2014 Smokefree Pacifica Beats – National Final Results

2014 Smokefree Pacifica Beats – National Final Results

The all girl soul group Soulful 7 from Auckland Girls’ Grammar won the 2014 national final of Smokefree Pacifica Beats held at Auckland’s Q Theatre on Friday night.

The band members are Zina Setefano (keyboard), Victoria Nanai (drums), Narelle Apa (guitar,vocals), Colleen Vatau (bass), Tuputala Auvele (saxophonist), Angie Fa'apoi and Seini Pua (vocals).

Spokesperson Angie Fa'apoi said the band was very grateful to their families, teachers, schools and to their mentor Annie Crummer.

“She gave us the confidence to reach out and connect with the audience,” she said. “We worked really hard and had no idea how we would do when we saw all the other bands. All our band members are blessed with amazing talent, this is what we do, we love to perform.”

The SFPB national winners’ prize package includes musical gear to a total value of $3,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers and a $10,000 song and video package from NZ On Air.

Second place, went to nine piece reggae band Open Arms from Rotorua Boys High School who receive musical gear to a total value of $1500 from NZ Rockshops. The band members are Tawhirimatea Witoko (lead vocals), Terence Apiata (bass), Arapeta Paea (vocals), Wirihana Te Rangi (vocals), Te Hakaraia Wilson (vocals), Tuariki Brown (lead guitar), Lacey Betham (keyboard), Te Tauhu Kingi (rhythm guitar), AJ Moke (drums).

Terence Apiata from Open Arms won the APRA Songwriters Award for his song Addiction, winning $500 cash and a mentoring workshop with a kiwi music success.

Third place went to Jah Mon Fever from Aotea College in Porirua,

The six finalists were narrowed down from over 100 entries in Smokefree Pacifica Beats this year. The event recognises and reflects the unique cultural identity of Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific, with bands required to have some Maori or Pacific Island elements in their music or performance.

The regular Smokefree Pacifica Beats judges were K’Lee McNabb and Malcolm Lakatani, who were joined by guest judges Tama Waipara, Jeff Newton (NZoA) and Petrina Togi-Saena from APRA.

Mai FM announcer and rock singer K’Lee McNabb says all the performers were very confident, with a lot of development since the regional finals, which she put down to mentoring from succuessul artists such as Annie Crummer and Awa Reeder from Nesian Mystik who had worked with the finalists in their home towns.

K’Lee said the winners, Soulful 7, were a group that the judges could see performing for years to come: “They embodied the overall entertainment factor as well as having the musicianship and cultural side that is required by Smokefree Pacifica Beats all female really projected the messages of empowerment for mana wahine, also a group we could see

Prior to the final the six Smokefree Pacifica Beats finalists and the top two soloists gathered in Auckland for two days of music, friendship, mentoring and culture at the noho marae (band camp) held at Horotiu Marae, Auckland University of Technology.

Awards made on Friday night were:

The MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, winning tuition fees for one year to a MAINZ Course, valued at $4800: Kauri Sellwood from the band Tiki, Flaxmere College, Hastings. Kauri won the Gisborne regional final MAINZ Musicianship award.

The APRA Songwriters Award, winning $500 cash and a mentoring workshop with a kiwi music success: Terence Apiata from Open Arms for Addiction.

The YPT Native Language Award, winning $500 cash: Jah Mon Fever, Aotea College, Porirua.

The Smokefree Mana Wahine Award, winning $1000 cash: Narelle Apa, guitarist from Soulful 7, Auckland Girls Grammar.

Smokefree Best Vocals Award, winning $1000 cash: Sina Esera, Jah Mon Fever.

YPT Stage Image Award, winning $500 cash: Nesian Kings from De La Salle College.

The other Smokefree Pacifica Beats finalists performing on Friday night were: N8V6 (Native Six) from Wairoa College, Aryzefrom Hagley Community College, and Mt Albert Grammar School.
The top two soloists, Tequilla Moses from Manurewa High School and Puhi Tau from Lytton High School in Gisborne also performed at the finals but were not in the running for national final awards.

Tonight (Saturday 27) night the national final of Smokefreerockquest is on at Auckland’s Q Theatre starting at 7pm, tickets on sale from Q Theatre. Guest acts are Doprah and 2013 Smokefreerockquest winners, A Bit Nigel. The event will be opened by The Oxymorons from Gisborne Girls’ High School and Courtney Hate from Green Bay High School, the overall winners of the People’ Choice Award voted from the regional winners through Facebook.

More info at sfbp.co.nz or facebook.com/SFPBeats

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