3 Acts from the Taite Music Prize winning Eastern Sound Collective!

Kia Mau and Eastern Sound Collective present: Amalgam.  

A night of fusion music from east to west with Umar Zakaria Fearless Collective, Idhayam and DJ Nam Chucks (plus special guest Arindam Sen).

The Line Up

Umar Zakaria Fearless Collective:
Jazz bassist and composer Umar Zakaria’s music is influenced by the musical traditions of his Malay heritage. He unites diverse musical traditions to inspire communication across cultural boundaries. Umar is renowned across Europe, Asia and the USA and in 2018 was named Best Jazz Artist by Recorded Music New Zealand and awarded 2nd prize at BASS2014 International Jazz Bass Competition. Having developed a reputation for emotionally stirring performances, Umar now seeks to share heartfelt original music with audiences across New Zealand and internationally.

Idhayam:
Idhayam are well known to the Wellington festival circuit, including Cuba Dupa, Newtown Festival and Wellington Garden’s Magic. They fuse classical Indian Carnatic music with modern jazz and funk to create a rare sound journey accessible to audiences of all backgrounds.
The 5-piece band are a heavyweight line-up of Wellington’s most talented, featuring Anantha Narayanan (vocals, saxophone), Sam Smith-Nakamura (guitar), Ikram Singh (tabla), Blain Fitzpatrick (bass), and Liam Prince (drums/percussion).

DJ Nam Chucks:
Nam Chucks is a regular selector for Homebase RadioActive.FM, has also graced the tables for Newtown Sound, Taniwhas Den, Third Eye hi-FI and Hineraioana Big Bada Boom Soundsystem.  Expect a range of music from roots reggae to dub, eastern-influenced vibes and a whole lot more. DJ Nam Chucks will be joined by Arindam Sen performing live percussion on the Tabla.

Eastern Sound Collective | Collective Info

ESC is a network aimed at bringing musicians of Asian ethnic heritage together to build a supportive network and improve representation in the music industry.

Kia Mau Festival

Kia Mau is a biennial, contemporary Māori, Pasifika & Indigenous arts festival.

Returning to Te Ūpoko o te Ika a Maui, Aotearoa New Zealand from 02 – 17 June 2023. 

Nau mai, haramai! Nau mai, hoki mai ki te hui ahurei a Kia Mau!