Tigilau Ness - Pacific Music Lifetime Achievement Award 2009

Tigilau Ness, father of award-winning artist Che Fu, was presented the Life Time Achievement Award at the Pacific Music Awards in Auckland in late May 2009. Tigilau has been called the father of NZ reggae for his work over the past thirty years. After adopting Rastafarianism through the music of Bob Marley (he took a young Che to see Marley play in Auckland in 1979) Tigilau co-founded reggae group Twelve Tribes of Israel, going on to practice passive protest with the Polynesian Panthers; during the Springbok Tour, and at Bastion Point. He formed his live band Unity in the mid 70s, but didn't record an album until 2003.