Maisey Rika | Best Māori Songwriter | Won |
| Best Māori Female Artist | Won | ||
| Tira | Best Traditional Māori Album | Won | |
| "Taku Mana" | Best Song by a Māori Artist | Won | |
| 2020 | "Ka Mānu" (with Rob Ruha, Horomona Horo, Majic Paora, Troy Kingi, Ria Hall, Seth Haapu & Bella Kalolo) | Radio Airplay Song of the Year by a Māori Artist in Te Reo | Won |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Shute, Gareth (8 December 2020). "Maisey Rika - AudioCulture". AudioCulture. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Maisey Rika". Revolutions Per Minute. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Maisey Rika". Arts Foundation. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Maisey Rika". SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Husband, Dale (6 August 2016). "Maisey Rika: You carry on until there's nothing there". E-Tangata. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Maisey Rika: 'Inside te reo Māori is a whole world'". Radio New Zealand. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b c For all except Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea: "Discography Maisey Rika". charts.nz (Hung Medien). Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea: "Top 20 New Zealand Albums Chart - 27 July 2020". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Hartung, Silke (20 September 2017). "Q & A: Maisey Rika". NZ Musician. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Tyson, Jessica (16 July 2020). "Maisey Rika releases new album inspired by Matariki stars". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Harawira, Tumamao (21 June 2021). "Waiata Reo Māori gets its own spotlight with Te Reo Māori singles chart". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b Black, Taroi (11 August 2019). "NZ artists band together with new song 'Ka Mānu' for Ihumātao". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b Peak positions for Maisey Rika's singles on the NZ Artist singles chart:
- For "Tangaroa Whakamautai": "NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- For "Aotearoa": "NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- For "Waiaroha": "NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- For "Ka Mānu"": "NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "Letting Go". NZ on Screen. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "Maisey Rika Releases Video Single 'Tangaroa Whakamautai'". NZ Music. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "Discography Stan Walker". charts.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Stan Walker feat. Ria Hall, Troy Kingi And Maisey Rika – Aotearoa". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Rob Ruha and Maisey Rika". RNZ. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ "NZ artists re-release Bob Marley song for Standing Rock". Bay of Plenty Times. NZ Herald. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "2021 Arts Foundation Laureates Include Maisey Rika". NZ Musician. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "The 2013 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards Winners". New Zealand Music Commission. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Māori singer Maisey Rika withdraws NZ Music Awards nomination for Best Māori Artist". The New Zealand Herald. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Singer Maisey Rika withdraws NZ Music Awards nomination to show support to other Māori artists". The New Zealand Herald. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Maisey Rika wins Maioha award at Silver Scrolls". Radio New Zealand. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "2021 APRA Silver Scroll Awards Top 20 and Maioha finalists announced". Radio New Zealand. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "APRA Silver Scroll award: The Beths, Troy Kingi, Maisey Rika, Tipene, Anthonie Tonnon announced as finalists". The New Zealand Herald. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.