[Main photo credit: Stephen A'Court]
Raised in Hastings by a family of Māori performing arts leaders, the young Toni Huata grew up in local kapa haka and school choirs before moving to Wellington.
While in the capital, studying jazz and rock, she became known for her ability to cover a huge range in genre: soul to pop; cabaret to electro; kapa haka to opera. Toni Huata also toured for years performing within theatre companies, mainly groups fusing kaupapa Māori with modern political theatre.
Toni Huata on Paekakariki Hill.
Credit: Owen Alison.
Cover image for Toni Huata and the Aotearoa Allstars' 'He Aroha'.
Credit: Adrian Wagner.
Speaking to The Big Idea in 2019, Huata said she wanted to “incorporate some of my grandfather's (Te Okanga 'Aussie' Huata) compositions — called Te Māori E," into her initial musical releases.
"I was driven by the desire to put his music out there because he had given so much to us and for Māoridom. He served in the 28th Māori Battalion in World War II and was a beautiful orator of Te Reo Māori. He was also a founding member of the Kohanga Reo movement where Māori immersion pre-schools began. I wanted to acknowledge the concepts and language in dad’s compositions that we noticed were widely used by many."
Toni Huata went on to release seven solo albums over a busy seventeen years - while also touring the world; facilitating community workshops; as well as lending her vocal talents to film and theatre productions, including Peter Jackson’s King Kong.
In 2019, Toni was the inaugural appointment by SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music to the role of Kaihautū Puoro Māori | Director of Māori Music, a role committed to bringing Te Ao Māori to the organisation and a testament to her ability to express herself while standing confidently across different communities. Toni also served in governance roles with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Whanganui ā Tara, Toi Māori Aotearoa, Taki Rua Productions, and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.
Toni Huata performing live.
Credit: Ropine Huata Wagner.
Toni in Pukerua Bay.
Credit: Brodie-Penn Productions.
"Everyone who met Toni came away feeling enriched. She was deeply knowledgeable, spiritual, caring and generous. Her work as an artist, and in the wider music community, particularly hōtaka Māori and her work at SOUNZ, continued the great legacy of her whānau within the music of Aotearoa and we are all the better for it. We are all profoundly sad today and send thoughts and prayers to her whānau and friends." - Anthony Healey - Head of Operations, APRA AMCOS Aotearoa
Toni's legacy lives on via her ceaseless championing of waiata Māori both in Aotearoa and on the world stage.
"Moe mai rā e te manu tīoriori. Oki oki atu." - Dame Hinewehi Mohi DNZM - Manukura Puoro Māori, APRA AMCOS Aotearoa