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Finlay Macdonald
Finlay Macdonald is a widely respected contributor to newspapers and publications throughout the country. He is the former editor of NZ Listener, commissioning editor for Penguin Books, and now writes columns, social commentary and edits the Sunday Star-Times books pages.
He has also worked for Metro Magazine, and as a writer for television, including documentary, serial drama and comedy.
At this year's Qantas Media Awards, Finlay was given the Best Overall Columnist Award for his weekly Sunday Star Times column. British-born Macdonald recently joined Radio Live, hosting a Sunday morning show with a focus on current events, politics and reviews. |
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Elizabeth Gordon
Elizabeth Gordon was born and raised in Christchurch. She can claim a great-grandparent who came out on one of the first four ships in 1850, and two forebears who came to the West Coast goldfields in the 1860s. She has taught at the University of Canterbury since 1967, first in the English Department and later in the Department of Linguistics.
Her great interest is New Zealand English, especially our accent. She was a co-leader of the project on the Origins and Evolution of New Zealand English (ONZE) at the University of Canterbury. Now retired, she continues to carry out research into New Zealand English and writes a weekly column on language in the Christchurch Press. |
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Philippa Mein Smith
Philippa Mein Smith is Professor of History and Director of the New Zealand Australia Research Centre at the University of Canterbury.
She is the author of A Concise History of New Zealand, published by Cambridge University Press in the Cambridge concise histories series, which seeks to place New Zealand in its global and regional context, linked to Britain, immersed in the Pacific and part of Australasia. She is the co-author of A History of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. |
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Amster Reedy
Amster Reedy has worked as a consultant providing advice about Mäori issues and leadership to a range of private and public sector organisations for almost 20 years. Since 2003 he has also been part of the athletes’ services unit that has supported New Zealand’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games sports teams.
He has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons), majoring in Mäori from Victoria University and a background in Education. He grew up in Ruatoria, and was head prefect at Ngata Memorial College, where he returned to teach Mäori and as principal. His current PhD research is focused on oriori – traditional Maori lullabies.
Mr Reedy says oriori convey stories about ancestral journeys and achievements and give children something to aspire to. “The feats of our ancestors show us that there is no mountain too high, and no sea too far to sail. Mäori were, and remain, a proud, independent people. The practice of oriori encourages a life-long pursuit of learning and provides a unique experience of ritual for the whole whänau.” |
Great Music Artist Profiles |
Family Cactus features members from notable New Zealand bands, including The Accelerants, The Brunettes, The Nudie Suits, Grand Prix, The Cosbys and The Bonnie Scarlets among others. |
Family Cactus
The seven piece group of Wellington based musicians have impressed many and gathered a strong following from supporting bands such as Okkervil River, playing at Camp A Low Hum, the 95bFM Summer Series and Fancy New Band events, the MTV Midwinter Party and shows throughout the nation.
Musically, with all members bringing their own bag of references, one might wonder what the outcome would be. The seven Family Cactus members produce a sound with elements of Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, Beirut and the E Street Band; a sound that can be boisterous and aggressive, or calm and intricate.
Adam Ladley is the main songwriter in the band; his songs are miniature stories, conjuring characters and places, from miners facing tragedy in rumbling coal towns, to teenage punks bent on annihilation at all-age venues. |
Loosely translated, ‘batucada’ means percussive samba jam, which aptly summarises Batucada Sound Machine’s musical roots.
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Batucada Sound Machine
The Batucada band began in 2003 when five passionate drummers met once a month in the dimly lit lounge bar of Galatos nightclub in Auckland to experiment fusing batucada with more local beats and influences. Before long, a talented group of diverse musicians had joined in and the band had grown to 13 members.
As the years have gone by the group has continued to evolve. Their tasty concoction of Brazilian, Cuban and Afro-beat rhythms was given a hip-hop front in 2006 courtesy of MC Hazaduz, (of Che Fu and the Krates fame) whose solid rhymes over the massive samba-reggae percussion add to the band's rich Pacific soul, reggae and funk flavours.
With influences from bands such as Manu Chao and Chico Science, Batucada Sound Machine have developed a solid reputation for delivering blistering live performances, fine musicianship and collective impulsiveness – the soulful vocals and super-tight horn section layer the Latin infused rhythms and wall-of-sound percussion, creating an intensity that has left crowds throughout New Zealand, Australia and Europe begging for more. | |
