The Best Things Come In Threes

22 December 2004

The Best Things Come In Threes

Do you and your partner love a good old waiata with your mokopuna? Do you and your two mates love nothing better than a blat on the gat? What about a string duo with an accompanying flute? The larger-than-life stars the T-Sistaz have been joined by their baby sister for a brand new television show concept – TORU – coming to Maori Television in 2005.

To be presented by gifted sisters Te Waipounamu, Te Manawaroa and Tiare Teinakore (Maori / Rarotongan), TORU is destined to be a totally unique talent competition series with a twist. Production company Livingstone Productions is on the nationwide search for 27 groups of three people to perform for three minutes on any three instruments of their choice for the series that aims to find the best group of three musos in Aotearoa!

Livingstone Productions producer Johnny Givins says the new series will provide a wonderful opportunity for musical groups of all abilities, ages, genres and collaborations and he is excited at the prospect of discovering possibly the next big thing in the country.

“Now, that could be three guitarists, three singers, three drummers, three traditional Maori or Pacific Island instruments, three trumpeters, three rappers – or any combination of three instruments that you can think of. And yes, you can use backing tracks – it’s all about three talented people getting together and making music!”

Twenty-seven groups will be selected and the TORU production team will visit the successful entries in a round of heats, where all entrants will be interviewed at their home and filmed for a three-minute performance. Following, the winner of each heat will be invited to Auckland to take part in the Tri-Final, after which the winners will again return to the studio in Auckland to take part in the TORU Grand Final, filmed before a live audience.

Each TORU performance will be screened by the T-Sistaz themselves and changeable guest judges. The Ngaruawahia-based T-Sistaz have made solid names for themselves after making the crossover from the Maori music and kapa haka industries to become entertainment stars on Maori Television in the T-SISTAZ series’ during 2004. Te Waipounamu and Te Manawaroa released their debut album – Whakamanahia – in 2001, and routinely put aside their careers in education to take the mic at every opportunity.

They will be joined by newcomer to Maori Television – their younger sister Tiare. A current law student at the University of Waikato, Tiare is a founding member of kapa haka group Te Iti Kahurangi, and her expertise in traditional Maori poi and waiata-a-ringa have helped enable the group to take their place at the National Kapa Haka Competitions, being held in Palmerston North in 2005.

But for now, these talented three sisters are standing aside for new blood in New Zealand’s entertainment realm for the TORU series.

The TORU production team is calling for entries now for the series that will also once again bring the fabulous talents of T-Sistaz (plus one) to Maori Television viewers. To enter, visit www.maoritelevision.com and fill in the entry form. The forms will need to be completed and signed by a consenting adult if entrants are under 18 years of age. Then, wannabes will need to return to TORU, PO Box 8796, Symonds Street, Auckland with an accompanying photo of the group (with names included on back) and a VHS, MINI DV or DV CAM tape of a three-minute performance.

Entries close January 28 2005.

ENDS

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