Ardijah Announce Made for Theatre Tour

Soulful vocalist Betty-Anne and iconic band the Ardijah Players are proud to announce their first national ‘made for theatre’ tour of New Zealand. The Timeless Tour is astonishingly the maiden theatre voyage in their homeland despite being huge hit-makers and enjoying success in countries throughout the world.

Peter van Gent Productions bring you a 2 hour show featuring top quality production values reminiscent of the era in which Time Makes The Wine, Give Me Your Number and Watchin You were all released. You will then go on the 20 year experience towards Ardijah’s most recent hits Silly Love Songs, Moonlighting and Time. With their recently remixed and remastered first album Take a Chance, Ardijah will bring their unique brand of entertainment to theatres in a venue near you from February to March.

“Ardijah, the classic Pacifika groove merchants…electric ukuleles never sounded so cool!” (George Benson concert) THE PRESS, CHRISTCHURCH. Ardijah is quintessential Kiwi and just the tonic for summer. Their 20-year history is highlighted by tours with legends such as George Benson, the godfather of soul James Brown, Simply Red, UB40 and Quincy Jones. They’ve enjoyed international tour success in South Africa, Usa, new Mexico, Australia and the Pacific Islands and have numerous awards to prove just how good they are!

15 FEB – MANUKAU GENESIS THEATRE – Ticket Direct 16 FEB – TAURANGA BAYCOURT THEATRE – Ticket Direct 17 FEB – ROTORUA CONVENTION CENTRE - Ticketek 19 FEB – NAPIER MUNICIPAL THEATRE - Ticketek 20 FEB – NEW PLYMOUTH TSB SHOWPLACE - Ticketek 21 FEB – PALMERSTON NORTH REGENT THEATRE – Ticket Direct 23 FEB – BLENHEIM MARLBOROUGH CENTRE – Ticket Direct

24 FEB – CHRISTCHURCH JAMES HAY THEATRE - Ticketek 25 FEB – TIMARU THEATRE ROYAL - Ticketek 27 FEB – DUNEDIN REGENT THEATRE - Ticketek 28 FEB – INVERCARGILL CIVIC THEATRE – Ticket Direct 2 MAR – NELSON TRAFALGAR CENTRE - Ticketek 5 MAR – WANGANUI ROYAL WANGANUI OPERA HOUSE – Ticket Direct 6 MAR – GISBORNE WAR MEMORIAL THEATRE – Ticket Direct 7 MAR – HAMILTON FOUNDERS THEATRE – Ticket Direct 8 MAR – TAUPO GREAT LAKES CENTRE - Ticketek 10 MAR – WHANGAREI FORUM NORTH - Ticketek 11 MAR – AUCKLAND CIVIC THEATRE – Ticketek

ARDIJAH The Highlights 2005 *

Performance at Native Roots & Rhythms Festival, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A – August – September including a mini-tour of Southwest Native Indian Reservations and Pueblo’s. Ardijah will be returning in April 2006 to be part of 3 festivals – Gathering Of Nations Powwow, NM – Pacific Film Festival, New York and Seminole Tribe Celebration, Florida. * ‘Journey’ receives the ‘Best Pacific Album’ @ the Inaugural Pacific Music Awards. * Ardijah showcase new tracks from the ‘Journey’ album - performances in Sydney 7 – 11 February with the 4th Ardijah album ‘Journey’ being released by MGM Australia’s import arm Planet Distribution. 2004 * Ardijah selected to be special guests at GEORGE BENSON’s NZ concerts (18, 20, 21 Oct) * New Ardijah album (#4) ‘JOURNEY’ released 25 October 2004 * God Father of Soul ‘JAMES BROWN’ comes to New Zealand. Ardijah are support for Mr Brown and his 18piece band/performers at his concert in Auckland. * 3 January – 15 January 2004, invitation to take part in Jazzathon Festival in Cape Town South Africa, where Ardijah’s ‘Silly Love Songs’ was #1 on radio. 2003 * 9 – 12 October – Full-house performances in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. 2002 * ‘Baby Don’t U Leave’ single, a fruit salad of sound is released November 2002. A unique blend of flavours from Aotearoa, Tahiti and the Cook Islands, thrown into a mix of organic grooves from the Americas. * ‘Moonlighting & The Poly Fonk Summa Mix’ is released independently in February 2002, with national sales in excess of 3500 units. * With ‘Time’ also released through out the Pacific, with an invitation from New Caledonia for Ardijah to be the opening act for their new live venue, Café Musiques Le Mouv. * Re-mixes of ‘Way Around U’ by DJ’s Soane and Manuel Bundy and Jazz/Fusion pianist Mark De Clive Lowe prove to be a hit in the club scene.

* ‘Time’ is released in South Africa through Gallo Records with ‘Silly Love Songs’ striking a chord as #1 on local radio stations in Cape. 1999 * Follow-up single ‘Silly Love Songs’ reaches Number One, again selling Gold. At the NZ Music Awards, Ardijah were nominated in 3 categories, Top Group, Top single and Female Vocalist of which Betty-Anne received the Best Female Vocalist Award.

* Ardijah’s ‘Time’ album is released November 1999, through Warner Music NZ. Within 8 months the album had achieved Platinum status, making it a Top 10 local selling album. 1998 * The release of ‘Love So Right’ bearing the hallmarks of Ardijah’s unique Poly-Fonk sound sells Gold and catches the attention of ‘Love So Right’s’ writers the Gibb brothers, resulting in a meeting when The Bee Gees toured NZ in 1999. 1997 * Ardijah release their album ‘Influence’ through independent label South Central Productions, of which singles ‘Bad Buzz’ and ‘Oh Baby’ receive high rotation on radio stations nationwide. 1990 * Headline openers for Mick Jagger at Western Springs Stadium (50,000 people) * Betty-Anne performs ‘We Can Work Wonders’ at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games * ‘Take Me’ reaches #12 on charts with Ardijah touring to support the single release.

* Support for UB40 at their sell-out Mt Smart Stadium concert Cameo performance for musical legend Quincy Jones Ardijah embark on 3 month tour of Australia, taking in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.

* Securing the Bobby Brown support in 4 centres. Double billing performances with Mark Williams, throughout central Sydney City. Due to a legal dispute, Ardijah are unable to release any further material, although as individuals, Ryan Monga and Betty-Anne establish themselves and their musical talents on numerous TV/Radio jingles and albums – Australian Country/Rock Artist James Blundell, Mark Williams, Jenny Morris, R&B artists Boyz In Black, Margaret Urlich.

* Betty-Anne is the voice behind TVNZ’s Channel 2 theme song ‘It Takes Two’.

* Ardijah’s ‘Gimme Time’ is featured on the internationally acclaimed NZ film ‘Once Were Warriors’. 1988 * Single ‘Watchin U’ released, reaching #3 on National Charts, selling Gold quantities.

* ‘Take A Chance’ album released, to date selling double Platinum. Special guests at Simply Red concert, Auckland. * Ardijah accept invitation to perform in Rarotonga over 2 week period to full houses. New Zealand Tourism Board take Ardijah to Singapore to share with the Asian market what NZ has to offer, not only as a beautiful country and tourist destination but also as NZ music on a world stage. 1987 * Ardijah perform ‘Give Me Your Number’ on NZ film ‘Queen City Rockers’.

* Ardijah’s pop-groove ‘Time Makes A Wine’ achieves A-rotation on the airwaves, top 20 on NZ charts.

* At the NZ Music Awards, Ardijah win Most Promising Group.

* Ardijah are the Inaugural Rheineck Rock Award winners, of which the prize is $30,000 towards recording their debut album.

ENDS

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