Gary SteelTo celebrate her Lifetime Achievement honour at the forthcoming Pacific Music Awards here’s GARY STEEL’s previously unpublished 1997 interview with Teremoana Rapley.
Note: I interviewed Teremoana for a story about her upcoming performance at the 1997 WOMAD festival. The story was published in the Sunday Star. From memory, the interview took place in her flat near Sandringham road in Mt Eden. Obviously, Teremoana’s career in music carried on and she achieved a lot subsequent to this interview. I’ve included the Pacific Music Awards’ new press release about her award at the end of the interview.
Teremoana Rapley – It’s going to be a multi-media audio-visual show, with computerized, sequenced lighting with the music and the visuals as well, using a huge screen as the background. It’s just taking the whole Teremoana concept to a new level. People for years have been saying ‘you should have a band’ but the Moa Hunters showed me that bands suck sometimes. They want to be fed, they want to be paid. Computer gear doesn’t want to be fed or paid. Sweet! I’ve tried with bands before and it’s hard… all the good musos I know are session musos, you get them onstage and they don’t know which band they’re playing in, let alone who you are. I’ve tended to have a lot of hassle, and that’s just the way the business is, the way musicians survive in this country, is to play in millions of other groups at the same time. I understand where they’re coming from but… and I’ve never had the financial backing to help me put together a band like that, and I don’t want to employ a band I can’t pay, or only pay $40 a gig. No point. I’ve opted for a hassle-free option which is to use a bass player, rhythm guitarist, three backing vocalists… maybe, and a DJ and log drummers, and myself. I passed it onto the boys, they learn their bits and pieces, we rehearse for about two weeks, do the show. It’s nice and simple. I’d really like to have a drummer, but drummers tend to be a bit too loud. I don’t really want to have to fight with my vocals with a drummer.
Gary Steel – Is it all material specific to this show, or things you’re going to be putting on record?
Teremoana – A bit of both. Because of the whole visual concept, I’m writing tracks specially for the visuals. And there’s quite a few tracks that will be going onto the album as well. I was seriously looking at releasing my album before WOMAD but it looks like I’ll only be able to get a single out. That’s okay. Last year was really quiet for me and I think a lot of people in the industry who had something to say about me and my career were really bummed out. But I can only do it as fast as I’m ready to do it. I’m not regretful at all about not doing anything last year, and this year is the year for me to at.
Gary – You’re tied up with a label?
Teremoana – No not necessarily. I work with Malcolm Black, an entertainment lawyer. We’re friends, and we get together and really talk, and it’s good that he knows so much, because what he says really helps. To a certain extent, you could say that he partly manages me, but then everyone would have their little finger in my pie (laughs). I’ve been doing this for 10 years now, but that doesn’t give me any qualifications to know what I should do with my career. I thought that was what your record label was there for, but apparently not. You actually have to decide your marketing plan, how you want people to see you. You’ve got to do that yourself. I thought you just create the music and sing, and do these funky videos. So my partner George manages me, and we fight it out man… we go hard! He manages me, organizes gigs, he’s an artist as well, he’s a sculptor and carver. I work with him on my music, and career details, which is really good. I don’t have to pay him!
Ten years doesn’t do that much for you if you’re not in control, and I wasn’t, I was a backing vocalist. How much control does a backing vocalist have, not much! I was dictated how to present myself to the public, what I said, what I thought and what I sang. Whereas the last two years I’ve just started… The year before last I seriously didn’t know what I was doing. I was into writing the music and getting it out, doing the video. But as far as the ongoing image and stuff like that, I had no idea where I was going. I’ll just wear what I’ve got in my wardrobe today, go down to the Love shop and spend $20 on an outfit.
