Some of our favourite musicians:Liam O'Maonlai, Talitha MacKenzie, Altan, Rua, Kornog, Battlefield Band, Deanta, Tannas, The Rankin Family, Martin Hayes, Michael McGoldrick, Jean-Michel Veillon, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Emer Mayock, Graham Watson, Hada to Hada, Madredeus, Jimmy Young, Mike Considine, Karen Tweed, Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Tom Waits, Mary Black, Christine Collister, Suzanne Vega, Kate Rusby, Natalie Merchant, Pierre Bensusan, Michael Hedges, Andrew White, Eddi Reader, Sinead O'Connor, Mouth Music, Capercaillie, The Chieftains, The Stiff Gins, Kila, Shooglenifty, Peatbog Faeries, James Wilkinson, ALT, Mark Vanilau, Tribalincs, Trinity Roots, Mahinarangi Tocker, Crowded House, Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Emma Paki, Bic Runga, Marcus Turner, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson, Big Bill Broonzy...
Sounds Like
"as textured and moody as the beautiful Aotearoa landscape"
In their first album (self-titled), Emeralds & Greenstone weave together the essence of two completely separate musical traditions (Celtic and Maori)... traditional and contemporary songs and tunes are given treatments crossing over into roots, jazz and blues, to create a sound at once rooted in the depths of time but easily related to by modern ears.
What results is a distinctly beautiful soundtrack to the ancestral tale of these Kiwis - who with Irish, Scottish, Maori, English, and even Swiss blood running through their veins, will share a page or two of their story with many New Zealanders.
Emeralds & Greenstone enter a new phase with the departure of Ariana Tikao to focus on her solo work. Continuing their trademark ethereally beautiful arrangements, E&G consists of three of the original lineup (Laura, Jon and Argene), accompanied by James Wilkinson and other guests. All contribute original material and team this with key pieces from the trad canon reflecting their heritage (Irish, Scots, English...) E&G remain unmistakeably 'Made in New Zealand'.
Laura recently performed her newest song 'Ice Shelf Lullaby', written after her study trip to Antarctica, at a function celebrating the opening of the 09/10 Antarctic Season when planes, supplies and people busily ferry through Christchurch to the kiwi, US and Italian bases on the Ice. Very exciting...and the audience of Antarcticans, mayors, diplomats, academics and national Antarctic programme personnel responded enthusiastically to what is essentially a folk song, a lullaby for grownups, about the existential side of living in a very strange and beautiful place.
The band recently performed a great gig in the historic port town of Lyttelton at The Loons, a great wee cabaret venue recently hosting music. This show was with Lisa Tui, promoting her latest album 'Night Falls into Morning', and featured slides of Antarctica accompanying the debut of Ice Shelf Lullaby. Perfect place, since Lyttelton was last known port of call before the Ice for some of the legendary expeditions about a century ago. It was awesome to be back on the stage again! Also awesome to play with Lisa Tui.
Our album received a great review in the May (NZ Music Month) issue of NZ Musician Magazine. We are considering a North Island tour later this year and will be putting out a newsletter soon with upcoming gigs. If you want to receive this, email us at: emeraldsandgreenstone (at) gmail.com (no spam we promise).
Emeralds & Greenstone celebrated Waitangi Day by sharing their music with National Radio listeners. Talking to Bryan Crump about their history and plans to visit the North Island, the band performed three songs live. Download Radio New Zealand National PODCAST to listen at your leisure. The new album is being played in Antarctica (South Pole, Scott Base and McMurdo Station), the United States, South Africa, England, Ireland and Australia. Not bad wings for such a short time out! We'd love you to get in touch and let us know what you think!
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"Ethereal in name, image and music, the band delivered a spellbinding re-working of traditional songs along with their own contemporary offerings...As a collective they ooze character, cross-cultural credentials, multi-lingualism and instrumentalism which bring their varied individual roots and heritage to life through colourful songs and tunes which transport, enthral and inspire." - Tom Harland, Scotland's The Garden Sessions
"a real musical gem...music that I hope will make it onto CD...It was not only the quality of the vocals that stood out, but the quality and sensitivity of the songwriting with this Maori-Celtic mix..." - Chris Griffith, Brisbane's The Courier Mail Online.
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****** DEBUT ALBUM 'EMERALDS & GREENSTONE' LAUNCH
Emeralds & Greenstone packed the Great Hall in Christchurch's Arts Centre at the launch of their debut self-titled album. Kapa haka group Ko Tane opened the night with a passionate performance, followed by hard and soft-shoe rhythms from elite dancers of the O'Neill School of Irish Dance. Emeralds & Greenstone augmented their lineup with James Wilkinson (Rua, Wylde Takafoleys, Hampster) on fretless bass; Jeremy Thin (Christchurch Symphony Orchestra), album guest, accompanied one of their latest songs on vibes and percussion. Energised, tight, and clearly enjoying the performance, the album's ten tracks were unleashed on an audience happy to experience such a unique sound. Last up was a light-hearted rendition of the delightful 1950s Daphne Walker classic 'Ukelele Lady'. The band were elated to see cds walk out the door.
