Taioro To Give World Premiere In Canada

Taioro, a trio comprising spoken word poet Sharn Maree - Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau ā Apanui, violist Donald Maurice and pianist Sherry Grant, will perform the newly created 'Taioro ki te Ao' with text by Sharn Maree and music composed by Anthony Ritchie.

Taioro ki te Ao is a journey guided by woven words and strings on some of the less discussed events in Aotearoa, New Zealand history.

It speaks to colonisation, indigenous challenges and some of the modern day issues faced in Aotearoa through the perspective of one wahine Māori, Māori woman. Taioro ki te Ao is a balance of darkness and light, highlighting the importance of acknowledging indigenous narratives and challenging hegemonic systems that attempt to legitimize one narrative over another.

This collaboration from spoken word poet Sharn Maree and award winning composer Anthony Ritchie looks to the past, the present and the future.

The world premiere will be hosted by the New Zealand High Commission on May 30 at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

The American premiere of the work will be on June 2 at the 47th International Viola Congress at Columbus State University, Georgia.

This project has been generously supported by the Adam Foundation.

© Scoop Media