BILL BOARD

Rip It Up, Issue 180, 1 July 1992, Page 29

BILL BOARD

Congratulations to Graham Reid for scoring Billboard's front page with an article entitled 'NZ's Maori Music a Gene Melange' (whatever that means), but in it he slagged Aotearoa Radio where 'rap and reggae artists remain shut out of their own station.' This is not true! Rap artists Ruamoko and Upper Hutt Posse were both broken in Auckland by this station, the same one that helped me fund raise to get the Posse to Detroit a couple of years back. 'Black Pearl' and 'AEIOU' (rap and all) were both thrashed. Any reggae artist with a record out (and many with only demos) had their stuff played, so much that if listeners didn't complain about constant earbashing, the record either buckled from overuse or went missing in action. Lots of young artists and

many a cultural group got free use of recording facilities. If the odd person didn't get their stuff played for whatever reason, there was no reason to rubbish the only Auckland station Maori (and indeed many other local artists) can rely upon for airtime. Reid also mentioned the absence of any significant number of traditional instruments. Absent from his article was any mention of prolific singer/ songwriter Hirini Melbourne, a major force in Maori music. Hirini has identified over one hundred pre-European instruments made from bone, shells, snailshells, leaves which make sounds ranging from the flute-like to the bass drum to the percussive. Well intentioned though Reid (and his source, Dix) is, neither are Maori — surely as. we near the end of the century, a logical pre-requisite for commentary on things Maori? And just a comment on the snide remark reported in the Herald, 16 June from Billboard — insinuating that the Moahunters and party were exploited by A&M Records and the Nevilles to promote the new album. Of course A&M saw our presence as a wonderful promotional opportunity — and we had no problem with that. Because while it's a business exercise to A&M, 'Family Groove' isn't just a marketing concept to the Nevilles — they actually believe in the notion of the global family. Our presence was a reaffirmation of that belief, and of the work they had just completed. And maybe some of their spirit rubbed off on their record people — who didn't have to include CVs and photos of our band in the press kits for the Neville Brothers. WILLIE JACKSON