Gala Night - Ariana Tikao, Ruby Solly - Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival

Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival

Close your eyes and listen to the melodies of taonga Pūoro, played by generous creatives Ariana Tikao and Ruby Solly. Let these powerful performers, words and songs, guide you on a journey unique and beautiful. Ariana Tikao is a singer, taonga puoro musician and writer of Kāi Tahu descent, and recipient of a 2020 Arts Foundation Laureate award. She writes waiata, poetry and creative non-fiction exploring themes relating to her Kāi Tahu identity and mana wahine, often drawing on historical kōrero from her ancestors. Ruby Solly, composer, poet, cellist, music therapist, taonga pūoro practitioner, and general creative chameleon. She is a writer, taonga pūoro practitoner, musician, and music therapist living in Pōneke. Her first book 'Tōku Pāpā' was published by Te Herenga Waka in 2020. Her second book 'The Artist' is a verse novel that traverses fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, to share pūrākau Kāi Tahu while sharing knowledge of our cave art and practices. This Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival podcast was brought to you with support from Otago Access Radio, Copyright Licensing New Zealand and Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature. You’ll find further podcasts from the 2023 festival at http://dunedinwritersfestival.co.nz and from Otago Access Radio’s website http://oar.org.nz