For the launch, thanks are due to Sheena Baines (lighting), Ivor Richards (sound), The Arts Centre and Christchurch Arts Council for support. For the album, thanks to James Wilkinson (producer), Jonny Pipe at Tandem (engineering/mixing/mastering), Ivor Richards (engineering), Steven Dunn (design), and Creative Communities NZ for support.
"WOW! It was a wonderful concert - you are all so versatile & such a varied programme - blown away - absolutely brilliant - hope to play the CD lots on WOA" - Ruth Todd, Plains FM
ALBUM AVAILABLE ONLINE AT iTUNES, AMPLIFIER & MARBECKS, INSTORE AT MARBECKS MUSIC (AUCKLAND), REAL GROOVY & GANDHARVA LOKA WORLD MUSIC STORE (CHRISTCHURCH), MORE COMING SOON. If you would like to stock Emeralds & Greenstone please contact our distributor Ode Records (Auckland).
****** HIGHLIGHTS OF 2008...
Obviously, the Emeralds & Greenstone album release at the Great Hall! What a great night... earlier in the year E&G played ChristChurch Cathedral, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Waipara Wine & Food Celebration, SummerTimes, Stewart Island (Argene/Laura), NZ International Jazz & Blues Festival (Laura/Jon), Centre for New Zealand Studies in London (Ariana), Canterbury Volunteer Awards, the Christchurch Folk Club (see review by Andy Thompson), World of Wearable Arts (Ariana/Argene), New Zealand Silver Fern Rally, Heritage Week (see review by Tom Harland).
2008 also saw the release of Ariana Tikao's third solo album TUIA. ******* HIGHLIGHTS OF 2007:
National Radio's MUSIC MIX show featured E&G's Laura and Ariana. Click to listen online: "The Music Mix"...
Emeralds & Greenstone cemented their versatility in 2007 with performances such as the NZ International Jazz & Blues Festival, support for legendary Scottish folksinger/songwriter Dick Gaughan (Boys of the Lough, Five Hand Reel), guesting at the>Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the land, Ariana Tikao's standout show "Tuia: Lullabies and Laments" featured as part of the 2007 Christchurch Arts Festival's Mauriora Series teaming voice and taoka puoro (traditional Maori instruments) with effects by Leyton (Epsilon Blue), live poi and kapahaka, as well as a band including full string section.
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Emeralds and Greenstone look confidently towards the future as much as they tip their hat to the past.
Initially driven by two traditionally-influenced singer/songwriters, Ariana Tikao and Laura Tomlin, the project was conceived to create music with the aim of weaving together Celtic and Maori music through universal themes shared by the musical traditions of their heritages.
Gathering about them some hand-picked musicians, the collaboration Emeralds and Greenstone was born, performing their inaugural show at the Christchurch International Jazz Festival in 2006, gaining the attention of Australian journalists visiting from across the Tasman.
An Emeralds & Greenstone concert is an about-turn in time, transported from long-ago lands steeped in love for traditional and folk music along a cobbled road littered with stories of human experience no less resonant today. With lyrics variously in English, te reo Maori, Scots and even Scots and Irish Gaelic, fusing the traditional with contemporary, somehow it all works.
Maybe its the gorgeous arrangements which give the project musical integrity, combining haunting melodies, warmly textured, very unique voices, sparkling guitar, and traditional instruments with keyboard, even vibes... or maybe the songwriting, resonating truthfully alongside songs with much older pedigrees.
Thank you very much for the Link Up & Sharing your music Nice to meet you through cyberlink! Keep up da Great Work! Wishes you All the Best in 2009! Enjoy your Week!
Wat up fam, I'm not usually into the whole mass commenting thing, so apologies if this comes across like some spam...but it aint! Just in case you haven't checked it yet...here's my new video for Whoa (remix with PNC & Flowz). Directed by Shahir Daud with a tiny $6000 budget and a solid 7 months in post production! Lemme know what you think and feel free to help a dude out by linking your friends up if you think they might like it!
Wat up fam, I'm not usually into the whole mass commenting thing, so apologies if this comes across like some spam...but it aint! Just in case you haven't checked it yet...here's my new video for Whoa (remix with PNC & Flowz). Directed by Shahir Daud with a tiny $6000 budget and a solid 7 months in post production! Lemme know what you think and feel free to help a dude out by linking your friends up if you think they might like it!
I am back out to nz in june and july 2009 to do gigs and stay for a while and then move over for good two years from then.......wish I could have been there for your cd release....miss you all love rachxxx
Hi there. We just uploaded a sneak preview video from the new CD thats coming out in May. Check it out at http://ie. youtube. com/watch?v=8kFSmrJokn8 or on our myspace videos, And let us know what you think of it.