Last year I concentrated mainly on TV. It was very loose. There was a huge BMG conference down in Rotorua in 1994, and Supergroove played, I played before them. This was an international conference. They saw me play, they hassled BMG boss saying ‘you should sign this girl up’. And I thought ‘I’ve only put down three songs’. So we went with ‘Beautiful People’, and didn’t know where to go from there. And then there was ‘4 Woman’ which had an immaculate video, but people couldn’t quite stomach the song for some reason, mainly because of the skin colour content in it. When I sing songs that have got skin colour, I don’t purposely go out and think ‘I hate all white people’, because my father’s a pakeha, first of all, and I love my father. It’s not meant to offend anybody, it’s just the way that I express myself. I’ve had to think about how to express myself in a less offensive way. I’ve compromised to a certain extent but still being myself, I’m just more aware of what I’m writing. But last year when I got Best Female Vocalist I was like ‘WHAT?!’ For those two songs that went nowhere, you’ve got to be kidding me! I know I can sing, but you’d think that award should go to someone who has actually charted maybe? Who people out there have actually heard of? I still have a lot of people who think I’m with Upper Hutt Possee from five years ago.
Gary – What about people who know you from Mai Time?
Teremoana – Half of them don’t know that I sing, and the other half think that I still sing with the Moahunters. They have no idea of my solo career. This last year has definitely been an awakening for me, of the whole industry and what I’m in.
Gary – Are you going to be doing more presenting?
Teremoana – At the moment I’m just sticking with Mai Time. I can’t really see myself going any further at the moment. They’ve tried to put me up there, but it’s not really me. The TV thing just scares me. I’d rather just sing.
Gary – What do you think of the rest of the local contingent at WOMAD?
Teremoana – I think it’s a pretty fair representation of what we’ve got going down here. We’ve kept on their back for the last two years. Someone on the committee called us up about two years ago. It’s not easy to jump in there. It’s been good. We’re getting a good feeling of what it involves, the whole WOMAD Kaupapa.
Gary – Will there be much contact between people from the different cultures?
Teremoana – There won’t be enough time to hang. It’s really hard. First of all, whether they speak English or not, secondly… When the Fugees came over recently, we tried to hang with them, but they misinterpreted everything we said to them. They’re Americans and they speak English! Their whole mind is mixed up! Every black American I’ve met – and I’ve only met black Americans who are in the music industry, like Michael Franti, The Neville Brothers – they all tend to be pretty stuffed up.
Gary – Did you think that about Michael Franti?
Teremoana – He’s a pretty cool guy but at the end of the day he’s really an American. ‘But you’re living on stolen land, those people are getting trashed!’ ‘What do you mean?’ We tended to argue a lot which is good, because I’d hate to have a conversation with someone who just agreed with everything.
Gary – I’ve always thought of him as being quite politicised.
Teremoana – He is, he is, but he was just like seriously, ‘What are you guys moaning about, you just live down here on your piddly little two islands.’ ‘Don’t talk to me like that!’ American’s great, they’re seriously on that trip, you know? He seriously misinterpreted what I was saying about the situation here, as far as indigenous peoples go. He’s really good friends with my partner George, he’s George’s friend, not mine. I just wind him up. He’s cool. Lauren (Fugees) was very… I thought ‘cool, black sister!’, hang with her, but she was just very, they were all very into themselves. She wanted to know about Maori people, and we tried to tell her about Polynesian people, and how it’s not just brown people that live down here, but she just closed her mind to it. She called me into her dressing room just before her show up here and said ‘What’s the name of this country?’ ‘Aotearoa’. ‘What’s the name of the people?’ ‘Maori. But say Polynesian people, because there’s a whole lot of us down here’. And then she just asked me all these questions and I was getting really mad with her. And I said ‘what colour lipstick do you wear?’ and she went ‘WHAT?’ I said ‘Write it down” What colours and brands you use!’ I was just so frustrated with her attitude, that we all had to be downtrodden to be uplifted by the Fugees. Trippy. That was pretty wacky. You’ll find me dissing all sorts of American pop stars! Ignorance can be accepted to a certain extent cos they just don’t know, but arrogance is just… no excuse!
Gary – How long do you get on stage?
Teremoana – I’ve got a 45-minute set on the Sunday. It’s after Maxi Priest plays on one stage, and I play on the Global stage. It’s on really late as well, which we asked for because of the visuals and stuff. But the show’s going to be a serious trip. Basically, it’s a journey of my search for knowledge of self, and it’s all relative to the Pacific, myself as being part-Maori and part-Pakeha, though it’s very hard for people to accept that. There’s nothing better than writing about your life experience. It’s going to be a spectacular extravaganza.
