PAPA band of the Land

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 2, 20 April 1978, Page 8

PAPA band of the Land

At last Polynesian people can claim that there is a professional band that belongs to us. They are Us for Us, about Us. Papa meaning of the Land in Maori, was born out of the Bastion Point struggle. As musicians born out of oppression, they have got it together. Their line-up consists of five Maoris and a Pakeha who has been around and still is around and whose experience has ranged from playing in such groups as the Revivals and Cruz Lane, to backing up well known overseas artists on tour Gladys Knight and The Pips, B. B. King and The Hollies. None other than BRUNO BEREN. ALEX HAWKE is the lead male vocal and his involvement with Bastion Point stems way back to his Forefathers. CORINA BEREN, the only woman in the band has the talented voice of a soultrain. BLACK soultrain. Her soulful yet raspy sound unifies the band and mesmerises the people into

something akin to shellshock. DILWORTH KARAKA, rhythm guitarist and vocalist is a very active musician — on stage and off. Catch that rhythm — ’‘Quick fas’ ” MALCOM EDWARDS — Mr Funky, bassman, has performed with such renowned Polynesian groups as the Maori Volcanics and has toured South Pacific with them. Malcom is sound, basically. ED TE AMO — lead guitarist was with the Soundells and Trax from way back. Waitemata D.B. Tavern proprietor says that Ed is the best Maori lead guitarist he’s heard for a long time. 1978 is the year of PAPA — not only on land issues but as band of the Land. At present the band is performing at the Ellerslie Motor Inn and will be performing at the Mana fundraising social on May 19 at the Ponsonby Intermediate School in Clarence Street, Ponsonby — Remember that.