WOMAD 2009 Featured Artist: Hinemoana Baker (NZ)

Hinemoana Baker is a published poet, fiction writer and playwright. She is also a song and spoken word performer with a voice some have compared to Joan Baez and Cleo Laine. Those who love language - in particular Te Reo - and the impactful, no-waste language of poetry love her performances. It's Hinemoana's voice and the changing delivery mechanism that draws most of her audience.

Hinemoana says her varying creative pursuits 'are really just story telling - coupled with a passion for sound - words; music; waiata; tawhito; my diving gear; whatever. It's just the delivery mechanism that changes.'

It was a more traditional kind of story-telling that kicked things off for Hinemoana in the early 90's - a tour around Northland with four woman story telling. Since then Hinemoana has sung Pink Floyd covers in a Lower Hutt pub residency, made radio documentaries for National Radio, written plays in Maori and English, scripted short films about Maori and photography in the 19th century and completed a Masters in Creative Writing.

These days you'll find Hinemoana writing poems and songs at her home in Paekakariki, giving readings and workshops at writing festivals or performing live on stages around New Zealand - and more recently, in Australia and Indonesia.

Hinemoana's writing has been published in anthologies and in the online literary journal 'Turbine' (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007). Her popular poem 'A Walk With Your Father' was chosen for 'Best New Zealand Poems 2004', and the love poem 'One' for 'Best New Zealand Poems 2006'.

In March 2006 Hinemoana was one of 12 musicians chosen to honour the work of celebrated New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare. She performed alongside Don McGlashan, Goldenhorse, Wai 100%, Charlotte Yates, Mahinarangi Tocker and Fat Freddy's singer Dallas Tamaira (to name a few) at the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts.

Hinemoana's debut album Puawai was a finalist for Best Folk Album, New Zealand Music Awards (2004) and Best Maori Language song in the prestigious APRA Silver Scroll Awards (Maioha category, 2005).

www.hinemoana.co.nz

© Scoop Media