Dunedin-based oral historian Louise Kewene-Doig's father died when she was young, too young to ask her father about the heyday of the Māori Showbands which he was part of - bands like the Māori Castaways and the Māori Hi Fives.
The Māori Showbands borrowed from many musical forms including traditional Māori waiata, show tunes, rhythm and blues, Hawaiian music, music hall and comedy to create their own form of live entertainment that they toured throughout the country and around the world.
The Māori Hi Five. From left: Mary Nimmo, Kawana Pohe, Paddy Te Tai, Peter Wolland, Robert (Hemi) Te Miha, Solly Pohatu and (front) Wes Epae. Photo: via AudioCulture.
The Ministry for Culture & Heritage has granted Kewene-Doig a $12,000 Oral History Award to record the stories of showband members in what is a deeply personal project.
She says her father died when she was around 10-years-old, before he could pass on stories from the 1960s.
It was during that era her father was touring around Europe and met her mother in England where they got married.
When her mother and father returned to New Zealand and he got a job playing piano bars for the licensing trust.
“My stories of the showband days are pretty much when we’d go listen to dad play music in these bars and restaurants.”
She’s quick to point out she’s not an expert in Māori showbands, but she brings her perspective as a daughter and that connection with members who knew her father and have similar experiences.
Kewene-Doig says people shouldn’t underestimate the significance of Māori showbands in the 1960s. Her father’s band, for instance, opened for The Rolling Stones in Singapore.
“They were more well known overseas than they were here.”
She said all the former members she’s encountered talked fondly of their experiences in the bands, despite often playing two shows a night six days a week in their residencies.
“What I’ve found with the many musicians who’ve gifted me their stories is they might not have made their fortune, but they feel fortunate to be part of that time and that experience.”