+ Teremoana’s profile can be found at Audioculture here and you can read The Post’s recent piece about her here.
The Pacific Music Awards Press Release, 19 August 2024.
The Pacific Music Awards is thrilled to announce this year’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is Teremoana Rapley. Originally from Upper Hutt, Teremoana Rapley is an Auckland-based singer and songwriter whose music fuses reggae and rap – a trailblazing artist whose extraordinary contributions to Pacific music and culture in New Zealand have left an indelible mark on the industry.
Of Kiribati, Aitutaki, Rarotonga, Mangaia and Jamaican heritage, Teremoana Rapley – also known as Tere Veronica Rapley MNZM – has been a powerful force in the New Zealand music scene for over three decades.
Known for her self-identification as a Black Moana Sovereign Storyteller, Teremoana’s influence spans multiple roles as a Hip Hop artist, musician, television presenter, and producer. Her dynamic career has included significant contributions to iconic groups like Upper Hutt Posse and Moana and the Moahunters during the 1990s, where she was celebrated for her impactful rhymes and vocals.
In 1987, at the age of 14, Teremoana joined Upper Hutt Posse, becoming the only local-born female rapper in Aotearoa at the time. The group’s music, which fuses reggae and rap, significantly shaped her political consciousness. By age 15, she was one of our foremost female rappers.
Later, she joined Moana and the Moahunters, with whom she won her first NZ Music Award. In 1995, Teremoana embarked on a solo career, performing around the globe.
Teremoana’s career extends beyond music. She has interviewed musicians for the magazine Selector and worked extensively in television, co-hosting the youth show Mai Time and directing for Maori Television. She has simultaneously spent over 25 years producing both mainstream and indigenous television content; managed international and domestic entertainment tours; set up and operated a family screen-printing business; designed and delivered social change initiatives for both local and central government and, after raising her four sons, continues a 30+ year musical journey with her highly anticipated debut trilogy album, Daughter of a Housegirl, Cleaning House, and Daily Incantations.
In recognition of her services to music and television, Teremoana was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Her accolades further include being inducted into the Aotearoa Music Hall of Fame and receiving the Legacy Award with Upper Hutt Posse in 2018. Additionally, she has twice been honoured with the Taite Music Prize for classic albums, first with Upper Hutt Posse in 2016 and later with the Moahunters in 2019. In April 2024, she was awarded the Independent Spirit Award.
Teremoana Rapley says, “As a creative I tend to not look back at what I have done. This recognition provides the opportunity to take a moment to appreciate the many people who have allowed me to be a part of their life, I am humbled and grateful.”
Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says “Teremoana Rapley is a true pioneer in Pacific music and culture. A Taonga, a treasure who humbly challenges, inspires and nurtures the spiritual, cultural, and political development of Pasifika people hence all people. Her music is about Alofa Aroha Aloha for our family of humanity our Ngati Human Tribe thus Tu’ufa’atasi Kotahitanga unity and peace.
“Her unwavering commitment to her art and community has made a profound impact, and we are honoured to recognise her contributions with this Lifetime Achievement Award. Her journey is a testament to the power of music and storytelling in shaping and preserving our cultural identity.”
This year, the Pacific Music Awards are excited to announce that the 2024 awards will feature performances by finalists: Josh Tatofi, Shepherds Reign, Olivia Foa’i, Diggy Dupé, Junior Soqeta and Unity Pacific. There will also be a live tribute for the recipient of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and special performances to honour the 20-year celebration of the awards.
The Pacific Music Awards will take place at the 20th anniversary event on Thursday, August 29th, at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.
Tickets for the 2024 Pacific Music Awards are available for purchase through Eventfinda.
The 2024 Pacific Music Awards will be available via live stream on the night, screened by Tagata Pasifika on TP+ (tpplus.co.nz) The Tagata Pasifika highlights show will first screen on TVNZ1 at 9.30 am on Saturday 7 September.
For more information: https://www.pacificmusicawards.org.nz/
