A performance of the fusion of words by New Zealand writer Witi Ihimaera set to music by a who's who of top local musicians including King Kapisi, Warren Maxwell, SJD, Victoria Girling-Butcher, LA Mitchell, Unitone Hi Fi, Ruia Aperahama, Horomona Horo, Ariana Tikao, The Twinks (Milan Borich and Tim Arnold ex-PLUTO), Teremoana Rapley and Charlotte Yates, with MC actor Kirk Torrance - star of Outrageous Fortune.

The Ihimaera Live project was commissioned by the Auckland Arts Festival 2011, with the festival's artistic director David Malacari saying "The Ihimaera concert is … a celebration of New Zealand storytelling, history and creativity, performed by artists from around the country".

The performance, recorded at the Auckland Town Hall on 3 March 2012, was made even more poignant as it took place just days after the worst Christchurch earthquake, which was fresh in the minds of many of those performers with ties to the city.

Produced and directed by Charlotte Yates, Ihimaera is a companion piece to earlier collaborations Baxter and Tuwhare.

Recorded and produced by Andre Upston for Radio New Zealand National.

Ihimaera cast on stage with Witi by Emma Robinson.
Ihimaera cast on stage with Witi. Photo by Emma Robinson.